Media Contact:
Melissa Conway
(630) 655-7875
Melissa.Conway@rrd.com
SmartTrackerSM will be available by December 2002
Willowbrook, Ill. Oct. 31, 2002 – In December 2002, R.R. Donnelley Logistics will offer SmartTrackerSM to Expedited Services customers, a wireless scanning solution that sends pick-up and delivery data in “real-time” for greater visibility into the delivery cycle. As a result, R.R. Donnelley Logistics will be able to manage on-time performance of pick-ups and deliveries with greater precision, and will gain new insight into further optimizing routes for cost-efficiency. Expedited Services serves customers in the high-stakes/time-sensitive arena where on-time delivery can be mission-critical. The ability to provide real-time data is especially attractive for Expedited customers with a large volume of high value items, such as checks or pharmaceuticals. These businesses typically have “scheduled” logistics needs—deliveries required at pre-determined times, between pre-determined locations.
R.R. Donnelley Logistics manages more than six million deliveries annually through our Expedited Services network. The company has a proven track record for lowering transportation costs by more than 15 percent, while improving “on-time” delivery performance to more than 99 percent. Services include intra-city courier, same day/next day air courier, and overnight courier. Financial institutions and the medical/pharmaceutical industry currently utilize Expedited Services to manage scheduled or “on-demand” pickup of time-sensitive, confidential and/or secure documents and materials, such as checks and pharmaceuticals.
“Our new SmartTracker service gives us the opportunity to further improve customer satisfaction. We manage thousands of stops a day for these businesses, whose urgent deliveries typically need to reach their destination within a matter of hours,” said Chuck Fattore, president of Expedited Services for R.R. Donnelley Logistics. “By collecting real-time data to proactively manage on-time performance of deliveries in process and improve routing efficiencies, we’ve created a more reliable and cost-effective solution for our customers.”
The transmission of real-time scanning data or other cutting-edge technologies is relatively new within the Expedited Services industry, which traditionally has consisted of small, independently owned courier services with limited resources.
The most common use of remote scanning technology by these small businesses is batch scanning, where scanned data is stored in a wireless device throughout the day until the courier reaches a stationary port and can transmit the data back to the vendor. Although this method does allow for the collection of delivery data, it doesn’t match the level of accuracy and immediacy that real-time data transmission provides.
Drivers serving SmartTracker customers will use hand-held wireless devices equipped with barcode scanners to collect and transmit the real-time data. On a typical run, the driver will activate the wireless scanner on the way to the customer’s location. Upon reaching the customer site, the courier will scan a bar code that is affixed to the customer’s building, recording their exact arrival time. Next, they will scan the package to indicate it has been picked up for delivery to the drop-off location. The same process will then be repeated at the drop-off location. R.R. Donnelley Logistics’ customer service representatives (CSRs) will continuously monitor the incoming data in order to verify that all scheduled pick-up and drop-off commitments are met. If an expected scan is not received on schedule, a CSR will be alerted and will take immediate action to address the problem.
R.R. Donnelley Logistics is currently piloting SmartTracker in the Chicago area. The service will be made available by December 2002.
About R.R. Donnelley Logistics
R.R. Donnelley Logistics, a business of R.R. Donnelley, provides logistics solutions for a wide range of industries, including leading catalogers, e-retailers, publishers, financial services firms and pharmaceutical companies. As a leader in postal logistics, the company annually directs more than 19 billion print and mail pieces and 150 million packages to homes across the nation. R.R. Donnelley Logistics delivers predictable, on-time, cost saving business solutions leveraging its nationwide network of sortation facilities, expedited delivery capabilities and advanced technology systems. For more information about R.R. Donnelley Logistics, contact the company at www.donnelleylogistics.com.
About R.R. Donnelley
R.R. Donnelley (www.rrdonnelley.com) prepares, produces and delivers integrated communications across multiple channels for content owners, such as publishers, merchandisers, and telecommunications, financial and healthcare companies. As a single source supplying services up and down the communications value chain, the company excels in premedia, digital photography, content management, printing, Internet consulting, and print and package logistics. With these integrated services, R.R. Donnelley helps customers increase the effectiveness of their targeted communications and delivery needs. Headquartered in Chicago, Ill., R.R. Donnelley serves a global customer market and has 31,000 employees in more than 200 locations in North America, South America, Europe and the Asia/Pacific Basin.
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