Axida helps fulfil IKEA's home delivery aspirations
22nd July 2005, Axida, a specialist in multi-channel fulfilment software, has won a major contract from IKEA for a software package designed to manage its home deliveries in the UK.
The contract, worth in excess of £1m, will see Axida's HDi (Home delivery and installation) software used by stores, the central distribution facility right through to IKEA's fulfilment partner Exel Logistics to give customers complete visibility of orders from the point of sale through to delivery.
The first phase of the implementation went live in July at IKEA Wholesale and covers the home delivery of larger items held centrally. This also allows bespoke items, such as kitchen worktops, to be tracked from a third party manufacturer to enable delivery and installation to be co-ordinated with each customer.
Scalability is particularly important for this software project due to IKEA's ambition for expansion in the UK.
Currently dynamic route planning, based on Paragon software's real time router, is provided for deliveries. This will be extended to real time delivery information for customers linked to PDAs in the delivery vehicles later in the contract.
Jerry Ryan, logistics manager for IKEA Wholesale, said, "The value of our business is defined by our service to customers. With that in mind we believe that the customer should be able to control the home delivery process using whatever channel suits them, email, text message or phone. With Axida's help we can achieve this whilst creating a smarter infrastructure that both controls cost and doesn't limit our growth."
Wayne Holgate, director of Axida added, "IKEA has a very clear vision of how best to serve customer's needs and we're delighted to have been chosen as their partners to help deliver that vision. From our perspective it's a very important win. This endorses our approach of how major brands can reinforce core values by getting deliveries absolutely right. Furthermore this gives IKEA the cornerstone for a Global delivery solution."
About Axida, a leading provider of home delivery solutions, was formed in 1995 by founders Len Robinson and Wayne Holgate. Its mission is to improve the home delivery experience for retailers and consumers. Axida software underpins deliveries for a number of the UK's leading companies, including CEVA logistics, Habitat, Laura Ashley and IKEA.
Axida is a founder sponsor of the Delivery Trust scheme for Internet shopping recently launched by IMRG, the e-retail industry body. The Scheme includes an 'Internet delivery is safe' Trust Mark and an associated IMRG Delivery Charter.