In a difficult economic climate where every euro saved is important, optimising fleet management and improving the customer experience have become essential for Prest Distribution.
The distribution company has been using the MICHELIN Connected Fleet solution for around ten years and works closely with their teams to add additional modules as and when required by itself and its customers.
Eric Nzinga, who heads up the company, shares his experience of using MICHELIN Connected Fleet solutions over the past 2 years.
MICHELIN Connected Fleet's geolocation system is an essential element for us. This function, which provides real-time information on vehicles' positions and the time of goods deliveries, is a real plus in terms of safety and customer service. On one hand, it eliminates the need to contact the driver and the risks involved in them picking up the phone whilst driving. On the other hand, it enables the customer to monitor the vehicle's progress in real-time via direct access to the MICHELIN Connected Fleet platform.
Because we transport sensitive foodstuffs, monitoring the temperature curve is also vital for us and for our customers. "When transporting frozen products, delivery can be refused if a minimum temperature of -15°C is not respected", explains Éric Nzinga, Managing Director of Prest Distribution. The "Connected Temperature" module in MICHELIN Connected Fleet allows us to check and justify that this temperature is being maintained at all times during transport. "The reliability of the data provided by the MICHELIN Connected Fleet tool, which is recognised by both our customers and insurance companies, means that the haulier is not liable in the event of a dispute," he adds.
The module can also be used to provide direct access to the end customer, who can then access the temperature curves in complete transparency.
We have seen higher savings since we started using MICHELIN Connected Fleet's solution.
"The use of the Connected Temperature module, which provides proof of compliance with the temperature curve, has enabled us to reduce litigation costs by 25% over the last 2 years. Last year, this represented a saving of 20,000 euros, even though the entire fleet was not yet fully equipped", explains Eric Nzinga.
Prest Distribution also buys between €25,000 and €30,000 worth of pallets every year to replace those that disappear. With the price of European pallets soaring to €15 a piece, this represents a significant loss of income for the company. To limit these costs, Prest Distribution has marked out the pallet storage areas, and geolocation of vehicles makes it possible to know which lorry is accessing them and when, so that we can spot any suspicious comings and goings. In 2022, this system has reduced the pallet buy-back budget by more than half!
MICHELIN Connected Fleet offers a highly versatile solution, with a host of modules that are invaluable to Prest Distribution's business. The various modules can be controlled from a single platform. The company now has geolocation and temperature readings from a single point of entry. This greatly simplifies the day-to-day work of the teams, particularly in terms of tool training.
Direct customer access to the solution also brings real added value and undeniable time savings for Prest Distribution. There is no longer any need to respond to customer requests concerning the location of vehicles or compliance with the temperature curve, because customers can carry out their monitoring directly from their premises. As a result, this frees up a full-time in-house job, consequently saving €35K/year.
We are working closely with the MICHELIN Connected Fleet teams to add additional modules as our needs and those of our customers change.
That's why we plan to add other modules before the end of the year, such as social data feedback and driver behaviour analysis from the same platform.
Eric Nzinga highlights 3 points in particular about his collaboration with MICHELIN Connected Fleet:
As a transport and logistics company, Prest Distribution has to adapt constantly, and the transporting foodstuffs has quite specific needs. That's why it's so important for the company to be able to count on a partner who understands the way it works and can help it cope with the constant changes in its ecosystem.
"In addition to the solution's performance and ease of use, in MICHELIN Connected Fleet we have found a flexible, responsive partner capable of providing rapid solutions to our needs. As an SME, this really is the solution that makes the difference compared to other existing ones on the market. It's great to have a partner who can move forward at the same pace as us." concluded Éric Nzinga.