IBM > Case Studies > Saint-Gobain CPS: Giving clients real-time order status updates through innovative mobile apps

Saint-Gobain CPS: Giving clients real-time order status updates through innovative mobile apps

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Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
  • Europe
Country
  • France
Product
  • IBM MobileFirst Platform Foundation
  • IBM WebSphere Cast Iron Live
  • IBM Sterling B2B Integrator
  • SAP ERP
Tech Stack
  • IBM MobileFirst
  • IBM WebSphere
  • IBM Sterling B2B Integrator
  • SAP ERP
Implementation Scale
  • Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
  • Customer Satisfaction
  • Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
  • Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
  • Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Connectivity Platforms
Applicable Industries
  • Construction & Infrastructure
Applicable Functions
  • Logistics & Transportation
Use Cases
  • Supply Chain Visibility
  • Track & Trace of Assets
Services
  • Software Design & Engineering Services
  • System Integration
About The Customer
Saint-Gobain is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of advanced materials for the construction, automotive, transportation, and packaging industries. The company operates through high-profile brands including ISOVER, PAM, Weber, Placo, Gyproc, and CertainTeed. The Saint-Gobain Construction Products Sector (CPS) offers interior and exterior solutions to enhance the comfort of commercial buildings and homes. With a global footprint, Saint-Gobain CPS operates in 64 countries and employs nearly 190,000 people. In 2013, the company achieved sales of EUR42 billion.
The Challenge
Saint-Gobain CPS, a global provider of advanced materials for various industries, was facing a challenge in providing accurate and timely information about delivery schedules and status to its clients. The company had little visibility of the status of goods once they were loaded onto trucks at the factory and until they were delivered to client sites. This lack of transparency led to problems such as delayed deliveries, damaged goods in transit, and inefficiencies in the delivery chain. The company's clients, who were looking to reduce costs by holding less stock in their warehouses, needed better information on the timing of deliveries to avoid out-of-stock situations and unnecessary waiting times for deliveries.
The Solution
To address these challenges, Saint-Gobain CPS engaged IBM Global Business Services to design and implement iOS and Android mobile apps, using IBM MobileFirst technology for app development and IBM WebSphere Cast Iron to integrate with SAP ERP. The solution consists of a mobile app for clients to check the status of their deliveries, a web portal for clients who prefer not to use the mobile app, a second mobile app for delivery drivers to input their estimated arrival time and provide updates on any unforeseen delays, and an intranet portal for the Saint-Gobain CPS service desk. The mobile apps and web portals provide real-time delivery status, saving time and effort for Saint-Gobain CPS, its haulers, and clients. They also offer full visibility into the delivery chain and advance warning of delayed deliveries, improving efficiency.
Operational Impact
  • The new mobile apps and web portals have enabled Saint-Gobain CPS to provide clients with more accurate and timely information about delivery status and schedules.
  • The solution has increased efficiency throughout the entire delivery chain by reducing the time spent waiting for delayed shipments.
  • The company has gained a better picture of the end-to-end supply chain, bringing full transparency to what was previously an opaque stage between the dispatch of goods and their arrival at the client site.
  • The mobile app for delivery drivers enables the driver to use a smartphone camera to gather evidence of damage or incorrect quantities in cases where a customer wishes to make a claim. This feature allows Saint-Gobain CPS to see when damage occurs to goods, whether during loading, transit, or unloading.
Quantitative Benefit
  • Before the introduction of the new platform, it could take as much as one hour for a client to get a response to a question about delivery schedules. Today, clients have all the information they need instantly at their fingertips—effectively more than a 99.9 percent improvement.
  • For delivery drivers, the mobile app makes it easy to keep clients informed about their progress and about any unexpected delays, to the extent that some companies have discontinued their costly telematics solutions in favor of this more simple approach.

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