Willmotts Transport
Willmotts Transport Streamlines Multi-Site Communication Thanks to Dakota and StayLinked
Privately owned and operated from its base in Somerset, Willmotts Transport has been providing world-class logistics, haulage and warehousing solutions since its inception in 1918. Servicing its worldwide distribution network with its large fleet of 44-ton articulated vehicles, 26, 18 and 7.5-ton rigids and 3.5-ton curtain and panel vans, Willmotts is a business which is run on family values, harnessing a high level of passion and enthusiasm in order to ensure that the quality of service it offers to its customers is second to none.
When the company wanted to enhance and extend its mobile computer and software estate to keep up with an increase in demand and to consolidate its multi-site warehousing locations in terms of mobile data capture, as well as endorsing its corporate policy of continuous improvement, Willmotts turned to Dakota Integrated Solutions to help find a solution.
The Problem
With an existing estate of mobile computers from several manufacturers, all of which have the StayLinked SmartTE terminal emulation software loaded onto them enabling communication with the company’s Access Delta Warehouse Management Software, Willmotts needed to extend the application to facilitate the increasing number of workers using the solution.
Josh Eades, IT Facilities Manager at Willmotts Transport explains, “When I first took up this role, one of the first issues I noticed was, due to our business operating out of multi-site warehousing premises and a rapid-rate growth rate, we didn’t have enough mobile computers or licenses for the StayLinked software to accommodate these factors. The communication between the StayLinked software on our mobile devices and our WMS is critical for us as a business, so we needed to ensure that we were using the data capture solution to its full potential to keep the business running as smoothly as possible. The lack of devices and therefore software licenses was causing issues, primarily a large amount of time being wasted in calling around to ask individuals to log out of the software on their device to allow other workers to log in and use it. This was having a negative impact on all the processes for which we use the devices within our warehouses, namely picking, packing, goods in and goods out, creating unnecessary, inconvenient and disruptive backlogs. The situation was causing us a real headache and I knew that this needed to be rectified – and fast. Having initially enrolled a system integrator to sort this out on our behalf, which in the end proved very slow and unproductive, we then turned to Dakota who were able to quickly and easily rectify the issue for us, helping to ease the problem and the backlogs.”
The Solution
Willmotts purchased additional data capture mobile devices from Dakota, as well as increasing its number of StayLinked licenses to rectify the issues and clear the backlogs, helping to streamline all of its processes and make the whole business more productive and efficient.
Philip Jarrett, Commercial Director at Dakota comments, “When we were contacted by Willmotts we were only too happy to help them out, and quickly set about ordering new devices for them as well as renewing and adding additional licenses to their existing StayLinked SmartTE terminal emulation software estate, so that they could get their whole business back on an even keel. Dakota is always keen to offer the highest levels of customer service, and since Willmotts were let down by their initial supplier, we were only too happy to take over this project and move as swiftly as possible to help iron out their issues. I am delighted to say that we were successful and have managed to help Willmotts clear their backlog and adopt a much more streamlined approach moving forward.”
The Result
The results of the renewed solution have been far-reaching, with many cost, time and productivity benefits being realised.
Josh Eades explains, “Our whole operation has been transformed as a result of this new, fresh approach and we definitely have Dakota to thank for that. Our Account Manager was extremely helpful and took the time to understand the issues we were facing in the first instance, which ultimately helped him to move extremely swiftly in order to get everything back on track for us. No longer are we wasting time getting people logged out and back into the system; all of our operatives are now individually equipped with everything they need to fulfil their day-to-day tasks, so our whole operation now runs extremely smoothly and efficiently. We can’t speak highly enough of Dakota, and we are so grateful to them for helping us achieve our goal of a smooth operation which helps us work to the highest and best level possible, allowing us to maintain our excellent customer service levels and overall worker satisfaction. We look forward to maintaining our relationship with Dakota as our business grows in the future.”
