Yellow Pages case study
Yellow Pages delivery targets met by Deya across UK
More than fifteen million Yellow Pages directories are delivered every year across the
UK by distribution specialist Deya Ltd, representing just over 50% of the total number
published by Yell. The statistics are impressive; the directories delivered by Deya total
around 20,000 tonnes in weight and are delivered by 12,000 delivery agents – a massive
logistical exercise.
The origins of the familiar Yellow Pages directory date back to 1966, with the first
publication of a Yellow Pages section in the Brighton telephone directory. The initial
concept was to provide a phone directory of local businesses containing some
advertisements, and as more and more companies saw the value of advertising in
Yellow Pages the directory dramatically grew in size over the years.
In the financial year 2004/5, 102 editions of Yellow Pages directories were produced,
each covering a specific area of the UK. In the past few years Yell has undertaken
‘rescoping’ of directories – in almost all cases creating two new Yellow Pages out of one.
The aim is to produce directories that reflect changes in shopping and trading patterns
and also shifting demographics. This programme has seen the number of Yellow Pages
editions rise to its current level from around 80 five years ago.
Yell this year also reached a historical milestone with the publication in 2005 for the first
time of a Yellow Pages directory for Hull – completing the final piece of its UK delivery
jigsaw.
Deya, a specialist delivery company carrying out deliveries of catalogues and directories
across the UK, started to deliver the directories for what became known as Yell,
twenty-two years ago. At that stage Deya was called the Paul Spain Group. It now
delivers in 41 Yellow Pages directory areas, ranging from major conurbations such as
London, Glasgow, and Bristol to remote rural areas like the Highlands and Islands of
Scotland.
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In addition, Yell produces nine Business Pages directories with Deya contracted to
deliver the London and the Southern editions.
John Satchwell, Yell’s UK Operations Director, said: “Our directories have been growing
steadily in number over the last few years.This reflects the success in our providing
comprehensive classified advertising directory services that meet the needs of our
advertisers and our consumers, whether it is through the books, the Internet or the
phone.”
Yell believes in working closely in partnership with its suppliers to ensure the best level
of service. "Deya has been a long term supplier to Yell,” said John Satchwell, “and we
have a good relationship with them at all levels. They have proved to be a solid,
dependable company whom we can trust to produce good results.”
Deya, one of four main Yellow Pages distributors, collects the directories directly from
the printers in North Yorkshire as they come off the press. They are transported using
liveried Yellow Pages lorries, making around 1,400 deliveries each year to delivery sites
across the UK. The delivery deadline for each book varies depending on the area of the
UK and the number of books, but is normally around fourteen days from production to
completed delivery.
Mark Hayman, Managing Director of Deya Ltd, described the delivery process.
He said: "Deya’s operating system is based on “buying in” labour locally for the short
period of a distribution of a particular directory. For a typical distribution we will use in the
region of 350 to 450 delivery contractors. The efficient management of the delivery
contractors is necessary to ensure all of Yell’s delivery requirements are met. Deya uses
highly trained local organisers known as ‘team leaders’ to manage the distribution in a
particular postcode district. Deya has written special software to sort delivery addresses
and the team leaders then use their local knowledge to complete the address
sequencing in the most efficient driving order for the deliverers.”
Yell’s timetable for the production of its directories means their delivery is staggered
throughout the UK - deliveries are constantly in progress somewhere. Deya’s
sophisticated systems and bespoke database (Deyabase) monitor and track distributions
on a daily basis enabling the operations team to efficiently manage deliveries and
provide Yell with the detailed progress reports it requires.
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"Deya has excellent management systems in place," continued John Satchwell, "and this
behind-the-scenes support can make all the difference to the quality of the overall
service."
The quality of the service is carefully monitored. Deya carries out a survey of households
and businesses that receive their Yellow Pages directory to ensure that they are
satisfied with the delivery method.
John Satchwell added: "The delivery service which Deya provides has been tailored to fit
the specific needs of Yell. Each book has its own geographical differences and
challenges, yet our own independent research shows that Deya regularly achieves the
levels of customer satisfaction that we set them.”
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Contact:
800 words
Sue Viney
Viney Communications
0118 934 2093
07774 267280
sue@vineycommunications.co.uk