On a construction site, several dozen suppliers may deliver goods daily to the various contractors and subcontractors operating on the site. In Brussels, it is estimated that construction site logistics account for one of the largest shares of goods deliveries in the city, with several thousand movements per day. Facq, a Belgian wholesaler of bathroom and heating equipment, as well as renewable energy and water treatment systems, and CEBEO, a wholesaler of electrotechnical components, use cyclelogistics to deliver their light goods to their professional customers.
Efficient collaboration: KPIs and organization
By setting up a pilot project in 2022 with Urbike, a major player in the deployment of cyclologistics in Belgium, Facq saw KPIs that exceeded their expectations in just 1 month: +50% efficiency, 1.5 hours saved per round compared with their previous truck rounds. As a family-run business, where the value of work is at the heart of its activity, Facq implemented this logistics solution in a sustainable way by integrating Urbike into its processes: training couriers in Facq processes and tools. For Facq, this trial was an opportunity to test IT interoperability to ensure the best possible efficiency on its routes. The 2 rounds of the pilot project became
- 3 rounds per day in Brussels
- with 30 to 50 km per round
- for 15 to 26 stops, depending on site and season, for 25 to 30 parcels
Urbike operates on behalf of Facq for its tours, with bikes and trailers branded in the brand's colors. To do this, Urbike has deployed vehicle solutions adapted to Facq's flows: a BicyLift with Parcel Container and Runner with MegaBag.
The positive impact of cyclologistics on branding
A long-term partnership that enables Facq to increase efficiency, limit delivery costs and differentiate itself from other construction site suppliers by creating direct customer contact, and making a name for itself with its cargo bike approach. The added value of Branding can be seen in the positive image Facq conveys with regard to a policy of ecological transition for sustainable and social logistics. Indeed, Urbike's couriers have a customer-focused approach that ensures 97% delivery success thanks to their flexibility and responsiveness. Low staff turnover means that Urbike can count on trained, high-performance and recurring couriers, ensuring continuity in the quality of service provided to Facq.
The success of this initial project led to the deployment of Facq's cyclologistics with Urbike in Ghent. With 46 sales outlets in Belgium, the company aims to deploy this model wherever the infrastructure allows.
CEBEO has implemented a similar strategy following a successful pilot project with Urbike. An equally effective way of supplying electrotechnical components to Brussels construction sites.
Supplying construction sites by bike