Wincanton stores and moves things around the country, sometimes further. When you put milk on cereal, install a kitchen, put powder in a washing machine, fuel in the car or receive goods ordered online from a major retailer – it’s possible that Wincanton has been involved in making it happen. Dairy Crest, Magnet, P&G and M&S are among their customers.

Wincanton leverages technology to go beyond the delivery of goods. For example customers are under pressure not to hold too much stock, and rely on Wincanton for ‘Just in Time’ delivery. Wincanton also supports their customers in fulfilling their ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ (CSR) by making transport as ‘green and lean’ as possible. Technology enables Wincanton to help their customers reach these important and stretching financial and environmental goals. Wincanton has a dedicated Transport and Fulfilment Competency Centre and Phil Saxby is the Service, Deployment and Vendor Manager.

Phil describes issues that especially affect the Home Delivery operations: “There are two key areas where we can save our customers time and money. The first is to optimise the order in which deliveries are made, and the second is minimising failed deliveries. Both are vital to efficiency in time and money and to minimising emissions – and both rely on absolutely accurate delivery address details.

The analysis of delivery data we receive shows a 10%-30% error rate in home delivery addresses (depending on the situation). It’s vital to the major brands we serve that these errors do not translate into failed or delayed deliveries.”

To achieve 100% accuracy in fulfilment, all delivery addresses – including those received as bulk batch orders as well as those received as real-time web site orders – are validated using AFD Postcode Plus.

Any that cannot be validated are flagged back through the fulfilment system offering the selection of the nearest match. Where necessary a direct contact with the intended recipient is made to clarify the precise delivery details – again using Postcode Plus.

Phil continues: “I describe Postcode Plus reliability as absolutely bullet-proof. Data updates are easy, the available charging models suit the wide variety of uses we have now, and those that we anticipate. AFD Software is an easy vendor to work with and the software is a little gem that sits there, does what it should do and we never have any issues.

As we develop new multi-channel, multi-tenancy solutions we are ensuring that Postcode Plus remains at the heart of the address accuracy on which Wincanton and its customers rely.”