HDT Emerging Leaders: Leading a Digital Route Transformation

Quality Custom Distribution was facing a challenge faced by many trucking fleets: All the digital systems and apps it had adopted to improve efficiency, safety, customer service, and more had become too much to handle.

That’s why for the past few years, Xavier Alcala, director of business solutions, has spearheaded what the company calls its Digital Route Transformations initiative, which streamlined and optimized the company’s digital platforms and tools.

When Alcala started at QCD (a division of Golden State Foods) in 2015 as an overnight analyst, the company wasn’t using much in the way of digital systems. Then he watched as it went from too few to too many.

“Things were a lot different in 2015,” he says. “We were a growing company. We did not have a lot of different systems set up at that point. So I got first-hand experience when we started rolling out these applications — even some applications that we still use.

“But through that, seeing how we rolled out systems and brought them to our drivers, I could see that kind of balloon into app fatigue.”

Too Many Apps and Tools

The company implemented technology such as a continuous temperature monitoring system, and GPS tracking. Then they rolled in a safety camera system, and route tracking.

“Before we know it, we were having to train subject matter experts in five different systems,” he says.

Alcala recognized that the complications of too many apps and tools burdened the company’s drivers. Proof of delivery required multiple systems, leading to inefficiencies and potential fatigue.

“We’ve been dealing with islands of data and capabilities that aren't connecting and talking to each other for quite some time. We brought in this tool to do this and this tool to do that — but we didn't have that single pane of glass,” Alcala says.

The Journey to QCD's Digital Route Transformations

“This journey started really in 2020, with the amount of data that we were consuming from these different platforms,” he says.

At first, QCD worked to consolidate the data from all these systems retroactively. Instead of using Excel, it started visualizing data in Power BI.

“We were really looking to gain, what can we glean from that long term about our staffing, about our schedule, about our scheduling, about our tenure."

But retroactive data analytics was not enough. The company needed a better way to manage and connect real-time data.

On top of that, he says, they wanted to bring routing capabilities into that as well.

“That is a key starting point to our operations. How do we strategically plan our routes? How do we daily route our journeys, and then, how do we get that to the driver, and then, in turn, receive all that data?”

His strategy was clear: consolidate.

“We started looking at the internal systems, about four to five different platforms that we were using. We wanted to see all the key offerings that they had, and then whatever we were missing.”

Finding a Single Pane of Glass View of QCD's Data

The problem was, there didn’t seem to be a single platform out there that could bring everything together.

So Alcala and his team went to work to create a one-stop platform that encompassed all driver needs, simplified the driver experience, streamlined logistics, and improved efficiency.

They used data-driven insights to develop a platform that includes all they need: route outlines, direct communication with customers and support, checklists, general admin tools, and AI algorithms for predictive analytics. 

Alcala coordinated the roll-out process, deploying the new platform across 25 centers in just three months. He ensured that the staff, from the drivers, front-line staff, and dispatchers, all received comprehensive training to be well-prepared to embrace the new platform.  

Making Data-Driven Decisions with AI, Predictive Modeling

Alcala emphasizes the importance of data analytics and predictive modeling in improving operational efficiency. He uses artificial intelligence and other digital tools to analyze vast amounts of data in order to leverage technology for better decision-making.

Now that the consolidated platform is generally in place and it’s more about maintaining it, Alcala and his team are digging more into the data.

“The big focus for us right now is predictive analytics,” he says. “We have a ton of information from these new platforms. The insights have really exploded since we've done digital route transformation.

"We're able to see a full picture, we're able to see all driver staff, all helper staff that's running a route, what equipment they were using, what the temperature was in those units, how they performed throughout the route, and compare that to expectation and what we've done historically.

“We’re really looking to gain, what can we glean from that long term about our staffing, about our schedule, about our scheduling, about our tenure. There's tons of information that we're currently diving into.”

The new platforms also have allowed QCD to receive a lot of diagnostics information from its equipment, so it’s moving into predictive maintenance. Combining fault codes coming from the equipment with historical breakdown and maintenance data, they can understand if this unit is at risk for a breakdown down the line.

How Alcala's Experience Helped Him Understand the Digital Overload Challenge

Before joining QCD, Alcala developed a breadth of experience that helps him appreciate various aspects of the business and how digital tool overload might affect them.

In college, the Southern California native started working at FedEx Ground in operations, and then worked at a Target distribution center.

“I worked physically loading trailers, high and tight. I had the advantage of being six foot six, so it was very easy for me to get high and tight,” he says with a laugh.

He transitioned into dispatching and logistics, where he learned about the importance of scheduling, backhauls, and working with distribution partners to ensure on time delivery and full deliveries.

Servant Leadership: Understanding the Needs of the Team

Alcala emphasizes that while he may be the face for this Digital Route Transformation, many of the people in the GSF IT department have been instrumental in making it happen, calling them “unsung heroes.”

Asked about the qualities of a good leader, he said both for himself and from an organization standpoint, it’s about servant leadership — focusing on understanding and meeting the needs of his team to ensure their success.

And Alcala and the IT team aren’t resting on their laurels.

“I think in the last five years here, we've really been able to see, what are all the key processes that are needed to be successful in a day, and where can we further automate or relieve that process?

"Honestly, a lot of times, I look internally at the tools we have existing and ask, 'What else can we do with this that we haven’t leveraged just yet?'"

Looking ahead, Alcala says he wants to continue to work to change the industry’s approach to digital tools.

“A lot of companies are hesitant to go to these new digital transformation tools because they're so ingrained within their legacy,” Alcala says.

“I've been given the opportunity to influence and champion some of that change. As long as I keep impacting change, I'm going to be happy.”