Transport Network Optimisation & Design

Selecting the right mix of vehicles influences costs, reliability, service performance, and sustainability. Hatmill assesses operational requirements: the work vehicles undertake, operating environments, expected utilisation, and customer proposition. A standard panel van has a very different lifecycle and cost profile from a refrigerated vehicle or specialist HGV – understanding these nuances ensures the fleet matches operational needs.
We assess the existing fleet before modelling how future demand, growth, and service expectations will influence vehicle requirements. We compare the financial and operational implications of leasing versus purchasing to align decisions with business strategy.

Lifecycle planning is crucial. Every vehicle reaches a point where rising maintenance costs, downtime, or reduced fuel efficiency outweigh operational value. By analysing maintenance history, utilisation patterns, and total cost of ownership, we identify the optimal replacement point for each asset.

The result is a data‑driven replacement strategy that reduces cost volatility, improves reliability, and ensures long‑term alignment with business goals.

Route optimisation is critical in modern logistics, where delivery sequences, vehicle types, and customer combinations are effectively limitless. Because every mile directly converts into cost, designing the most efficient routing plan is essential. Hatmill’s approach begins by analysing representative delivery data and understanding operational constraints that shape your network – vehicle access restrictions, delivery windows, service expectations, and fleet capabilities.

We build a baseline model that accurately reflects current performance, costs, and routing behaviour before applying advanced routing optimisation techniques. Using specialist vehicle route optimisation software, we generate an improved routing plan that respects your constraints while significantly reducing miles driven, fuel consumption, and time on the road. This improves delivery performance, reduces emissions, and maximises vehicle utilisation.

Hatmill does not sell or endorse specific transport optimisation solutions. We prove the opportunity, then help identify the right platform for your needs.

The result is a practical, data‑led route optimisation model that reduces cost, strengthens customer service, and ensures your fleet operates as efficiently as possible.

Effective resource allocation is one of the most important drivers of transport efficiency. Ensuring the right vehicles and drivers are assigned to the right work improves service coverage, reduces operational volatility, and creates a more predictable transport operation. Hatmill examines planning routines, demand patterns, and identifies how vehicle capacity, driver availability, and skills can be deployed most effectively.

By analysing operational data, route patterns, and customer requirements, we match vehicle capability with delivery needs – from weight and volume requirements to access constraints and time‑sensitive drops. We consider driver qualifications, start times, and contract rules, ensuring planning decisions maximise resources while maintaining compliance and safety.

Balanced workload planning reduces unnecessary overtime, excess mileage, and downtime. Through structured planning tools and clear operational rules, we help distribute work fairly across the fleet and driver team.

The outcome is a transport operation with fewer last‑minute changes, lower cost, improved service reliability, and a team that executes the plan confidently.

Successful implementation of new transport systems, tools, or processes hinges on careful planning and disciplined change management. Hatmill validates the problem, defines clear success measures, and conducts a structured market scan to shortlist options. We remain vendor‑neutral, helping you choose the right fit rather than selling software. Once selected, we act as an independent mediator, designing the operating model, processes, roles, and governance that make the solution work in practice.

In supply chains, only 23% of organisations have a formal AI strategy, frequently undermining scale‑up and long‑term ROI. We bake adoption plans and measurable benefits tracking into the programme from day one.

Training and communication are non‑negotiable. We equip teams with hands‑on training, playbooks, and role‑specific SOPs. Clear communication explains why the change is happening and what success looks like. Cut‑over rehearsals, hypercare, and KPI dashboards ensure the solution stabilises quickly.

When a business operates multiple sites within a transport or logistics network, benefits include shorter final‑mile delivery distances, lower regional building and labour costs, and greater operational flexibility. However, multi‑site networks introduce complexity – the movement of stock between sites. Understanding and optimising these internal product flows is critical to preventing inefficiency, excess handling, and unnecessary cost.

Hatmill analyses internal flows by examining where stock is held, how it moves, and why. A central question is whether products should be stored in one consolidated location, duplicated across multiple depots, or managed through a hybrid approach. Each option creates different transport patterns, storage requirements, and handling activities.

By mapping volumes, demand points, cross‑dock activity, replenishment patterns, and inter‑site transfers, we identify where the network generates avoidable movement and cost. Optimising these flows enables faster product movement, reduced handling time, lower operational cost, and increased availability – creating a more streamlined, cost‑effective operation.