With SAP's Mobile Platform, SAP says truck drivers at food distribution centers across the country can use mobile handheld devices to track their daily inventory against demand from food pantries and shelters. Supplied with this information, drivers can more quickly apportion food among their clients and deliver balanced, healthy meals. Improved stock management and route planning also frees up resources to direct more energy into helping people in need.
Feeding America currently provides food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in communities across America. The organization does this by "rescuing" food from retailers that is surplus, near the expiration date or in damaged packages but still edible. Truck drivers are critical to the operation — every day they collect food and bring it to the partner agencies, making sure food goes from grocery stores to families' dinner tables.
Using mobile technology from SAP, truck drivers can capture all items electronically on a mobile device that automatically delivers the information directly into the back-end system. Deploying the platform will help the organization eliminate time-consuming paperwork and allow Feeding America to devote more time to helping people, SAP says.
"Our mission is to feed America's hungry through our nationwide network of member food banks, and the technology from SAP will revolutionize the way we rescue and distribute food," said Kevin Lutz, vice president of technology, Feeding America. "The efficiencies we gain from SAP mobile technology translate to more food on the table for hungry families. With every dollar we save, we are able to help secure eight more meals. Using mobile technology helps reduce our operating expenses, which will ultimately enable us to put more trucks on the road that can pick up and deliver more food."
Feeding America started with a pilot program using SAP Mobile Platform to build a custom app at Forgotten Harvest in Detroit, where the depressed automotive industry has resulted in a large increase in hungry citizens. SAP claims the solution is already helping drivers to keep track of what food has already been "pre-loaded" into their trucks before the day starts so they can determine what other pick-ups are required to complete a meal for agency recipients.
Feeding America plans to roll out the app built on SAP Mobile Platform more broadly across its network in the fall of 2013.
Earlier this year, SAP introduced a new cloud-based carpool app to help companies reduce costs by encouraging employees to ride-share to work rather than commute solo. TwoGo by SAP allows employees to be matched into carpools automatically and according to their individual preferences, SAP says. This helps facilitate better-networked and more productive employees and can reduce costs for corporate fleets, parking infrastructure and travel expenses.
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Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published May 31, 2013 1am EDT / 10pm PDT / 6am BST / 7am CEST