A new software development from Paragon Software Systems, Inc. ( http://www.paragonrouting.com/us ) enables transportation operators to organize deliveries to arrive on site at similar times each day. Using the special Arrival Time Banding feature in Paragon routing and scheduling optimization software results in more manageable deliveries for customers as staff no longer need to break off from their other duties to receive deliveries at different times of the day. It also allows transportation operators to make full utilization of their drivers and trucks, while providing the service improvements.

The new feature incorporates the different time zones used across the USA and Canada and will be beneficial to operators when planning and optimizing multiple deliveries on fixed routes, or even dynamic routes. Arrival Time Banding provides a win-win for transportation operators and their customers through improvements in transportation by enabling achievable cost-effective deliveries within agreed intervals.

This Paragon software module makes short work of creating the multiple delivery plans, allocating the resources and optimizing the routes and schedules. It has the flexibility to choose the most efficient delivery times for each customer while also ensuring that regular deliveries are always within, for example, the same one hour time band each day. This gives the customer the ability to include the deliveries within a more manageable daily routine while taking account of any delivery restrictions such as early store closing or site inaccessibility at certain times.

Paragon customers already benefiting from Arrival Time Banding include Martin-Brower, the world’s largest distributor to the quick service restaurant industry. All 23 Martin-Brower distribution centers in North America, Canada and Puerto Rico use the system for daily routing of multi-frequency deliveries to more than 6,000 customers, supplying them with all their frozen and dry goods, packaging, cleaning products and ancillaries.

Chuck Gans, Director, Operations Support, Martin-Brower said this about Paragon routing software: “…It also enables Arrival Time Banding, ensuring locations with multiple delivery frequencies are all delivered within a user-defined number of minutes on all delivery days. This avoids some customers receiving morning deliveries on one route, and an afternoon or evening delivery on the next.”

Arrival Time Banding is one of the many reasons why companies choose Paragon’s Windows-based software to computerize their transportation planning. The software enables them to create optimized routes and schedules automatically. This allows them to improve their services while reducing cost and making best use of their resources. The software enables all types of transportation planning, including dynamic and fixed routes and schedules, and strategic modeling, making it the choice of companies such as Loveland Distributing, Toyota Material Handling USA, CEVA, Exel Supply Chain, Life Gas, AgReliant Genetics and National Food Corporation.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/paragon-routing-software-optimizes-regular-deliveries-2011-11-03

Visitors to the IFDA Foodservice Distribution Conference, October 25 to 26, in Fort Worth, Texas will learn how Paragon Software Systems Inc. is helping leading food and drink transportation and distribution organizations, including Martin Brower, Loveland Distributing and National Food Corporation, to lower their logistics costs while delivering improved customer service.

For food and beverages distributors serving retail or foodservice outlets, driving productivity through efficient distribution is critical for success. Whether supplying stores or restaurants and cafeterias, customers rely on accurate and timely delivery of goods. With demanding delivery schedules and often low profit margins, the key to generating repeat business for foodservice distributors lies with streamlined delivery operations that use optimized plans to increase on-time performance, minimize delays and boost efficiency.

Experts from Paragon Software Systems Inc. will be on hand at Booth 609 to demonstrate how Paragon’s advanced routing and scheduling, resource management and transportation execution optimization technology has helped these companies and many others globally to achieve significant transportation efficiencies and exceptional customer service, while at the same time reducing the costs that impact their bottom line.

Recent Paragon software enhancements to be presented include:

Arrival Time Banding — a new feature to help distributors organize store deliveries to arrive on site at similar times each day, making it easier for their customers to receive their orders at times to suit them. It also allows transporters to make full utilization of their drivers and trucks, while providing the service improvements.

Dispatch Smoothing — a new capability to prevent bottlenecks in warehouse dispatch. This special feature makes it possible to balance logistics and warehousing operations by optimizing workflows that improve efficiency and reduce cost through effective use of resources. The software makes it possible to plan the optimal number of loads for dispatch so that the warehouse can easily cope with the demand.

If you are visiting the IFDA Conference and Exhibition in Fort Worth on 25 or 26 October, please call at the Paragon Software Systems booth or email sales@paragonrouting.com to reserve an appointment.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/paragon-routing-and-scheduling-software-saves-foodservice-distributors-money-2011-10-04