Paragon and Isotrak, two market leaders in transport management, have partnered to launch the Total Transport System (TTS) - an intelligent, fully integrated, real-time transport planning, optimisation, execution and management solution.
TTS is a fusion of Paragon's routing, scheduling and resource optimisation software, with Isotrak's real-time transport execution and management solutions. It builds on the existing benefits of the two companies' existing solutions to provide - for the first time - a means for transport managers to adjust route plans, in real time, in response to unforeseen circumstances such as supply-chain delays, adverse weather, traffic congestion and other 'real-world' challenges.
TTS provides four significant benefits for its target customer market:
- Automatically reallocates second trips to drivers during execution
- Provides active, accurate reporting, and reliable alerting, with schedules continually re-timed in response to early/late running, meal breaks, driver reallocation etc
- Maintains transport efficiency as a complex plan executes
- Delivers real-time, cost-effective logistics planning, scheduling, execution and management with the convenience of a single-platform, managed, hosted service
TTS is a complete, end-to-end solution aimed at medium and large logistics operations looking to gain a competitive advantage through more effective utilisation of their fleet and manpower resources. It succeeds where previous similar attempts by other providers have failed, thanks to an extraordinarily tight degree of integration between optimisation and execution components. This is achieved by providing TTS as a tightly managed hosted service, with Paragon and Isotrak software running in parallel on professionally managed high-end server hardware in a world-class data facility. As a consequence TTS is scalable, modular and highly configurable, and can dramatically improve the dissemination of transport performance insight throughout a customer organisation.
Since there is no requirement for customers to install dedicated hardware, TTS is quick to deploy and easy to use, ensuring minimal disruption and a swift return on investment. Users will have access to a 24x7 support desk to provide a rapid answer to any issue or query.
TTS is already in pilot with a FTSE100 company, where initial indications signify TTS has the potential to deliver significant cost savings (through enhanced operational efficiencies), as well as continually enhanced customer service and minimised carbon emissions due to reduced fuel usage.
TTS is the only offering of its kind to combine the promise of internal efficiency gains and external customer experience enhancement. It arrives as customer satisfaction and reliable supply chain management are increasingly prerequisites for market advantage, requiring new levels of intelligence, insight, target achievement and clear accountability among logistics providers. In the face of this challenge, TTS provides a fast-track to immediate competitive advantage for medium and large delivery fleets, by locking down effective route optimisation and execution regardless of external legislative, regulatory, environmental or infrastructural challenges. Plus, thanks to its real-time independent tracking of tractor and trailer units, and an integrated personal panic alarm system, TTS also enhances the safety of all staff and goods in transit.
TTS will be the ideal solution for Distribution Centre (DC) based fleets of 100 vehicles or more, where there are multiple trips per driver per day, and multi-shifted vehicles. Customers are likely to include large retail-store delivery fleets plus related Third-Party Logistics (3PL) providers and inbound goods suppliers. TTS is also suitable for other DC based fleets of similar scale, where a single, hosted, integrated solution is required. In all cases TTS accommodates both operational (new routes every day) and fixed-route scheduling.
Craig Sears-Black, Marketing Director of Isotrak, said: "The partnership with Paragon adds a crucial new dimension to our existing expertise in transport execution and management. TTS will enable operators to get the most from their fleets, day by day, hour by hour, regardless of the unexpected obstacles that inevitably bedevil even the most sophisticated transport plans."
Will Salter, Managing Director of Paragon, said: "The integration of transport planning, optimisation, execution and management has long been a 'holy grail' for companies looking to keep control of costs and service as the day unfolds. TTS's ability to continually re-optimise resource allocation translates into a fantastic commercial advantage for medium and large delivery fleet operators."
Unique benefits of TTS
- By combining the expertise of Paragon and Isotrak - leaders in transport optimisation and transport execution respectively
- TTS provides unique and highly significant benefits.
- Unique product feature Unique customer benefits
- Automatically reallocates second trips to drivers during execution
- Maintain efficiency and feasibility as the day unfolds
- Reduce cost of agency drivers/vehicles
- Reduce transport costs by managing the impact of warehouse delays
- Avoid missing 2nd trip time windows
- Give transport staff the tools they need to make efficient and fair decisions
- Provides active, accurate reporting, and reliable alerting, with schedules continually re-timed in response to early/late running, meal breaks, driver reallocation etc
- Keep transport managers in control
- Improve customer service
- Pre-empt problems to reduce costs
- Stay legal at all times
- Maintains transport efficiency as a complex plan executes
- Enable companies to operate with a complex plan
- Optimising utilisation of drivers, tractors and trailers
- A single managed service for integrated transport optimisation & execution
- Easy to implement, fast ROI
Essential benefits of TTS
TTS builds on the market-leading features provided by Paragon's routing, scheduling and resource optimisation software and Isotrak's real-time transport execution and management solutions.
Product feature Customer benefits
- Optimises route plans according to actual resources available
- Improve transport efficiency
- Reduce spot hire costs
- Improve service reliability
- Improve adherence to pre-agreed timeframes
- Reduce proportion of late deliveries
- Compares planned and actual road journeys
- Reduce cost, fuel consumption and carbon emissions by uncovering excess mileage
- Provides extensive transport management capabilities (including CANbus data, refrigeration unit monitoring, SMS text and GSM phone communications, fuel use statistics, ePOD and resource management)
- Facilitate a vast range of transport and service performance improvements
- Produces a wide range of 'actual versus plan' reports
Enable continuous performance enhancement by refining planning, reporting exceptions and KPIs - Automatically allocates drivers to routes based on actual shift availability
- Reduce transport costs (including agency costs) by increasing driver productivity
About Isotrak
Isotrak developed the concept of 'Active Transport Management' to help customers improve transport efficiency, improve service performance and reduce costs. We provide our customers with tailored software products and professional service solutions to help deliver value and help transform transport management. We deliver our products as a 'managed service' to ensure that customers can focus on the job of managing transport, rather than managing the technology. Established in 1996 as a division of NFC, Isotrak became a separate company in July 1999 and today manages thousands of vehicles for customers including Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's and DHL-Exel.
About Paragon
Paragon Software Systems (Paragon) is committed to providing excellence in
routing and scheduling technology. The company has an unparalleled track
record of successful software implementations with over 1,200 systems
installed in more than 23 countries worldwide. Paragon provides software
solutions for operations ranging from 10 vehicles based at a single site to
hundreds of vehicles running out of several sites, and applications include
home delivery, complex multi site distribution planning and real-time
vehicle tracking and monitoring. Working with clients including Tesco, Royal
Mail Group, Harrods, Mastercare, CEVA Logistics, Wincanton, DHL-Exel,
Norbert Dentressangle, Pirelli, Greene King, John Lewis, Argos and Rank
Hovis, the company has the experience to ensure that distribution problems
are translated into software solutions that provide real benefits for
clients. Paragon solutions help companies to cut transport costs and enhance
customer service, and frequently underpin a client's strategic business
growth objectives.
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