Lumber distributor to use Descartes for mobile planning

Solution marries Descartes’s delivery planning functions with two-way update capability.    The lumber and building materials distributor US LBM Holdings has begun using a mobile route planning solution from Descartes Systems Group, the software provider said Wednesday.
   The solution is designed to improve contractor efficiency and combines delivery route management and mobile handheld capabilities to help better manage construction projects.
   “In our dynamic industry, many orders expect delivery within 24 hours,” said Senthil Arumugam, vice president of logistics and inventory management at US LBM. “It is paramount to our success that we meet those expectations and provide great customer service. We now have a solution that gives our highly mobile customers accurate and extensive real-time visibility into the details and timing of their construction site deliveries.”
   US LBM is using Descartes Route Planner’s delivery planning and execution capabilities and Descartes Mobile’s real-time two-way update capability to help improve its customer service and productivity. Descartes said it has helped US LBM to improve on-time delivery from 70 percent to 95 percent in some locations, while decreasing costs by more than 10 percent. The fleet visibility made possible by integrated GPS-tracking has helped US LBM to turnaround trucks more than 30 percent, Descartes said.
   “Paperless proof of delivery, enhanced by picture and signature capture functionality, has significantly reduced the number of customer calls and claims, and has helped US LBM to save tens of thousands of dollars every month with better delivery claim resolution,” Descartes said.