Route Optimisation

At Bristow & Sutor, our ongoing investment in technology has continued to improve the efficiency and quality of our day-to-day operations. We were recently recognised for the advancements we have made with a Silver Award at DCXA’20, in partnership with Palladium Digital. Our ongoing work with Palladium Digital regarding digital transformation and change has now led to another key milestone, as we begin to roll-out an optimised routing system from the end of this month.

Route Optimisation is a technology-led system that analyses intelligence and data to generate profiles, locations and automatic routes for Enforcement Agents (EAs). This technology optimises the number of visits made each day based on measurable factors and removes the need for manual route planning. Previously, employees would be tasked with analysing maps to ascertain accessible areas and allocate outstanding jobs to the appropriate EA. Now, through automated intelligence, this task can be completed instantly, updated to reflect evolving situations and consider insightful metrics in addition to geographical distance ensuring our team can focus on more added-value tasks rather than admin.

This market leading software has the ability to re-route in real-time, whilst continuously accessing ongoing behavioural metrics and data to order visits based on the best chance of the specific debtor being available. There are five levels of priority attributed to outstanding jobs on the new system which helps influence the route generation, to ensure the most important or longest outstanding cases are prioritised accordingly.

It should not be long before we acquire enough data to indicate whether this implementation is having the positive financial effect we expect it will, but it is a logical prediction that more appropriate visits and contact at appropriate times will result in enhanced collection figures. However, there are a number of other additional benefits to route optimisation beyond an increase in the amounts of visits made. Safety is something Bristow & Sutor takes very seriously and we are continuing to implement driver behaviour and accident reduction techniques wherever possible. We were proud recently when our vehicle management systems achieved FORS Silver Award status.

Reducing our carbon footprint will be achieved thanks to the most direct routes being sourced and associated fuel efficiency benefits connected to this. Real-time visibility associated with routing technology ensures EAs will remain trackable and accountable, empowering them with the ability to review their performances and help inform future training needs. Driving behaviour can also be reviewed through the EA smartphone app and will flag to both the driver and their manager how they are driving, limiting instances of speeding and ensuring the health and safety of employees and the public remains at the forefront of minds.

Whilst Route Optimisation has been invested in and planned for implementation by Bristow & Sutor for many months, it has come to fruition at a time where the benefits are evident and clear. As seen in our recent client surveys and webinars, many local authorities are keen to resume collections and enforcement activity as soon as possible. From Monday 20^th July, we began supplying reconnection letters to debtors, giving them the opportunity to set up flexible payment arrangements and discuss changing circumstances before services recommence from Monday 24^th August. Now, when EAs return to the field, they will be supported with best in class information and support to ensure each and every day is optimised for maximum potential success.

Bristow & Sutor remains committed to its ethos of being Cool, Calm and Collected.