Halfords Implements Descartes’ Last Mile Delivery Solution to Enable Dynamic Delivery Appointment Pricing in Mobile Service Business and as Part of New Avayler Field Service Software Platform
First metrics show that Halfords mobile service business has already been able to improve gross profit by 5% and reduce miles per delivery by 13%.
LONDON, July 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Descartes Systems Group (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG), the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has announced that UK-headquartered Halfords, a leading automotive products and services retailer, is using Descartes’ last mile delivery solution to enable dynamic delivery pricing in its customer-facing mobile tire replacement service and as its new international field service software solution called Avayler. First metrics show that Halford’s mobile service business has already been able to improve gross profit by 5% and reduce miles per delivery by 13%.
Descartes’ last mile delivery solution provides an end-to-end platform for home and last mile delivery operations. The solution spans delivery appointment booking, route planning and execution, mobile proof-of-delivery (POD) and notifications processes. Its delivery appointment schedule is dynamically generated for each customer and time window options are scored. This allows organizations such as Halfords to intelligently control the booking process, which maximizes booking density and productivity and enhances the customer experience while minimizing costs.
“As part of our innovative ecommerce-based mobile tire replacement service, we wanted to more accurately reflect the logistics cost of the mobile service when customers were booking service appointments and balance demand with our ability to serve customers,” said Chris McShane, Director, Strategy, Transformation & Business Development at Halfords. “Extending Descartes’ dynamic scheduling solution into Avayler made perfect sense. The solution will allow garages, distributors and other service-based organizations to provide their customer base with unique service appointment pricing as they are making purchases and the ability to optimize customer demand.”
The advanced real-time capabilities of the Descartes solution enable Halfords to offer dynamic delivery pricing that considers existing orders, business objectives, road network, vehicle capacity and service constraints to price delivery appointment options. In addition, Halfords uses Descartes’ forward-looking vehicle capacity information to help adjust its online marketing to ensure it balances demand generation with the ability to service that demand. As a result, Halfords has been able to target pay-per-click marketing spend by matching orders booked with the ability to service more customers in the coming days in particular regions.
After successfully using the Descartes last mile delivery solution to drive efficiencies in its own operations, Halfords has now integrated it into Avayler, its newly launched, end-to-end, customer-centric field service solution that will be rolled out globally. Avayler will provide other businesses with an end-to-end SaaS solution wherever they offer services whether in store, at garages, workshops, clinics, pop-up sites, in the driveway or across the threshold.
“By using logistics information and constraints in real-time during the customer buying experience, Halfords is taking last mile delivery strategies and solutions the next level,” said Pol Sweeney, Vice President of U.K. and Ireland Sales at Descartes. “Home and last mile delivery and services continue to be market differentiators, but expensive to operate. Halfords’ combination of our dynamic delivery appointment booking with its advanced pricing algorithms and capacity management allow the company to provide one of the most innovative and intuitive field service solutions on the market.”
About Halfords
Halfords is the U.K.’s leading retailer of motoring and cycling products and services. Through Halfords Autocentres, it is also one of the U.K.’s leading independent operators in vehicle servicing, maintenance and repairs. Headquartered in Redditch, West Midlands, Halfords employs nearly 10,000 colleagues up and down the country. For more information, visit www.halfords.com or contact:
Steve Marinker - +44 (0)7779 031 936
[email protected]
Harold Amoo - +44 (0)7864 607 220
[email protected]
About Descartes
Descartes (Nasdaq:DSGX) (TSX:DSG) is the global leader in providing on-demand, software-as-a-service solutions focused on improving the productivity, performance and security of logistics-intensive businesses. Customers use our modular, software-as-a-service solutions to route, schedule, track and measure delivery resources; plan, allocate and execute shipments; rate, audit and pay transportation invoices; access global trade data; file customs and security documents for imports and exports; and complete numerous other logistics processes by participating in the world's largest, collaborative multimodal logistics community. Our headquarters are in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada and we have offices and partners around the world. Learn more at www.descartes.com, and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Global Media Contact
Cara Strohack
Tel: +1(800) 419-8495 ext. 202025
[email protected]
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements") that relate to Descartes' solution offering and potential benefits derived therefrom including the ability to combine certain capabilities of Descartes with the proprietary systems of Halfords; and other matters. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements or developments expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the factors and assumptions discussed in the section entitled, "Certain Factors That May Affect Future Results" in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and other securities commissions across Canada including Descartes most recently filed management's discussion and analysis. If any such risks actually occur, they could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. In that case, the trading price of our common shares could decline, perhaps materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. We do not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in our expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based, except as required by law.
