Case Study
When MF Logistics embarked on a restructure of the business to improve the service it offered to customers, it turned to Life IT to upgrade its hardware and software and to develop a facility to enable customers to track deliveries over the Internet.
Based in Warrington, Cheshire, MF Logistics offers a range of distribution packages and services
for blue chip customers wishing to transport goods between the UK and Ireland, as well as providing daily services to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It employs around 25 people at the head office who work in accounts, customer services, transportation and sales, and has depots in Melton Mowbray, Heathrow, County Antrim and Dublin.
Challenge
MF Logistics wanted to keep pace with other distribution companies that offer sophisticated technology and fast and efficient delivery of goods to customers. It also needed to find a way of streamlining its processes to run the business more efficiently. But its IT system had become out of date and was unable to do many of the jobs that would help the company to move forward. It knew that its expertise was in delivering goods to and from Ireland, and with a fairly restricted area it was
able to offer customers a more tailored, reliable and cost effective service than its competitors. But it needed to invest in improving the IT system to convince new clients that it was up to the job.
Solution
MF Logistics’ main requirement was to implement a track and trace system that enabled clients to log on to the Internet and check the status of deliveries and accounts in a secure environment. However, before it could install such a system, it needed to upgrade its hardware and software.
“It became obvious that we couldn’t continue with our business without a web-based track and trace system that could enable our customers to check for themselves when collections had been made, when deliveries were expected and who had signed for documents,” said Neil Boland, of MF Logistics. “We needed to move on and we needed the hardware and software to achieve this.
For MF Logistics, using a smaller, more specialised IT company to do this was the preferable option. “We had experience of dealing with larger IT companies and it always seemed to take such a long time to achieve anything. We felt as if we were being given the office junior to work on our project and with people leaving and constantly being moved to different positions, we were pushed from pillar to post. With Life, we knew that we would always have the best, most experienced person on our project – and that whatever the problem or issue, someone would always sort it out for us in the quickest possible time.”
Because of Life’s expertise with the AS400, Lotus Domino and Notes, they were able to develop the track and trace system to communicate with the existing shipping system MF Logistics was running. “It meant that MF Logistics didn’t need to spend more money on a new shipping system and its staff could continue using the existing application they are used to,” said David Hayton of Life IT.
Business Benefits
The track and trace facility has given MF Logistics the capacity to approach new clients with the technology, as well as rolling out the message to existing customers that they had improved the service they were offering. “If everything is going well, which it does for the vast majority of our clients, there is no real need to communicate with them. The track and trace system has given us the perfect opportunity to let our customers know that we have been doing our utmost to improve the service we offer them and will continue to do so.
”MF Logistics is convinced that without the track and trace system the business would have come under threat from its competitors. “When you are up against the big distribution firms with huge IT budgets, customers come to expect the latest technology, particularly with the Internet now being the first port of call for them to check delivery and account information.”
The new system is very easy to use for both staff and the customer. Staff are still using the same application to input data. Customers simply access the MF Logistics website, enter their username and password, and can access delivery details specific to their company including proof of collection, proof of delivery, order numbers, collection dates and delivery references.
MF Logistics has already seen tangible business benefits since implementing its new IT system. With the old system, it would send KPI reports to its top 20 customers, which would take one person one and a half days every week. This has now been reduced to half a day a week at the most. Office staff are now spending less time taking phone calls about the whereabouts of their goods. Customers do this online, freeing up staff to concentrate on other work. People still want a hard copy of the reports and signed documents, so MF Logistics will be providing an image of the proof of delivery document over the Internet.
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