Yodel boss talks up technology usage in delivery

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.essentialretail.com/news/art ... n-delivery" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Executive chairman of UK parcel carrier Yodel, Dick Stead, said this week that its business model is increasingly relying on technology as consumers' demands continue to change.

A shift to a more mobile and always-online way of living is having an impact on the carrier sector, with Yodel currently working on ways to provide more regular delivery updates and offer two-hour windows for when a product will arrive with the end-user.

"You can arguably say we are an IT company that delivers parcels because everything we do is driven by intelligence," Stead told Essential Retail.

In addition to tracking systems, Yodel is using technology to decide route structure, staff levels and to gain customer feedback – a particularly important strategy for the business at present, as it looks to fight back against some negative publicity and what Stead describes as some unfair reflections on its level of service.

With the growing prevalence of smartphones, people now continuously track their orders, he explained, adding: "They want feedback that's relevant to them.

"No longer is it satisfactory for me to say, 'We've loaded it onto the van, it's now delivered'; we've got to give them some more information otherwise they get frustrated."

Yodel, which works with retailers such as Boots and Tesco Direct, made a number of changes to its distribution network at the end of 2013, opening a new service centre in Basildon, Essex, as well as extending its Aberdeen site and reopening a new-look hub in Ipswich.

Technology has played a part in boosting operational efficiency at these sites, with the Ipswich centre introducing new sorting equipment that allows its 90 drivers to start their tours earlier in the day.

Yodel also recently announced a partnership with Motorola, which sees the technology company supply and manage the handheld devices used by the carrier's delivery drivers while out on the road.

[rhino49]

Final text message ..... It's on your driveway (or maybe someone else's) in the rain - thankyou for using Yodel

[Lounge Lizard]

Final text message ..... It's on your driveway (or maybe someone else's) in the rain - thankyou for using Yodel

Yes, I increasingly see their parcels doorstepped , often at the door that's never used
- and I only draw it to the attention of those residents kind enough to remember me at Christmas .

[clashcityrocker]

Final text message ..... It's on your driveway (or maybe someone else's) in the rain - thankyou for using Yodel

I think that is harsh.
I'm sure Yodel successfully deliver dozens of parcels every year.

[trythat]

'In addition to tracking systems, Yodel is using technology to decide route structure'

Regarding route structure, I think that means ask a postie - 'Where's this mate?''

[janitor]

Sod a two hour delivery window, I just wish they could deliver on the correct day.

[SpacePhoenix]

Tracking every item is something that RM needs to do. I wonder if it'd be feasible to do combined with a portable printer for printing P739 forms on the go as hopefully all the info needed would be on a central computer system

[wabbithunta]

"You can arguably say we are an IT company that delivers parcels because everything we do is driven by intelligence," Stead told Essential Retail.

Yeah, really?
So how is it that when I deliver mail I find packages from Yodel left on that persons doorstep in plain view. I've even had the homeowner show me a card with only a phone number and what I would assume to be a tracking number on it, and no other details at all and no time or date! Taken a pic of one of these too!


Intelligence my arse!

[Radio]

I hated Yodel in the past, especially when they took over Amazon deliveries (I think Amazon are part owners of this company). They have a come long way from those days. Now their service is incredible. The ability to track my package enables me to plan my day around the delivery time. They might not be on time, but you do expect them, which helps a lot. It would be bad for Royal Mail to ignore these improvements. Customers want tracking on every item and this is where this competition will be decided. With the present mindset and management/ planning teams, Royal Mail can never beat the technological advantage of these companies.

[janitor]

Glad things have changed in your area, still the same dire service we have always had here, they can't even get the day right let alone tell you what hour, it will arrive. Would be satisfied if their next day service meant next day, not sometime this week. Amazon logistics and city link are no better, the only one RM really have to fear is DPD.

[wabbithunta]

News story on Yodel and Amazon, the comments section makes for interesting reading "ex-customers feedback?" [Dated March 2014]
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... thers-deal" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Amazon to take stake in Yodel from Barclay brothers
Yodel accounts show Amazon given option to acquire 4.2% of parcel delivery service in deal valuing business at £207m
Amazon has struck a deal with the Barclay brothers, owners of the Ritz hotel and Telegraph newspaper titles, to acquire a stake in Yodel, which was recently voted Britain's worst parcel delivery service for the second year running.

More than 10% of Amazon's $75bn (£45.5bn) global revenues are thought to be made up of sales to customers in the UK, although the US group controversially books these transactions through its Luxembourg-based office.

The decision to strike a deal with Yodel appears to signal that Amazon is prepared to support Sir David and Sir Frederick Barclay's loss-making business in the crowded parcel delivery market.

Yodel accounts show Amazon has been given an option to acquire 4.2% of Yodel in a deal which values the business at £207m. The option to acquire the stake for £8.7m remains open until 2022.

Amazon and Yodel declined to comment on closer commercial ties between the two firms.

Yodel, based in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, was born out of the delivery business of catalogue retailer Littlewoods, which is also part of the Barclay brothers' business empire. Following a series of acquisitions, it now ships more than 135m parcels a year, making it the second largest delivery service after recently-privatised Royal Mail.

Yodel has more than 5,000 vans and employed more than 16,000 people delivering 14m parcels during last year's Christmas rush. Its top clients include some of Britain's largest and fastest-expanding online retailers, such Tesco Direct, Boots and Argos. But the business has lost big clients in recent years, including John Lewis, Matalan and Mothercare.

Yodel info on Wikipedia [Some of the links listed on the website are dated March 2014]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yodel_(company" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

Yodel is a parcel delivery company in the United Kingdom. It was formed by the 2010 acquisition of the UK domestic business of DHL by Home Delivery Network.[1] The combined business was rebranded as Yodel in May 2010.[2] It has approximately 1,500 clients and handles over 135 million parcels every year.[3]

History
Home Delivery Network operated as the logistics division of Shop Direct Group until it demerged in 2008. It was formed by the merger of Business Express and Reality, the former Littlewoods and Shop Direct delivery companies respectively.[4]
Yodel received much negative publicity in December 2011 for alleged instances of poor performance.[5] Yodel ascribed the failures to unexpectedly high demand.[6] However, the Daily Mail later printed a clarification after exaggerating the amount of backlogged and undelivered packages by Yodel.[7] In March 2012, the BBC's Watchdog consumer programme broadcast a segment highly critical of Yodel.[8]
The company changed its business name to Yodel Delivery Network Limited from Home Delivery Network Limited on 8 August 2013.[9] The 2-man operation known as Yodel XL changed its name mid way through 2013 to Arrow XL.[10]

Criticism
Yodel are notorious for their poor service and are frequently rated the worst delivery company in the UK.[11][12] Yodel was named the "worst parcel delivery firm" in a poll by MoneySavingExpert.com, of 9,000 people, with 58% of customers rating their experience negatively.[13] Despite this, Yodel continues to be the delivery company of choice for many major UK retailers, largely due to the company's low prices in comparison with other delivery companies.[14]

This one below lists Directors but there are some dates next to some names with leaving dates
http://hdnl.wordpress.com/hdnl-info/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Home Delivery Network Limited is owned by Shop Direct, the huge company which owns or purchased companies such as Littlewoods, Kays, Great Universal, Choice, Woolworths (trade name and Ladybird rights bought), Shop Direct Home Shopping Ltd, Additions Direct, Everyday Financial Solutions Ltd and Optimum Contact Solutions Ltd.
HDNL came about by the merger of Business Express (the Littlewoods delivery company) and Reality (the Shop Direct delivery company) in 2005. They currently deliver for the Shop Direct group of companies but also Tesco Direct, Amazon.com, dabs.com, Sainsbury’s (non-food products), Play.com, Dolphin Music and others – around 120 retailers in all. Not all deliveries from these companies may be sent via Home Delivery Network, for example smaller items such as DVDs and books from Play.com and Amazon are usually sent via Royal Mail. Some companies (like Amazon) have several contracts with different courier companies.
In January 2010 a subsidiary of HDNL called Parcelpoint Ltd announced a deal to purchase the domestic arm of DHL Express (UK) Ltd. The Office of Fair Trading cleared the purchase at the start of March 2010. The new name for the HDN and Parcelpoint business is Yodel. Jonathan Smith, the former director or DHL Express took over as Group Chief Executive as HDNLs Group Chief Executive Brian Gaunt left.

[123456]

the honest truth is the likes of yodel are streets ahead in terms of technology compared to old dusty royal mail.its a shame but our competitors have had a decade or so to get their teeth into this business,fast forward another 10 years and unless RM get a grip the game could well be over.you see practices in our mail centre which are beyond belief.when it comes to parcels,we dont love them anywhere near enough yet.

[janitor]

It doesn't matter how much technology they have, they cannot deliver when they say they can people will look elsewhere, and yodel are far from delivering on the correct day, to the correct address. That is what counts and this is the reason I have almost stopped using amazon, because they can't deliver on their promises, and looking on their user forum, I am not alone.

[123456]

i agree with what your saying completely.but will yodel raise their game on delivery standards or will royal mail lower theirs.my money is on the latter,when royal mail is fully privatised i can imagine the incredibly greedy major player in our business saying"why are yodel and the likes standards and quality below ours,its not fair when we have to blah,blah"after a quick word in the governments earhole regarding the U.S.O and hey presto standards will slip and slide accordingly..quickly followed by "will it increase the profit margin" the answer will be yes,so knock yourself out..THEY WILL BE AHEAD OF THE GAME.....still. 10 years on and the royal mail will be not so royal.

[wabbithunta]

i agree with what your saying completely.but will yodel raise their game on delivery standards or will royal mail lower theirs.my money is on the latter,when royal mail is fully privatised i can imagine the incredibly greedy major player in our business saying"why are yodel and the likes standards and quality below ours,its not fair when we have to blah,blah"after a quick word in the governments earhole regarding the U.S.O and hey presto standards will slip and slide accordingly..quickly followed by "will it increase the profit margin" the answer will be yes,so knock yourself out..THEY WILL BE AHEAD OF THE GAME.....still. 10 years on and the royal mail will be not so royal.

Adding to the downward spiral of the "Race to the bottom!"