10th July 2002

Delivering the Goods - the future of home delivery

Internet shopping and home-delivery was heralded as the dawning of a new-age in our retail experience, but it has so far failed to make a significant impact in the market. According to the DTI, this is because we're now too busy to wait at home all day for the goods to arrive. Services are failing at the most critical point... delivery.

But now a team at Cambridge Consultants Ltd (CCL), one of Europe's leading technology companies, has combined its expertise in detection and tracking devices, wireless communications and real-time information management to come up with a practical, customer-focused solution to this problem.

Using a range of technologies, CCL has developed a system in which packages are tagged with small radio transmitters, enabling them to be monitored in real-time as they are transported from the warehouse to the customer's front door. This does away with the need for each item to be manually scanned, and can also ensure that packages are loaded onto the correct vehicle before it leaves the depot.

The goods are then automatically tracked as they progress through each stage of the delivery chain. A GPS system on the delivery vehicle communicates with a remote server via GSM and its location is fed through predictive software that computes the expected time of arrival based on current location, road conditions, and historical trends for travel in that area at that time of day.

Arrival time estimates are continually updated right up to the point of delivery and customers can easily arrange an 'alert' via their 3G mobile phone or have an SMS text message sent to them at an agreed point prior to the arrival time. This removes the need for inconvenient morning or afternoon guesswork. For example, if it takes an hour to travel from work to home, the alert can be pre arranged to inform you when your delivery is seventy minutes away from your home.

"I think anyone who's had to take a day off work to wait for a delivery will have found the experience frustrating - I know I have," explains Alex Blyth, Business Development Manager at CCL.

"Our system solves this problem by strengthening a number of weak points along the whole delivery chain, and by adding in some new links. It also shows what CCL does best. We are able to bring together experts from a range of disciplines and apply their disparate knowledge to a real business problem. In this case, we have a product that enables our clients to add value to their customers' experience, enhance their operational efficiency and ensure that they can deliver on their promises."

Notes for editors:

Cambridge Consultants develops breakthrough products, creates and licenses intellectual property, and provides business consultancy in technology critical issues for clients worldwide. For nearly 50 years, the company has enabled its clients to turn business opportunities into commercial successes, whether launching first-to-market products, entering new markets or expanding existing markets through the introduction of new technologies.

With a team of over 300 engineers, designers, scientists and consultants, in offices in Cambridge (UK) and Boston (USA), Cambridge Consultants offers solutions across a diverse range of industries including medical technology, industrial and consumer products, transport, energy, cleantech and wireless communications. In 2009, the company was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade. For more information visit: www.CambridgeConsultants.com

Cambridge Consultants is part of Altran, the European leader in innovation and high technology consulting. The Group’s 17,500 consultants, operating worldwide, cover the entire range of engineering specialities, including electronics, information technology, quality and organization. Altran offers its clients ongoing support throughout the innovation cycle, from technology watch, applied basic research and management consulting to industrial systems engineering and information systems. The Group provides services to most industries, including the automotive, aeronautics, space, life sciences and telecommunications sectors. Founded in 1982, Altran operates in 20 priority countries. In 2008, it generated a turnover of €1,650 million. For more information visit: www.altran.com

For further information:

Cambridge Consultants Ltd

Patrick Pordage
Marketing Communications Director
Tel: +44 1223 420024
Patrick.Pordage@CambridgeConsultants.com