Vehicle fleet optimization at a Brussels non-profit

Context & Objectives

A non-profit organization offering meal delivery and home care services was looking to  improve the use of its delivery fleet. They had little visibility on how each vehicle was used and doubted they were using the best routes for the different tours. All these elements generated unnecessary costs that threatened the organization’s operations and ultimately, the quality of life of its patients. 

The management team asked us to optimize the size and use of the fleet to reduce costs while improving the level of service in Brussels, where mobility issues are particularly acute. 

Approach

Working in close collaboration with internal teams, we…

• Collected and consolidated data from the different operational databases

• Mapped the current use and capacity of each vehicle along with the routes used

• Optimized tours to maximize patients served while minimizing time spent between stops

• Sized the optimal fleet needed for the delivery routes and how to distribute them between vehicles

Results

Example of an optimized route map.

Our optimization exercise ultimately led to a reduction of the fleet size by 32% while increasing the level of service, curbing operation costs, and reducing the planning team’s workload.