James Hall & Co Ltd, the SPAR retail partner for the north of England, has launched Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) to improve communications on their deliveries, in response to retailers’ requests.

The PDAs will not only help retailers, but will also give drivers more information about details such as where to park at each store.

With its 70 vehicles and 3,800 deliveries per week, James Hall & Co Ltd and its affiliated retailers can now monitor each journey more easily.

The PDAs will allow drivers to view a delivery risk assessment before arriving at stores, and with a link through GPS, retailers will also receive a message 15 minutes before the vehicle’s arrival. The arrival time will also be updated every minute via GPS, making it far more convenient and accurate for retailers than calling customer services.

Mark Clayden, James Hall & Co’s Transport Manager, said: “Our retailers clearly asked us for better communication about drivers’ arrival times, and for drivers to be better informed of their requirements.

“We want to provide the best possible delivery experience for our retailers, so we have listened to their requests and responded with this innovative PDA system.

“We’re very confident that this roll-out will significantly improve the logistics of delivering goods both for our drivers and our retailers,” he said.