Toyota Mobility Parts Corporation was established through the merger of 33 Toyota parts dealers throughout Japan with Tacti Co. Ltd. The company is part of the Toyota Group and supports the automotive industry and local players by planning, selling and supplying automotive spare parts and accessories. Since June 2020, there has been a collaboration with Daihatsu Motor and Subaru on joint supplies for maintenance parts and accessories.

Driver shortages and environmental protection, including the reduction of_{CO2 emissions}, are pressing issues today. In order to continue to provide excellent customer service in the future, the automotive industry has had to optimize the efficiency of its logistics network. One measure for this is the joint distribution of spare parts and accessories by various car manufacturers.

Overcoming logistical challenges

"The biggest challenge with the joint deliveries was that each company used its own system, which meant different labels and local processes. To ensure the quality and safety of deliveries, it was essential to standardize the delivery management systems," explains Genki Endo, Joint Logistics Promotion Officer at Toyota Mobility Parts.

At Toyota Mobility Parts (TMP), a QR code on the standard Toyota shipping label is captured using a handheld device and the information about the package is managed by the system. Previously, employees had to check each label manually, as each company uses its own logistics system. This could easily lead to errors. To solve this problem, the information on other companies' labels was converted to Toyota's standard shipping labels, enabling management with the company's own system.

By running ZetesChronos on Panasonic handhelds, TMP was able to significantly increase the speed of loading. The operating times of the locally used handhelds were also improved.

"We described the problems we were facing, including those of the other companies. Zetes and Panasonic not only listened to our needs, but even came to our warehouse to do a comprehensive analysis. Based on their evaluation, they created a proposal that met our needs and goals. I immediately felt that we could build a better system together with them as a partner," adds Genki Endo.

Transparency in real time

"The fact that we can view the delivery status in real time means we can respond to inquiries more quickly. This is well received by our customers. The mobile computers are also popular with drivers because they are easy to use: The QR codes are scanned at high speed and we no longer hear complaints about short battery life. We have been working with the terminals for over two years at another location and have not yet had a single failure. They really are very reliable."

By storing the delivery data of the driver terminals in the cloud environment, shipping partners and fleet managers can monitor the status of the drivers in real time. By making the 'invisible' visible, delivery processes become more efficient and faults can be rectified immediately, enabling a smooth service for the customer.

In the future, Genki Endo would like to extend the area of application to the whole country. The effectiveness of the current joint delivery system will also be evaluated. To further improve efficiency, the challenge of sharing warehouse functions will be addressed. "We believe that by building an efficient logistics system with fewer resources, we can further improve efficiency and become more environmentally friendly to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals."

This article appeared in issue 10/23