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Maxol Direct Increases Productivity With Vodafone
20 April 2009
Delivery drivers at Maxol Direct used two-way radios to communicate with administrators at the company’s depot. A downside was that signals sometimes dropped, so it was harder for both parties to coordinate activities. Much of the administration work was paper-based, making it time consuming. By using the Vodafone network to carry mobile calls and support a mobile data application, drivers don’t lose touch with colleagues and systems are automatically updated. Today, the company is increasing efficiencies, boosting customer service and developing a robust communication strategy for the future.
Situation
At Maxol Direct – the heating-oil division of Maxol Group – efficient customer service has always been the focus. But like many successful businesses in these challenging times, the company is looking to develop working practices still further, to reduce costs and increase satisfaction rates among customers.
On a typical winter’s day, the company handles 2,000 customer enquiries by telephone and via the internet – which means more than 500 heating oil deliveries a day during busy periods. At such times, administrators based at Maxol Direct depots and drivers need to coordinate their activities to get the best benefit from the company’s road tanker fleet.
A major hurdle for Maxol Direct was communication between the depot and the fleet. Traditionally, drivers used two-way radios to keep in touch with administrators when they were out on the road – however, signals regularly dropped, making it difficult for both parties to work together. In addition, the amount of paperwork administrators had to process at the end of each day meant they sometimes worked late.
With advanced communication technology becoming more affordable, Sean O’Connor, IT Systems Manager at Maxol Direct [below right] felt it was time to review the existing system. O’Connor says: “It was crucial to find a solutions provider with a robust network in Northern Ireland so drivers and the depot never lost contact. However, we also wanted an organisation that would help develop a cost-effective communications strategy
Solution
After reviewing services from network providers in Northern Ireland, Maxol Direct began working with Vodafone. O’Connor says: “It was clear that the Vodafone network offered the level of reliability we needed.”
Today, there are more than 40 Vodafone data connections linking cab-mounted handheld computers and the depot, and more than 50 voice connections for low-cost calls among company mobiles. Each month, O’Connor receives an interactive CD-ROM, which gives an instant picture of voice and data use. He says: “Because I can import the data into familiar applications such as Microsoft® Office Excel® or PowerPoint®, I can create detailed reports of our communication expenditure quickly and easily – helping us make better-informed business decisions.”
Location data from the cab-mounted devices is transferred automatically to the depot across the Vodafone network. Says O’Connor: “We have a live picture of every vehicle out on the road. We can look at its position and give an accurate estimate of when a driver will make a delivery to a customer.”
For O’Connor, the support he receives from his local Vodafone account manager is vital. He says: “I put a lot of value on being able to pick up the phone and speak to someone who knows my specific business needs. Our Vodafone account manager will always take time to talk to us and make sure we’re getting the service we require.”
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