Summary
• Paragon Software Systems supplied routing and scheduling technology.
• TP is forecasting significant fuel savings.
• The system can plan deliveries for all branches.
• A battery management plan is helping to save £250,000 a year.
The Travis Perkins Group (TP) has recently invested in a hi-tech transport optimisation solution which will allow it to plan customer deliveries to its branches automatically. With the new centralised routing and scheduling technology from Paragon Software Systems, Travis Perkins, is improving operational efficiency and customer service, while increasing transport productivity.
And it’s achieving this without requiring specialist planning knowledge and skills or manual intervention by its branch staff.
The software, which eliminates manual planning, allows Travis Perkins branches to add additional order information to tickets within the in-house POS system, as well as generating a delivery plan for the day.
Travis Perkins said use of the software has resulted in greater efficiency amongst its 1,800-strong vehicle fleet. This includes a range of vehicle types such as crane equipped trucks, Moffett mounted vehicles, 7.5-tonne curtainsiders and a fleet of vans.
The software runs in the background on a central server, with each branch benefiting from its automatic routing and scheduling features. The system can plan the delivery routes for all branches, which enables vehicles to be used as shared resources within regions.
“We are really pleased with the cost savings and improved efficiency achieved from using the Paragon software,” said Richard Horton, transport development and planning manager for the Travis Perkins Group.
“We are forecasting significant transport fuel cost savings in the regions we have set up so far. It is not an easy process to plan deliveries to customers’ addresses manually as there are so many variables to consider, particularly when dealing with building materials.
“As the software calculates and generates the optimum daily delivery plan automatically, and allows local branch teams to make any minor adjustments based on local knowledge, we can focus our attention more on developing our customer service,” he said.
