Ever since Ace Endico began using UPS Logistics Technologies' transportation solutions four years ago, they realized the importance of efficiency, resource utilization and customer satisfaction. Ace Endico has grown their business at an exponential rate, with a significant reduction in overtime and overall transportation expenses.

Ace Endico is a full-service foodservice distributor, delivering throughout the New York tri-state area. They are a family owned business with over 2000 customers including hotels, restaurants, hospitals and nursing homes. Having been in business more than 20 years, they understand the importance of being attentive to their customers' needs.

Several years ago, Murray Hertzberg, president of Ace Endico, realized the inefficiency of having 3 employees manually routing their trucks. When he learned of UPS Logistics Technologies' Roadnet for daily routing and scheduling, he knew they would reap the benefits of automating this tedious process. And they did. The first day they used Roadnet they saw results. "As soon as I returned from Roadnet University, we went from 3 routers to 1," stated Les Sideman, routing manager. Ace Endico was better able to prioritize their customers' needs and started meeting important time windows.

Since implementation, Ace Endico has more than doubled their fleet size and customer base. This expansion brought the need for additional monitoring of transportation activities in the field. "We wanted to have more information about what was happening once the truck left the depot," says Sideman. "We also wanted to enhance customer service by providing more accurate delivery times to customer inquiries."

Ace Endico already utilized Nextel^® phones in their fleet of trucks, making MobileCast a perfect fit for their organization. "We had already experienced the benefits of UPS Logistics Technologies' solutions and they offered a fully integrated solution to add real time route execution - that solidified our decision," Sideman said. "I have worked in foodservice distribution for over 22 years, and MobileCast brings customer service to a new level."

MobileCast utilizes internet ready phones and an enterprise server from UPS Logistics Technologies to provide real time route execution and delivery tracking. The MobileCast solution provides Ace Endico with actual delivery times and updates the drivers' route progress throughout the day. Additionally, the dispatcher can monitor "critical trips," allowing management by exception. "We have the ability to see a driver during his route, so that we can give customers accurate delivery times, and view truck capacity for backhaul scheduling," says Les.

Both Roadnet and MobileCast work in concert with the Roadnet Info Center, which provides updated arrival times to customer service, sales and management. The Roadnet Info Center supplies real time route information directly to the people that need it, for improved and even proactive customer service.

Ace Endico's business growth continues next year when their depot will be moving to a new and larger facility in Brewster, NY, making Roadnet and MobileCast even more critical to their operation. And UPS Logistics Technologies will continue to support their business development.