Cheyns Improves its Processes and Service with Accurate Information in Real-time

Cheyns is an electrical wholesaler in Belgium with 10 subsidiaries. The company has its own transport service, which supports an end-to-end professional service. To improve its transport efficiency, Cheyns has relied on the CarCube on-board computer from Trimble for over 10 years. Now, Cheyns is equipping its fleet with Trimble’s mobile FleetXPS on-board computers. This is to improve insight into the delivery process and to respond even more proactively to customers’ needs.

At Cheyns, professional installers can choose from a wide range of cables, installation and industrial equipment, lighting, Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning (HVAC) supplies and a range of consumer products such as electrical and electronic equipment. In its central warehouse in Kortrijk, Cheyns manages more than 30,000 products. Given the growing number of customers placing orders on Cheyns’ Webshop, increasing efficiency to meet the demand is even more important. Orders placed before 7:00 pm are delivered the next day.

Cheyns supports its processes with the Dimasys ERP software from Infomat. Once all orders for the next day are identified, the ERP system sends them to the WinRoute route planning software from Descartes, which calculates the most efficient routes for delivery. “As soon as the routes are identified, we send a notice by e-mail or SMS to our customers with the scheduled delivery time. Another SMS is sent shortly before the actual delivery time. This way, the customer knows exactly when the truck arrives. For deliveries on construction sites, this is particularly important. It allows the site supervisor to be present on time and to accept delivery of the goods in person,” explains Bert Vermeiren of Cheyns.

The transmission of data to the back-office system by the CarCube on-board computers has been an asset for Cheyns. “With this data we know where our fleet is located and we are able to quickly route them to respond to customer demands. Customers regularly place orders which need to be delivered the same day.

Such rush orders can easily be scheduled, since trucks position data can be viewed at a glance by our transport planner. In addition, we always compare scheduled delivery times with the real-time situation. That information is fed back to our sales staff and they can in turn provide customers with up-to-date information,” said Vermeiren.

Finally, the CarCube on-board computers also contribute to a smooth handling of the billing process. “We do not invoice until after delivery. With the on-board computers, this information exchange is now fully automated. As soon as the driver has completed a delivery, this is communicated to the back office and the invoice can be created.”

In order to increase transport efficiency, Cheyns now plans to switch from the fixed CarCube on-board computers to the mobile FleetXPS devices. “We have been testing the FleetXPS and the results are positive. The mobile on-board computers offer important advantages such as the customer’s digital signature for receipt and the ability to take pictures. This is particularly useful in cases where customers have questions or comments about deliveries that were made. We know for each delivery who received it and at what exact time. For deliveries in warehouses or other protected locations, we can take pictures to document the condition of the delivery. During the course of next year, we want to equip all our trucks with the FleetXPS,” said Vermeiren.

The relationship between Cheyns and Trimble continues to grow. “We want to make a difference by offering an excellent service and efficient processes. Telematics is an essential support here. In recent years, the combination of the CarCube on-board computer and the route planning software has allowed us to significantly increase the efficiency of our transport process. The total mileage of our trucks per year fell from 1,250,000 km to 1,000,000 km. That’s a substantial saving. At the time, we compared different solutions and finally selected the advanced on-board computers from Trimble. The collaborative style was also a determining factor for us. In this respect, Trimble gave us a good feeling from the beginning,” says Vermeiren.