That’s Zello, not radio, in Holcim trucks

As a global leader in building materials, operations at LafargeHolcim are fast-moving and complex. This is especially true when it comes to the production and delivery of concrete, which must arrive on site within a short time frame in order to be usable. Communication is key to successful deliveries, as drivers must communicate with each other and dispatcher centers to locate dropoff sites, avoid traffic snarls, and receive help in urgent situations.

To help streamline operations and offer greater transparency to customers, the developers at LafargeHolcim rolled out a system called ConcreteDirect. This proprietary app, built specifically for LafargeHolcim, meets the company’s unique needs, while offering a centralized, transparent hub where drivers, dispatchers, and customers can track deliveries and update jobs.

However, among the several apps that ConcreteDirect integrated, there was one missing ingredient: a communications system. Accordingly, in conjunction with ConcreteDirect, they continued to use a traditional radio dispatch system, LafargeHolcim’s drivers were constantly distracted by other drivers on open channels leading to a phenomenon called “radio fatigue”. Dispatchers were overwhelmed with calls, and had no way to distribute workload. This led to missed calls, increased driver distraction, and meant that drivers sometimes had to wait long periods before receiving an answer, creating safety hazards and delivery delays.

Zello provided developers at LafargeHolcim with a software development kit (SDK) so they could integrate Zello push-to-talk and its Dispatch Hub directly into ConcreteDirect for seamless communication in the centralized place where drivers already operated the most.

The Zello Dispatch Hub allowed the team at LafargeHolcim to streamline communication and increase driver safety. Dedicated channels eliminated radio fatigue and ensured that drivers knew when an urgent call was for them. Drivers could speak one-on-one with dispatchers, whose calls were prioritized in a queue that enabled them to better distribute the workload during the busiest times.

The streamlining of communication shaved an average of 5 minutes off of dispatch response times, which translates to substantial annual savings. What’s more, Dispatch Hub Analytics provided unprecedented insight into operations, allowing managers to better move resources where needed to further increase capacity, reduce wait times, and ensure that drivers remain safe at all times.