"At Qualcomm, all of the conditions were present..."
Based in Chatenoy-le-Royal in the French department of Saône et Loire, the company Transports Becker employs a staff of around 100, 90 of whom are drivers, and has a vehicle fleet of a similar size. Loads are transported in containers, on pallets and in full and half batches. Half batches involve multiple loading and unloading points, which means that managing the carriers is more complicated, depending on the total number of batches being transported.
When Transports Becker contacted Qualcomm, the company had never had a fleet management system before and was looking for a solution that was compatible with its tools and transport planning software and would maintain the human decision-making element in the planning process.
Transports Becker decided to acquire the OmniExpress solution, but without the visual display units (VDUs) which they did not need for the time being. They were looking for a decision-making tool that would provide them with the data they needed to manage transport runs precisely and in real time.
The modularity of OmniExpress – which is unique on today’s market – also played a role in the firm’s decision, however. Just like Transports Becker, a lot of other companies are also looking for a solution that does not require the purchase of VDUs, but which remains sufficiently flexible to add other equipment as needs develop.
The initial contact was made easier not only because Qualcomm is so well known, but also because of the confidence already expressed by other transport companies who were clients of the company. Transports Becker was also able to rely on Qualcomm to help the company precisely define its needs and translate them into product specifications. As Daniel Duffau, Transports Becker Production Manager, stresses, “Even when you know what you want, you still have to be able to communicate it clearly. Certain suppliers try to impose a particular solution at any cost, even though the solution may not be suitable. At Qualcomm, all of the conditions were present to ensure that the preliminary dialogue between operator and supplier would take place.”
The initial exchanges showed that Qualcomm’s solution was simple to implement and that it would definitely complement Becker’s back office management software, whilst maintaining the software’s performance and functionalities.
Transports Becker also took into account the fact that the equipment would continue to develop and that it had to be possible to upgrade easily, the risk that certain solutions might become obsolete, the speed with which Qualcomm could implement its solution, and the quality of the after-sales service (Qualcomm has a hotline available 24/7 and account managers who can help both the company and drivers individually, even taking action on site if necessary).