Paragon route planning software underpins Olympic deliveries

Special computerised route planning software for the Olympics is helping Bidvest Logistics coordinate deliveries to London restaurants during the Olympic and Paralympic games. The software from Paragon Software Systems allows Bidvest to identify all of its Quick Service Restaurant customers affected by the Olympic Route Network (ORN) quickly and accurately, enabling it to switch from daytime to evening deliveries where necessary.

Bidvest customers include well-known casual-dining restaurants such as KFC, Pizza Express, Pizza Hut, Nandos, Zizzi, Café Rouge and Bella Italia.

"The Paragon planning software is fundamental to managing our distribution during the London Olympics. Specifically, we have been able to identify around 400 out of 500 customer delivery points that we can move from day to night deliveries to eliminate delivery problems and ensure our customers receive the service and products they need to function properly," says David Phillips, Distribution Planning Controller, Bidvest Logistics.

With Paragon's planning pack and proactive support, Bidvest has gained much kudos and credibility from its restaurant customers, showing them that they would get their deliveries regardless of the logistical challenges presented by the Olympics.

"Without the planning pack, we would have had to manually plot our delivery changes on a map of London, which would have been virtually impossible with the 50 to 60 routes and 500 delivery points we manage daily in central London. The planning pack allowed us to steal the lead on the competition, as we were able to speak to our customers about how the Olympics would affect them and their businesses. The updated software showed that there was no ambiguity in our delivery strategy proposals, as they could see exactly how the ORN would impact them," says David Phillips.

Bidvest found the planning pack very easy to use. It was simply a matter of importing the map overlays into its existing Paragon routing software; the software development team had already done the hard work of programming the changes.

"We've been using Paragon for about 18 years and it is very reliable. The software is essential to our business as we use it at the heart of the operation to help us provide consistent service to our clients. What we do – getting products to customers as efficiently as possible – is all controlled and underpinned by Paragon. We are happy to have Paragon as a software partner. The team is proactive and helpful in finding solutions and supporting us in building business cases when we are bidding for new business; it is a good relationship that works," adds David Phillips.