Internationale Partnersuche

Innovation & Technologie Anfrage

Leading Dutch service provider in mail and logistics is looking for innovative SMEs who have solutions to improve the process of loading and unloading delivery vans

Country of Origin: Netherlands
Reference Number: TRNL20181002001
Publication Date: 9 October 2018

Summary

The Dutch service provider is transforming from a traditional mail delivery business into a logistics service provider. They are looking for innovative SMEs who have solutions for an improved process for loading and unloading the delivery vans. An easy solution for loading and finding parcels in the van suits the needs of all of their delivery employees. The cooperation would be in the frame of a technical cooperation agreement. This technology request is part of an open innovation challenge.

Description

The Dutch company has over 200 years of experience in this market. They have the largest and most modern logistics mail and parcel network of the Netherlands. They deliver parcels every day and mail five days a week. On a weekday, they deliver on average 675,000 parcels and 8 million letters throughout the Benelux.



The goal of this technical request is to improve on the quality and speed of their parcel delivery process. The Dutch company aims to save time, deliver more efficiently and have happier customers. They are still growing quickly and therefore have to mutate the routes often and have to work with a lot of new unexperienced delivery employees. 

The current process is built on the assumption that the delivery employee has geographical knowledge. Employees without geographical knowledge are not able to load their vans efficiently and are unable to find the right parcel quickly when arriving at the recipients address. This results in inefficiency, quality loss, long handling time at the door and sub-optimal capacity of delivered parcels per day. 



The improved process for loading and unloading the delivery vans should result in a quicker finding of the right parcel and a  decrease of time of handling per parcel at both points of the journey. It should:

-	Decrease time and costs spent by drivers on handling parcels

-	Increase flexibility of their logistic planning

-	Increase the satisfaction of their employees

-	Increase the amount of parcels they can deliver per day

-	Future proof because of the expected growth of the parcel market



The Dutch company is also open to different types of partnerships  than a technical cooperation agreement.



Innovation Challenge

This technology request is an innovation challenge that is published on an open innovation platform. If interest in cooperation with this firm is expressed, the potential partner will be guided towards this open innovation platform on which he can get in touch with the company via a chat function. Mind that posts on this platform are not confidential. Besides open discussion on the platform, sharing of confidential information will be made possible on demand. 

After closing of the open innovation platform on November 23rd, the corporate company will make a selection of the organizations that have been active in the chat for further contact. Expressions of interest that are made after November 23rd will be handled as usual in the Network.

Expertise sought

The requested solution should:

-	Be easy to use for new employees

-	Have a positive impact on efficiency, preferable for both new employees and experienced ones

-	Increase the amount of parcels they can deliver per day

-       Not cause a decrease in capacity of parcels per route 

-	Be suitable for subcontractors (trucks that are not owned by  the company)

-	Not limit them in mutating the routes or planning differently, even if it’s last minute

-	Be web based (if it’s an IT solution)

-	Reduce stress for their employees and increase their happiness

-	Be standardisable / a standard solution (for “normal” vans)

-	Include the possibility to pilot on a small scale

-	Be future proof

-	Complement the other processes the Dutch company already has



Which disciplines do they need:

-	Smart storage systems / technology

-	Warehousing technology

-	ICT related to GIS / route planning

-	Mobile technology

-	Board computer

-	AR/VR technology

-	Laser technology

-	Automotive solutions



The price of the solution can not result in an increase of the costs per parcel in the overall journey.

Stage Of Development

Concept stage

Stage Of Development Comment

Other stages are also interesting for this Dutch company:

- Already on the market

- Available for demonstration

- Field Tested / Evaluated

- Prototype available for demonstration

Requested partner

Type of partner sought:

• SME 

• The Dutch company is also interested in Start Ups



Role of partner: SME's are invited to share their ideas and propose their solutions. After being selected, the SME will be proposed to participate in the development of the requested solution. 



Other types of partnership can be offered and discussed with the Dutch company.