The company’s widespread distribution network covers practically the entire country with its 23 hubs and 152 branches. It services over 400 regular delivery locations and 1000+ Outside Delivery Area locations. Ramco’s robust ERP system connected the network and paved the way for seamless integration, enabling over 4,150 users to process shipments harmoniously across the country, regardless of their geographical location. On average, they handle 15000 tons, 70,000 shipments, and 1.04 million packages on a monthly basis with a network capacity to handle twice as much. For its management, visibility into such a diverse and spread-out business operation was proving to be a nightmare. Ramco’s solution ensured complete shipment visibility to and from any hub or spoke, mapping over 10000 route profiles. For the different links within the supply chain, the rhythmic information flow meant no sudden surprises. They could work as a harmonious, tightly knit group with the one key motive of providing excellent customer service. This customer consciousness was further enhanced by Ramco’s support service, 12 hours x 7 days-a-week operation, and linked to IVR during off hours. Handling 1.4 million packages monthly, the company continuously faced challenges with lost or misplaced consignments. Ramco’s offline shipment processing sub-system enabled uninterrupted shipment processing and swift online system upload, using FTP integration with equipment applications like bar code readers, weighing machines, IVR, etc. This ensured that packages could be tracked and traced in real-time, resulting in savings in terms of cost and man hours. It also had a huge positive impact on the customer’s perception of the company as a reliable and dependable Logistics company.
A large, disintegrated system was the company’s biggest challenge. One delayed arrival would immediately throw the entire supply chain into a spin. But Ramco’s device integration facility now ensured that real-time automated alerts through multiple channels like SMSs and emails would keep stakeholders abreast with the latest information on shipments and consignments. Completely doing away with Excel sheets which resulted in information silos, Ramco provided an integrated financial system that supported multiple tariff rate definitions by zone, product, or customer. The benefits experienced by the company after implementing Ramco were almost dramatic. The delivery turnaround time was brought down by four hours as a result of operational efficiency at hubs and spokes. Four hours of savings for an operation of this size has translated into enormous cost savings and opened up opportunities for new business. Real-time visibility into shipment status meant they could plan resources down to the last detail. With so much information and transparency, the company could now confidently increase its business, knowing that deliverables were within its own control and power. In no time, the number of shipments processed increased from 5,000 to 15,000 per day in each hub (express centers). The company now took less than three minutes to retrieve PODs (Proof of Delivery) to process customer service requests. Finally, billing which would take weeks for completion could now be completed in less than three hours for more than one million shipments.
