Route & Delivery Tracking

PROBLEM

Tracking last-mile shipping and receiving of specialty food products at KeHE was paper driven so customers didn't know when deliveries would be made or if an order was shorted until they took delivery which meant un-stocked shelves. Vendors didn't know when products were rejected or why until everything came back to the warehouse and in turn the KeHE operations team couldn't process customer credits, refunds, or receive additional orders until days after the initial delivery was made. The product fulfillment lifecycle process was time consuming and inconsistent and the lack of real-time tracking data strained business relationships between retailers, vendors, and KeHE.

SOLUTION

Digitizing key portions of KeHE's logistics for distribution, tracking and last-mile delivery of products for route visibility. Clipboards and paper were to be replaced with hand held devices and digital bills of lading, purchase orders, invoices, and delivery receipts so warehouses, distribution centers, truck drivers, vendors, and customers could see, in real-time data, when a store could expect to take delivery of shipped goods and what was/was not delivered, etc. 

PROCESS

Initial research included ride-alongs with drivers to fully understand the existing manual process. We also needed to gauge how receptive drivers were to a new digital process which would required them to carry a digital device.

OUTCOME

Providing real-time order status on any device retailers know when orders will be delivered, alerted to any changes in estimated time of arrival. Alerted ahead of time when items were shorted or not going to arrive, customers were able to order from other vendors or choose a similar product for items which were shorted. Route Visibility ensured customers knew what to expect and when to expect it allowing them to stay on schedule and maximize their time and staff.

Accelerated engagement between retailers and vendors allowed KeHE to retain long time customers and expand their business due to positive customer feedback and word of mouth in the niche industry. 

Important step towards making it easy to do business with KeHE. We listened carefully to our retail customers and understand that in-store efficiency is essential to their bottom line. KeHE Connect TM delivers opt-in information that matters. Route visibility provides valuable information by text or email at critical points in the fulfillment lifecycle."

Transparency is vital in today's supply chain. Retailers need to know when orders will be delivered and alerted to any changes in estimated time of arrival (ETA). Now KeHE ConnectTM provides real-time visibility. KeHE ConnectTM is a proprietary platform that accelerates engagement between retailers, vendors, and KeHE.