TNT Express announces plans to install 14,000 additional “Mobile Worker” terminals in its network’s delivery vehicles. The investment will be completed in 2008.
The portable terminals are part of TNT’s modern IT system, which processes and transmits shipment data. The devices allow couriers to send and receive order information in real-time. TNT couriers in 25 countries, including Poland, are already using the terminals, and by the end of 2008, TNT employees in another 17 countries will be equipped with the devices.
– The decision to introduce “Mobile Worker” terminals in our network’s vehicles was preceded by successful tests in Finland, Great Britain, Italy, and Singapore. This investment will improve the speed and efficiency of our global operations – said Shwan Moubarak, Director of Information and Communication Services, TNT Express.
The implementation is part of the company’s strategy aimed at integrating the communication system within the international TNT network. “Mobile Worker” terminals send and receive data directly from TNT’s main server in Great Britain. This solution – thanks to high-bandwidth wireless communication – enables the transfer of large amounts of data between branches and couriers, which allows for improved operational efficiency.
– We want to constantly improve our offer, hence the implementation of the latest technologies. “Mobile Worker” consolidates seven different communication systems into one: unified and multifunctional. This solution allows customers around the world to track the status of their shipment just five minutes after it is picked up by the courier. This is particularly useful in those business sectors for which time is a paramount value – adds Moubarak.
By implementing this unified solution, TNT Express can use “Mobile Worker” technology worldwide, without the need to install and maintain separate server infrastructure in each of the involved countries. This introduction also means savings: up to 70 percent of software and technology system update costs, as the need to maintain seven separate systems has been eliminated.
By the end of the year, all TNT Express couriers in Poland and warehouse operators will be using modern PDA devices, which are replacing the previously used INCAB terminals.