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EXEL
CHOOSES TOKAIRO TOKOPEN DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR PROOF
OF DELIVERY SOLUTION
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Using TokOpen as a proof of delivery application
The global leader in supply chain management, Exel, provides
customer- focused solutions to a variety of manufacturing
and retail industries. The group's comprehensive range of
innovative logistics solutions encompasses the complete supply
chain from design and consulting through freight forwarding,
warehousing and distribution services - to integrated information
management and ecommerce support.
A listed
UK FTSE 100 company, Exel has a turnover of over £4.7
billion and employs 67,000 people in 1,600 locations across
120 countries throughout the world. Customers include over
two thirds of the world's largest, quoted non-financial companies.
The
group's Special Product's business, (formerly Tankfreight)
provides logistics solutions for the chemical, petroleum and
edible industries., predominantly in the UK. The portfolio
includes a fleet of more than 800 multi-mode road tankers
-carrying liquids, powders and gases. Loads include chemicals,
food, oil and petroleum products from raw material to finished
goods for manufacturers and end users. The firm works for
most of the UK's major oil companies - delivering to forecourts
and hypermarkets throughout the country. Altogether, there
are 35 depots in the UK.
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Now Exel's Special Products business unit has adopted
Tokairo's TokOpen document system to provide a reliable
proof of delivery solution
Exel's Special Products business has had a relationship
with Tokairo - involving the use of TokOpen document
management technology - for over five years. The relationship
started with the implementation of a system called ELADIN
in oil terminals. This captured driver tacho and delivery
information via a touch-screen system similar to High
Street ATM machine terminals.
The system scanned drivers' route sheets and proof
of delivery documents and printed out receipt documentation,
providing uploaded information to Exel's Special Products
business. A key feature of the system was highly intelligent
local terminal processing, which resolved and reduced
data and data volume, and only transmitted refined and
optimised information to the business. This very directly
addressed network bandwidth issues - an important cost/business
factor where short-term contracts preclude less than
desirable investment in network infrastructure.
"Expenditure on network infrastructure has to
be balanced very carefully and wisely against revenue
and likely new business. TokOpen provided a safe way
round the problem - its local terminal processing intelligence
and power enabled us to accommodate our existing network
environment without loosing functionality and without
extra cost."
A satisfactory accolade for the technology is the fact
that the system has been recognised by no less than
the Open University who have included it as a "best
practice case study" in their User Interface Design
and Evaluation Post Graduate Course.
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Exel has now implemented TokOpen in its Special Products
business unit, providing an innovative proof of delivery application.
"Previously, we had a manual paper POD system which was
slow, unwieldy and did not address satisfactorily increasingly
demanding customer needs," says Rowntree.
"Tokairo's TokOpen solution was selected because of
its demonstrable performance in the past. We had seen it working
in a tough business environment. It is resilient, robust and
intelligent. Its design attacks real world business issues
very aggressively and works to deliver business benefits that
support growth and profit. A key benefit is the way it enables
us to improve customer support. In an increasingly challenging
market, retention and growth of existing client business is
important."
Exel has selected TokOpen along with TokOpen Web Server and
TokOpen Sorting Office Remote. Because of limited network
links between depot sites and head office, network traffic
is optimised by performing all scanning and indexing locally.
When indexed, documents are uploaded to the head office at
pre-determined timed intervals to Exel's Intranet for access
by customers, and customer's clients to establish proof of
delivery.
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The system has been closely integrated
with Exel's CUDOS enterprise business system. "The
scanning and indexing is TokOpen out-of-the-box,"
says Rowntree. "But we have taken the data and
uploaded it into CUDOS so that instead of having a separate
proof of delivery application - remote from our enterprise
system - we now have a single solution that covers any
aspect we need to deal with. Client or prospect enquiries
can be handled on a single screen which means we can
respond straight away - with authority and confidence".
In reality this means, "Happier customers,
less client frustration in resolving telephone disputation,
surer resolution of problems; very significant time
saving." says Rowntree.
Other benefits? "Data is now directly
uploaded to CUDOS so that instead of handling proof-of-delivery
as a separate process, we now handle it as part of a
single client satisfaction process.
"I now have access from within CUDOS
to drill down to see and confirm proof of delivery,
and if I have a query from a customer I can check it
out and give an accurate answer. I can check paperwork
on-screen, and I can let our customers demonstrate POD
to their customers."
"Currently, in the initial implementation
phase, we are handling 400 new POD documents a week.
When fully rolled out it will be capable of handling
more than 5,000 a week. We are now about to roll out
an additional module to handle fax traffic - TokOpen
Fax - which will let subcontractors fax PODs directly
to us directly into the system."
One area that the system allows Exel to
address is that of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
whereby the company's performance delivery is measured.
By using TokOpen, the company is able to measure and
analyse performance to ensure it is meeting targets.
Underlying the product strength is Tokairo's
support capability. "We needed a partner and with
Tokairo we have one," says Rowntree.
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Tokairo Ltd
20 Linford Forum, Rockingham Drive, Linford Wood,
Milton Keynes, MK14 6LY, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1908 695 569 | Fax:
+44 (0) 1908 696 961 | E-mail:
info@tokairo.com
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© Copyright 2004 Tokairo
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