Putting 'Express' into delivery
A touch of Kiwi hi-tech is tracking hundreds of thousands of brown paper parcels and express service jiffy bags as they are delivered to homes and businesses across Britain each day.
In a deal worth several million dollars, former Christchurch and now London-based iTouch Business Mobility has provided 2500 Parcelforce Worldwide drivers with hand-held computers that tell them where to go and what to do with their deliveries.
iTouch won the three-year contract ahead of more than 30 software developers from Britain, and has put in place one of the largest wireless parcel tracking systems in the country.
Formerly part of the Holliday Group of companies in Christchurch, the business now belongs to UK-listed iTouch plc.
But iTouch software development manager Rod McKay said the business’s home town was still playing an important part in the smooth operation of the company’s latest venture.
While Britain sleeps, delivery instructions and destinations for parcels to any of the 27 million addresses throughout the UK are loaded from a Christchurch base into hand-held computers drivers pick up at the start of the new day’s work.
The software system will have sorted deliveries into the right order for easiest and quickest delivery on any one route.
The driver follows instructions that pop up on the hand-held and gets the recipient of the parcel to sign off digitally on its safe delivery.
Meanwhile, the customer who has sent the parcel can follow its progress and eventual arrival in real time on any computer.
Parcelforce’s Ken O’Rahilly said iTouch had been selected after months of tendering, proposals and a series of depot trials.
“While it’s early days since roll-out, we see clear competitive advantages for our business,” he said.
Drivers and depot staff work more efficiently, making delivery time guarantees more accurate and competitive.
While the gee-whizz technology is impressing the Brits, the iTouch tracking magic is an established part of the New Zealand business scene.
TVNZ’s transmission subsidiary is able to keep better track of its spare parts thanks to iTouch’s hand-held system.
Other local iTouch customers are TelstraClear which uses a palm-based sales system, Jade, and Meridian Energy.
