FedEx Express and Intermec Technologies Corp. have teamed to develop a new dispatch system designed to capture accurate information about package pickup and delivery operations in real time, the companies announced today. FedEx initially will deploy the system to couriers in China.
The new system, called GPRS-Dispatch, combines software developed by FedEx's GSP Technologies group and Intermec handheld computers with integrated GPRS wide-area radios.
The real-time data collection and communications capabilities of the Intermec 760 mobile computer, which was customised for FedEx, allow the company to improve pickup time, enhance customer service, and increase the efficiency of its operations.
"We've always known that information about a package is as important as the delivery of the package itself," said David L. Cunningham Jr., president, Asia Pacific of FedEx. "With the real-time information provided by the new system, we expect to reduce pickup response time from 1.5 hours to 1 hour. In addition, the capabilities of the Intermec mobile computer allow FedEx to eliminate the use of car radio transmitters, pagers and cell phones to transmit information to and from couriers. The significant increase in customer satisfaction is as important as the cost efficiencies of this system. With real-time information, we're able to 'push' the work out to our couriers and proactively dispatch them as needed."
The Intermec 760's three integrated communications options - local area, wide-area and Bluetooth - along with its ability to integrate bar code scanning, 2-D imaging and its extended battery life, were key factors in the selection.
Accurate route and load planning is essential to the success of FedEx China's operations. The 760's wide-area networking capabilities provide instant two-way communications between courier and dispatcher, which reduces the amount of downtime a courier experiences while in-route. These enhancements to FedEx's operations help the company to reduce transit times and ensure on-time delivery, directly benefiting its customers.
"FedEx has always led the logistics industry in adopting mobile computing technology to improve its business processes," said Intermec President Tom Miller. "Now the company has enhanced real-time in-depth information to communicate with its drivers, service centres and customers."
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