Product category:
Contract packing
News Release from: Cambridge Consultants
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 11 July 2002
Home delivery potential dissappoints
The future of home delivery Internet shopping and home-delivery was heralded as the dawning of a new-age in our retail experience, but it has so far failed to make a significant impact in the market
According to the DTI, this is because we're now too busy to wait at home all day for the goods to arrive Services are failing at the most critical point ..
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 7 Aug 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
Related stories
'System on chip' service increases automation
Turnkey 'system on chip' design and manufacturing service caters for companies outside the 'electronics elite', providing increased intelligence and automation for minimum cost.
Interactive powered devices can be reduced in cost
Novel control technology interacts with powered products to replace crude "on/off" functionality with natural and responsive control that is directly related to a user's hand movement.
delivery.
But now a team at Cambridge Consultants (CCL), one of Europe's leading technology companies, has combined its expertise in detection and tracking devices, wireless communications and real-time information management to come up with a practical, customer-focused solution to this problem.
Using a range of technologies, CCL has developed a system in which packages are tagged with small radio transmitters, enabling them to be monitored in real-time as they are transported from the warehouse to the customer's front door.
Further reading
Decision support software for control rooms
Decision support systems for control rooms combats information-overload effects of escalating levels of automation - Cambridge Consultants at Urban Transport 2004, Dresden May 19-21
Technology creates the worlds smartest iron
Laurastar, the worlds leading innovator in ironing systems, has today launched a range of intuitive products using technology developed by Cambridge Consultants.
This does away with the need for each item to be manually scanned, and can also ensure that packages are loaded onto the correct vehicle before it leaves the depot.
The goods are then automatically tracked as they progress through each stage of the delivery chain.
A GPS system on the delivery vehicle communicates with a remote server via GSM and its location is fed through predictive software that computes the expected time of arrival based on current location, road conditions, and historical trends for travel in that area at that time of day.
Arrival time estimates are continually updated right up to the point of delivery and customers can easily arrange an 'alert' via their 3G mobile phone or have an SMS text message sent to them at an agreed point prior to the arrival time.
This removes the need for inconvenient morning or afternoon guesswork.
For example, if it takes an hour to travel from work to home, the alert can be pre arranged to inform you when your delivery is seventy minutes away from your home.
"I think anyone who's had to take a day off work to wait for a delivery will have found the experience frustrating - I know I have," explains Alex Blyth, Business Development Manager at CCL.
"Our system solves this problem by strengthening a number of weak points along the whole delivery chain, and by adding in some new links".
"It also shows what CCL does best".
"We are able to bring together experts from a range of disciplines and apply their disparate knowledge to a real business problem".
"In this case, we have a product that enables our clients to add value to their customers' experience, enhance their operational efficiency and ensure that they can deliver on their promises.".
• Cambridge Consultants: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Manufacturingtalk email newsletter
• Manufacturingtalk Home Page
Search the Pro-Talk network of sites
