References
Orion Trading Group
Efficient decentralisation thanks to automation
The assignment
Order processing and accounting are centralised in Herentals, while orders are largely placed via the local distribution centres. Until recently, however, central order processing and journey allocation was a particularly labour and paper-intensive process. Order and journey documents were exchanged between the central office and the various distribution centres by courier. Because the delivery of fuel oil is subject to seasonal peaks, the laborious administration process quickly became a pressure point. The tracking of stock was another area that left room for improvement. Orion was, therefore, looking for a way of simplifying its business processes.
The solution
All 125 tankers were fitted with a CarCube on-board computer which is connected to the back-office applications on a continuous basis via GPRS. In collaboration with Tryges, the Belgian market leader in the area of tanker components, Punch Telematix also linked the CarCube to the tankers' counters.
The impact
The result is a world of difference. Today, orders are sent to the different tankers directly. The order details are read into the CarCube, which is linked to the counters in the tankers. Thanks to this link, the CarCube also records the exact quantity that has been delivered. The delivery slip can be printed out on the spot by means of a printer connected to the CarCube and the correct delivery details are immediately available at the central office, meaning that it is no longer necessary to wait for the physical delivery documents to ensure a smooth and accurate invoicing process.
"That's not the only advantage, however," reports Joris Schoofs, Managing Director at Orion. "It is also possible to accept and schedule in orders much later now. After all, our planners know how much fuel there is in each tanker at any given moment and, thanks to the track & trace function, they can see where the tankers are at all times."
"Furthermore, by linking orders to journeys, it is also possible to track stock in real time. And, because it is linked to the tachograph, the CarCube has also simplified our payroll administration. We are now able to assign our internal staff to activities with greater added value," concludes Joris Schoofs.
Our decision
"Given the key role that the system was to play, we wanted to be certain that the ultimate solution would meet our expectations," says Dirk Boone, Logistics & IT Manager of the group. "This was the reason for our choice. The CarCube is a stable system and, thanks to the open standards, can be integrated with our existing back-office applications relatively easily."
The client
With 12 Esso distribution centres spread across the whole country and 125 tankers, the Orion Trading Group is Belgium's biggest independent distributor of liquid fuels. It combines the high level of service and flexibility of an SME with the top quality of Esso's products. The Orion Trading Group has 129 employees.
www.mazoutnet.be
Number of employees: 129
Vehicle fleet: 125 tankers
Activity: distributor of liquid fuels
Territory: Belgium
Application: CarCube
Integration with XPETRO from LSA and a volume measuring system from Tryges