Knowing where the trucks are
By Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, November 12, 2001
Arcadia, Wis. — No company has plowed into IT more resources — fiscal and human — than has Ashley Furniture. A Web site for e-commerce with its dealers, an extranet for its suppliers, laptops for all of its sales associates beginning in 1994 and the industry's most advance transportation optimization system — the list is lengthy.
On tap are projects to synchronize all of Ashley's sales force with the company's systems via the laptops and connection to ashleydirect.com. Part of the plan is to handle all orders electronically, as well as confirmations, delivery status, and notifications.
Already at ashleydirect.com, Ashley dealers can view and order from the entire product catalog, obtain accurate pricing, and check availability as far out as 42 days. Powering that long-term delivery planning is a transportation optimization package not unlike those employed by UPS and FedEx. In fact, before going under, Webvan.com used the same package directing Ashley's fleet of trucks.
"We're trying to reach FedEx's level," said Dwain Jansson, vice president of information services. "The software tells us precisely where the trucks are, the routes they are delivering — it's much like tracking a package."
The system also allows for an efficient solution to a late or missed delivery. Rather than forcing all of the subsequent stops on the route to receive late deliveries, the system re-enters the problematic stop for an optimized, updated schedule. It allows the rest of the daily route's retailers to get their furniture on time.
Enabling this optimization are hand-held units in each of the trucks linked to headquarters in Arcadia, and a geocoded route-making system that gave Ashley's IT a few gray hairs while putting in place.
