Success story

Albert Heijn
Transport

Ahold Delhaize uses Simacan to track the goods transported to all its Albert Heijn, Gall & Gall and Etos stores. In the retailer’s transport department, it revolves around sustainability, predictability and efficiency. All stores and carriers are connected to Simacan’s platform, which has been the enabler for continuous improvement in all three of these areas for many years.

25 Carriers supply the Ahold stores every day

Replenishing the more than 1,250 Albert Heijn branches, approximately 600 Gall & Gall stores and 500 Etos drugstores is a crucial part of Ahold Delhaize’s business operations. The company’s transport department works with a pool of around 25 carriers that deliver the products to the stores fresh and on time, every day.

ETA information for stores and DCs

One of Ahold Delhaize’s goals is to offer its stores and distribution centres (DCs) as much predictability as possible, which is why the retailer opted for Simacan’s logistics Control Tower years ago. With Simacan’s ‘arrival’ and ‘store’ monitors, store managers and DC employees can see when a carrier will arrive to deliver which goods. This is important information because DCs and stores can ensure that shelf-stacking employees are ready to receive the deliveries. Meanwhile, DC employees can see all the arrival information on these monitors, so they know when peak moments will occur, which helps them to prioritise tasks.

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Insights for accurate transport planning

Simacan has fulfilled a pivotal digital role between Ahold’s trip planning and the carriers’ transport operations for years. All trucks can be tracked in real time via a link with Simacan. The planners not only monitor vehicle movements, but can also adjust the schedule where necessary. And afterwards (post-trip), the Simacan platform offers the possibility of comparing all data gathered during a completed trip against the original trip plan in the context of the actual traffic situation during the trip. This provides valuable insights to further optimise trip planning in terms of feasibility and accuracy.

Better use of transport capacity

If realistic driving times can be relied on, fewer time buffers need to be built in, and planning can be tighter. This allows better use of transport capacity, preventing unnecessary mileage, and makes arrival times at stores more predictable. Simacan provides clarity in the event of deviations: the reason why a schedule was not achieved, and the underlying cause.

What are the benefits for carriers?

Ahold Delhaize’s transport network consists of carriers specialising in store deliveries. They also benefit from Simacan: drivers know that they will be given feasible trips. In the event of delays, store employees are automatically informed via the Simacan ‘store’ monitors and receive a new estimated time of arrival (ETA). In addition, carriers’ planners can also see the same real-time status of their trips for Ahold. They can communicate and collaborate with Ahold in the context of a trip. In the event of incidents, trips are tagged with predefined hashtags in the chat function during execution. This makes it quick and easy to locate operational disruptions afterwards.

Data analysis for better returns

Simacan offers Ahold Delhaize and its transportation partners a platform to collaborate in detail and improve supply chain performance together. If a truck is regularly delayed at a DC or store, then all stakeholders can analyse the cause of the bottleneck and look for a solution. Simacan removes the distortion from communication because everyone looks at the same data. It is clear to everyone how a particular trip went and what happened. In other words: thanks to Simacan, the entire distribution ecosystem has access to applicable data that repeatedly leads to new insights and opportunities for improvement.

Accurate planning is becoming increasingly complex

The retail market in which Ahold Delhaize operates is exceptionally dynamic. Customer demand is erratic and difficult to predict. Traffic congestion is increasing, and environmental measures mean that many stores will only be allowed to be replenished by electric vehicles in the near future. This makes accurate trip planning even more complex. Simacan is comprehensively addressing this, and will therefore become even more valuable in the future.

About Albert Heijn E-commerce

In addition to supporting Albert Heijn Transport, Simacan also plays a key role in Albert Heijn’s e-commerce operations. The grocery home deliveries of AH.nl, Albert Heijn’s online supermarket, are seamlessly monitored and optimised by Simacan.

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