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L.N. Revathy

Technology brings efficiency into the newspaper distribution chain.

If one were a newspaper agent supplying papers and journals to various business establishments, residential houses and retail outlets, how would he/she manage the distribution network, ensure that the said paper/journal is delivered to the addressee regularly and on time?

The agent assigns the task to delivery boys who probably use a cycle or two-wheeler to deliver the paper/magazine at the mentioned addresses.

Invariably, though, these boys do not report back to the agent or make sure if the right paper (a subscriber can choose to buy more than one paper/magazine) is delivered at the right doorstep.

The agent gets the feedback only when he goes to collect his dues or when alerted over phone about non-delivery of the issue on a particular day.

How does one bring efficiency into this chain? Technology shows a solution.

"Earlier it used to be a mind-boggling task. We had to alert the boys early in the day about the lines/routes they have to supply, push the copies and the subscribers' addresses and ask them to rush.

But after the installation of `Invent Magazine,' a software solution that takes care of the entire distribution process, our job has been made easy," says newsagent Thangavel.

The distribution chart is drawn up well ahead of the paper/magazine supply and the delivery boys alerted about the route/line and the subscriber's address.

The boys pick up the requisite number of copies marked in the chart and proceed to deliver at the customer's doorstep. `Now, even if a particular delivery boy does not turn up, we are able to substitute with someone else.

We are able to take a printout of the address list and the supply details at the click of a button," says Thangavel.

The solution is nothing on the lines of an ERP but a basic tool. It helps agents, who invariably are not tech-savvy, to tackle the distribution of supplies, he says. Adding to agents' woes is the fact that the delivery boys invariably do not stick to the job and are not organised. During the holiday season, school boys looking to make some pocket money take up such jobs.

Two-member team

Recalling his attempt at developing such a management tool, Pradeep of Liquified Solutions says "these are the people who actually need an automated solution, but are an ignored lot." Liquified Solutions is a two-member team. While Pradeep, an electronics engineer with some marketing experience, goes over the various distribution processes systematically, his friend Anbazhagan develops the solution.

"Our maiden attempt was at automating the operations of my business - a gas agency. We then took up this assignment, of developing a package for a newspaper agent.

Distributors, be it newspaper agent or milk vendor, have no holiday, no time for their family.

We, therefore, resolved to develop packages for such segments, who are among the ignored lot today," says Pradeep.

The billing process has also been automated. So now, when the agent goes for collection and is informed by the subscriber about non-delivery of an issue on a particular day, he is able to refer to the chart and pin the boy to recover the dues.

"The bill generation time has been shortened, the outstandings curbed and the working capital flow is generally better," says Thangavel.

Pradeep has not stopped with offering the package. He is now on the job of developing a hand-held device such as a mobile handset for recording the collection details.

"The chip embedded in the device can be uploaded to the system. In the next phase, we intend to work on online transaction monitoring, whereby the collection details will be available real-time," he says.

lnr@thehindu.co.in

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