Fortune Fish & Gourmet Transforms Delivery Efficiency, Customer Service, and Driver Satisfaction with Descartes
Chicago-based Fortune Fish and Gourmet serves customers ranging from mom-and-pop shops to Michelin-star restaurants.
After a series of acquisitions, the company expanded to nearly all 50 states with about 250 delivery trucks. To streamline routing data and keep drivers and customers satisfied, Fortune turned to Descartes. With strategic route planning and mobile route execution solutions, Fortune achieved real-time fleet performance data, reliable delivery ETAs, improved operations and customer service.
Challenge: Unreliable Data from Multiple Systems Prevents Route Optimization, Reporting Accuracy, and Delivery ETAs
Before implementing Descartes, route planning at Fortune meant manually consolidating data from multiple outdated Enterprise Resource Planning systems (ERPs). This hindered effective route optimization and reporting accuracy.
Without route tracking, Fortune faced operational challenges, due to inaccurate delivery ETAs. Sales reps contacted drivers, causing on-the-fly route changes. Fleet managers struggled with limited route visibility and had to repeatedly call drivers for accurate delivery ETAs.
The lack of visibility wasn’t just an operational issue—it extended to financials as well. Transportation Manager Kevin Hunt notes, “On a larger scale, strategically, we didn’t have visibility into what our routes were costing us, time-wise or mileage-wise.”
Solution: Integrated Route Planning and Execution with ERP Systems Improves Operations and Customer Service
Today, Fortune uses Descartes’ strategic route planning solution, which optimizes delivery strategies to meet a wide range of customer delivery requirements.
The system consolidates previously fragmented data, creating a seamless flow of information. “It’s been a great tool in bridging the gap between different ERPs from different acquisitions,” Hunt said.
Fortune also uses Descartes’ mobile route execution, which provides a single window into real-time fleet performance. Drivers use the app as their guide throughout the day, viewing stops on the route, where to go next, and maps. Fortune’s drivers like it so much that it’s become a recruitment tool. “Drivers rely on it. They ask for it. And we can sell it when we’re hiring drivers,” Hunt said.
Another benefit is that Fortune’s customer service reps can now give customers accurate ETAs without filtering through dispatch and driver managers.
Financially speaking, Fortune couldn’t determine the cost of each route without accurate data. “We’ve been able to much better manage our driver hours and our fleet use through these systems, knowing where our trucks are and using the reporting tools to pull out the necessary information,” Hunt said.
“It’s been eye-opening and an amazing chance to look at our business closely and make changes where we need to–taking the question mark out of ‘is a stop [or route] profitable?’ And being able to boil it down to dollars is incredibly valuable.”
Hunt is happy with the results Fortune has seen with Descartes and is impressed by the number of solutions available. “It seems like whenever we ask for something, there is a solution that already exists within the company.”
The Results
Unified Data Management
A cohesive solution integrates data across multiple ERPs from company acquisitions, ensuring accurate and reliable information.
Enhanced Financial Insights
Detailed tracking of route and stop profitability gives visibility down to the dollar, helping with financial decisions and strategic changes.
Driver Satisfaction
The user-friendly mobile app improves communication and reduces the reliance on paper-based systems, enhancing driver engagement and satisfaction.
Optimized Operations
With integrated real-time data, Fortune Fish has streamlined their processes, leading to more efficient routes and reduced costs.
Better Customer Service
Customers now receive accurate estimated arrival times directly from customer service, enhancing satisfaction and reducing the need for continuous communication with drivers.
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