Within Expert Nederland, there has been discussion for some time about purchasing a vehicle tracking system. Owner Jeroen van Dongen of three Expert stores in South Holland decided not to wait and installed the TrackJack GPS tracker. "This allows us to further improve the information we provide to our customers."
Since the coronavirus outbreak, Expert has been delivering more than ever. Many consumers are avoiding big cities and large consumer electronics stores. Instead, they rely on the local Expert entrepreneur . “Service is our strength. Anyone who buys a washing machine from us today will have it delivered the same day or tomorrow,” says Jeroen van Dongen, owner of the Expert stores in Berkel en Rodenrijs, Pijnacker, and Gouda.
Van Dongen also notices that consumers are increasingly buying online. Expert has a single national webshop with 132 stores that handle orders. Consumers decide which store they place their order with. "That's often the nearest store or the store that has the product in stock. Sometimes orders are delivered directly by the supplier, but if possible, we deliver ourselves. Especially if the products need to be connected and installed. These days, people prefer to have a familiar face in their home."
If a customer asks when the van will arrive, the Expert team can easily see the current position.
Jeroen van Dongen: “The system is extremely useful for anyone who wants to take a step forward in service.”
Arrival time
Van Dongen has a fleet of ten vehicles for delivering the products, including two Volkswagen Crafters with a closed cargo bed and an Opel Vivaro. However, the majority are Nissan vans. "We use the NV300 and NV400 because of Nissan's mobility and maintenance plan. If we're stuck with a flat tire, they're there within 45 minutes," says Van Dongen, who estimates that the ten vehicles together serve 130 to 140 addresses daily.
Since January 1, all vehicles have been equipped of the GPS trackers from TrackJack. Via the associated fleet management system, Van Dongen can now see where the vehicles are at any time. "It's a robust system with excellent value for money. Of course, we looked at other systems, but this one works well. And what's more: they're local. I've been following them for years," says Van Dongen from behind his desk in Berkel en Rodenrijs.
The investment in GPS trackers is directly related to the growth of delivery activities. This has led to an increase in calls from customers wanting to know when the Expert employee will ring the doorbell. "Our staff behind the counter can now immediately see where the vehicle is going. Based on the delivery list, they can then give a fairly accurate prediction of the arrival time. Before the GPS trackers were installed, it was a matter of guesswork."
Better planning
The delivery list is generated by the store automation system. It lists the delivery addresses in the most efficient order. "Customers always received a phone call or text message ten minutes before we arrived, letting them know we were on our way. But with the TrackJack solution, we can further improve the information provided, and therefore our service."
The GPS trackers contribute to the reliability of the planning. For example, Van Dongen calculates a standard time of 45 minutes for connecting a washing machine, and 90 minutes for installing a dishwasher in a kitchen unit. “Thanks to the data from the fleet management system We can check if those times are correct. If an employee spends an hour and a half connecting a washing machine, we ask them why. We learn a lot from that, which allows us to improve our planning."
Sometimes it turns out the employee was supposed to install a pull switch. "Fine, but you have to charge for that," says Van Dongen. "I'm thinking of disputes about invoices. If a customer tells us our employee was gone within half an hour, we can prove they were on-site for an hour."
Driving behaviour
The fleet management system also provides information about the employees' driving behavior. How quickly do they accelerate and brake? How quickly do they drive through sharp corners?
Driving behavior impacts fuel consumption and tire wear, but can also lead to transport damage. Currently, we're not doing much with this information, but eventually, we also want to coach drivers on their driving behavior.
The vans of the Expert stores in Berkel en Rodenrijs, Pijnacker and Gouda visit 130 to 140 addresses per day.
Van Dongen points to the growing number of vans in residential areas. "Every now and then, we get a call from a resident complaining about the speed. When we confront employees about it, they often deny they were speeding. The fleet management system gives us insight into the facts."
An added benefit is the support for mileage tracking. The fleet management system shows how many kilometers have been traveled per vehicle and per day. Does the investment in GPS trackers pay for itself? "I doubt it," Van Dongen says honestly. "But the system is incredibly useful for anyone who wants a step up in service. That's why we invested in it. I'd rather spend the money on this than on an advertising brochure. And in the long run, this leads to better planning and better driving behavior."
Van Dongen is certainly pleasantly surprised by the functionality offered. "Within the national Expert organization, there's been discussion about implementing a system like this for some time. I decided not to wait for that and to go with TrackJack. If I'd known what we'd get in return for our monthly subscription fee, I would have done it even sooner."
This story was published in the Van from May 2021.
Text: Marcel te Lindert
Photos: Expert, Marcel te Lindert
