
From planning to actuals: grocery retail logistics under control
Optimising standard routes and real-time monitoring to eliminate inefficiency and manage network complexity.
The challenge
With over 250 stores and revenue of €1.3 billion, Dimar tackles the logistical complexity of grocery retail in North-West Italy every day.
Turning the delivery calendar agreed with the sales network into an efficient set of standard routes was a complex challenge. The company needed to assess the economic impact of network changes (such as new opening hours or new stores) and overcome the lack of real-time visibility into transport operations. Without objective data on completed trips, it was difficult to accurately measure punctuality against the theoretical plan and identify structural inefficiencies.
The challenge was to replace rigid processes with advanced tools capable of simulating alternative scenarios and ensuring total operational control over distribution flows, minimising costs and mismatches.
How we create value
Optit met Dimar’s needs by tailoring two modules of our proprietary OptiLogistics solution.
- The Tactical Planning module uses routing algorithms to process fleet, constraints and store time windows, generating optimal standard routes and simulating alternative cost scenarios.
- The Monitoring and Analytics module has digitalised the entire day-to-day delivery execution.
By connecting to telematics systems, the solution automatically calculates actual delivery times through geofencing and processes ETAs in real time. Users can view vehicles on a map, track punctuality KPIs and log delay causes in a structured way, giving the Logistics function and stores a single portal for verifying trips in progress.
Impact
- Route optimisation: optimal balance between costs, time and fleet fill rate.
- Real-time control: fleet tracking on a map and delay detection via geofencing.
- Variance analysis: immediate trend reporting and historical logging of delay causes.
- Streamlined administration: actuals data ready and exportable for pre-invoicing and reporting.
