International Consultants' Guide

Issue Contents

E-Communications Supply Chain

Tracking the new contenders

Tim Jefferson of The Human Chain provides an insight into the
e-communications solutions that are emerging in the supply chain.

The internet is changing the way that business is carried out throughout the supply chain. Most notably, it is starting to revolutionise the way companies monitor, transfer information and contact their vehicle assets and drivers

In the past, automatic vehicle location (AVL) and two-way mobile data solutions started out as in-vehicle terminals equipped with a GPS receiver for determining the position of the vehicle, and a wireless transceiver for transmitting the vehicle's location and other basic information back to a central dispatcher.

The dispatcher would have a PC-based computer software solution, allowing them to monitor vehicles on a digital map, and to communicate with them.

These early solutions required expensive in-cab mobile data terminals and wireless modem equipment, as well as sophisticated base station solutions that had to include high-speed data connections to the wireless bearer (such as GSM SMS or data, Mobitex, PMR or Trunked PMR).

Early adopters of these solutions found them productive in that they improved vehicle fleet efficiency, driver productivity and customer service.

But the systems were difficult to cost justify unless they were (expensively) integrated with route optimisation software and ERP (enterprise resource planning) systems.

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