The best of cases! Tactical planning in retail food distribution

In this case, Optit’s web platform was adopted for the logistical planning, with some customisation of the routing algorithm to take the client’s specific operations into account. The solution is able to generate a delivery schedule and perform scenario analyses; it is possible, in fact, to quickly evaluate the impacts of variations in service level to the retailer (delivery frequency and time window, for example) and/or variations in operating procedures. Furthermore, Optit’s web platform has also integrated some Business Intelligence tools, which, with the ability to analyse historical data, can lead to identifying and quantifying the deviations between the “theoretical” schedule and the final reality. The result is not only faster generation of schedules and the implementation of scenario analyses, but also the possibility of implementing continuous improvement processes in retail distribution. At this point, evaluations are being made to decide whether to extend these tools to the company’s planning and operational management processes.