TNT Express turns to Actian Services to develop, run and maintain Ingres and OpenROAD-based application systems as a managed service
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- Europe
Country
- United Kingdom
Product
- Actian Ingres
- Actian OpenROAD
Tech Stack
- Database Management
- Application Development
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Database Management & Storage
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Warehouse & Inventory Management
Use Cases
- Track & Trace of Assets
- Fleet Management
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
TNT Express Services UK & Ireland is the leading business-to-business express delivery operator in the UK, delivering up to 150 million items per annum. The company has the largest individual share of the national market and employs more than 10,000 people. TNT Express has an extensive network of 53 strategically located express delivery depots, plus sortation hubs and National Customer Contact Centres. The company was looking for a knowledgeable and experienced partner to develop, run, and maintain their applications as part of a managed service.
The Challenge
TNT Express Services was in need of a reliable partner who could not only provide robust technology for building business applications, but also a qualified team of IT professionals who could support them by developing, running, and maintaining their applications. The company was looking for a solution that could help them track high-value items shipped by two of their divisions: Technology Express, which distributed IT and computing equipment, and Retail Express, now Fashion Group, which distributed high-end clothing from manufacturers to High Street outlets. Over time, the need for the system expanded to cover all items shipped by TNT Express.
The Solution
After a period of consultation, TNT Express chose to work with Actian and its services team. Actian has been developing Ingres-based application systems and providing 24x7 support for them for TNT Express since 1996. Actian developed an Ingres-based Item Tracking System which was originally aimed at tracking high-value items shipped by two divisions of TNT Express. The system was later extended to cover all items shipped by TNT Express. Actian also developed a specialized Ingres and OpenROAD tracking system for TNT’s Mail Services division to track items they were moving between bank branches and clearing centres for a large High St Bank. This application has now been implemented for all major UK Clearing Banks and a number of other organizations. All applications are developed and supported remotely by the Actian Team, via direct access into TNT’s computer systems at Atherstone, UK.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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