Fresenius Enhances Nationwide Distribution with Descartes Last Mile Delivery Solution

Fresenius Medical Care North America (FMCNA), the nation’s leading provider of kidney care products and services, and Descartes Systems Group, the global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, announce the rollout of Descartes’ last mile delivery solution to improve the distribution of equipment and services to home patients and dialysis centers across the U.S.

“We take great pride in the superior care we give to our patients and the best-in-class service we provide to our customers,” said Scott McLean, Director of Transportation at FMCNA. “Our distribution operations are fundamental to this commitment and the Descartes solution allows us to realize greater efficiencies managing over 400 vehicles on a daily basis to support people who are relying on our critical medical supplies.”

Descartes’ last mile delivery solution provides an end-to-end platform for home and last mile delivery operations. The solution spans delivery appointment booking, route planning and execution, mobile proof-of-delivery (POD) and notifications processes. For FMCNA, in addition to creating more efficiencies with route planning, the solution improves customer experience by providing home patients with more detailed information and control over the delivery of life-sustaining dialysis supplies. These enhancements support efforts to increase adoption of home dialysis treatment for people living with kidney failure, an FMCNA priority and a goal of the U.S. government’s Advancing American Kidney Health initiative.

Using advanced continuous optimization technology, Descartes’ last mile delivery solution takes committed appointments and improves route productivity, which generates additional delivery capacity and reduces costs. The solution manages delivery execution with intelligent dispatching and GPS-based real-time vehicle tracking. The related mobile application helps drivers execute the route and capture essential POD details. Real-time alerts keep customers up to date with the progress of the delivery through text or email messages and engage the customer through surveys to provide a superior customer experience.

“We’re pleased to help Fresenius Medical Care North America make the distribution of its services and equipment more responsive and efficient,” said James Wee, Vice President at Descartes. “By optimizing the entire delivery process from appointment booking to post-delivery, Descartes’ proven last mile delivery solution changes how companies engage with their customers, elevating the customer experience while minimizing delivery costs.”

The new solution is being rolled out this month in select markets within TruBlu Logistics®, the supply chain division of FMCNA. The full nationwide rollout, including patient scheduling and notifications, is expected later this year. TruBlu Logistics offers an integrated supply chain with assets that include regionally located distribution centers, cross-dock locations, a private fleet of long-haul trucks, and a regional last mile delivery fleet.