Aptean Case Studies Southeastern Food Merchandisers Overcomes Weather Challenges with IoT

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	Southeastern Food Merchandisers Overcomes Weather Challenges with IoT Aptean

Southeastern Food Merchandisers Overcomes Weather Challenges with IoT

Aptean

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Transportation Management Systems (TMS) Networks & Connectivity - Gateways
Applicable Industries	Food & Beverage Transportation
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation Procurement
Use Cases	Autonomous Transport Systems Transportation Simulation
Services	System Integration
Challenge	Southeastern Foods Merchandisers, a food-service product distributor, faced a significant challenge during the first week of March when icy rain and snow covered much of their network. This adverse weather condition forced the company to postpone deliveries to some customers. Despite the weather, restaurant customers in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and northern Florida continued to place new orders, creating a backlog. The company, which typically schedules multiple pickups and deliveries per truck each day, needed a solution to manage this unexpected situation and ensure the continued supply of products to its customers. Read More
About Customer	Southeastern Foods Merchandisers is an Alabama-based QSR distributor that delivers frozen, chilled, and ambient food products. The company operates a privately-owned fleet of 20 trucks and distributes throughout Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and the North Florida panhandle. The company has a fixed route planning system and has developed its own order management system, which interfaces with Paragon from Aptean to send daily order files that contain delivery details. Read More
Solution	To overcome this challenge, Southeastern Foods Merchandisers turned to its dynamic routing system from Paragon Systems. The software factored in historical order volumes for the week, providing managers with a projection of how the rest of the week would pan out. The company's director of operations, Jason Chestnut, also used the software to model various 'what if' scenarios to prevent surprises like drivers having to reset their hours if some deliveries were pushed out to Sunday. The company has been using Paragon routing and scheduling software for about six years, using it daily to fine-tune fixed routes for 20 trucks, and to periodically redesign its overall network. Recently, about two-thirds of all routes were re-designed to achieve a cost savings of 15% through a reduction in fuel, mileage, and labor. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Transportation Management Systems (TMS)

Networks & Connectivity - Gateways

Applicable Industries

Food & Beverage

Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Procurement

Use Cases

Autonomous Transport Systems

Transportation Simulation

Services

System Integration

Challenge

Southeastern Foods Merchandisers, a food-service product distributor, faced a significant challenge during the first week of March when icy rain and snow covered much of their network. This adverse weather condition forced the company to postpone deliveries to some customers. Despite the weather, restaurant customers in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and northern Florida continued to place new orders, creating a backlog. The company, which typically schedules multiple pickups and deliveries per truck each day, needed a solution to manage this unexpected situation and ensure the continued supply of products to its customers.

About Customer

Southeastern Foods Merchandisers is an Alabama-based QSR distributor that delivers frozen, chilled, and ambient food products. The company operates a privately-owned fleet of 20 trucks and distributes throughout Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, and the North Florida panhandle. The company has a fixed route planning system and has developed its own order management system, which interfaces with Paragon from Aptean to send daily order files that contain delivery details.

Solution

To overcome this challenge, Southeastern Foods Merchandisers turned to its dynamic routing system from Paragon Systems. The software factored in historical order volumes for the week, providing managers with a projection of how the rest of the week would pan out. The company's director of operations, Jason Chestnut, also used the software to model various 'what if' scenarios to prevent surprises like drivers having to reset their hours if some deliveries were pushed out to Sunday. The company has been using Paragon routing and scheduling software for about six years, using it daily to fine-tune fixed routes for 20 trucks, and to periodically redesign its overall network. Recently, about two-thirds of all routes were re-designed to achieve a cost savings of 15% through a reduction in fuel, mileage, and labor.

Impact #1	The use of Paragon Systems' dynamic routing software has not only helped Southeastern Foods Merchandisers manage unexpected weather-imposed backlogs but also improved their overall operational efficiency. The software's ability to model 'what if' scenarios has been instrumental in strategic decision-making, such as the impact of using more straight trucks rather than semi-trailers in the fleet. This has led to the company deciding to use smaller trucks and operate multiple shifts. The software also seamlessly integrates with the company's order management system, allowing for efficient route planning and execution. Furthermore, the software enables the company to compare the route plan with actual performance, providing valuable insights for post-mortem analysis and real-time progress tracking.

Impact #1

The use of Paragon Systems' dynamic routing software has not only helped Southeastern Foods Merchandisers manage unexpected weather-imposed backlogs but also improved their overall operational efficiency. The software's ability to model 'what if' scenarios has been instrumental in strategic decision-making, such as the impact of using more straight trucks rather than semi-trailers in the fleet. This has led to the company deciding to use smaller trucks and operate multiple shifts. The software also seamlessly integrates with the company's order management system, allowing for efficient route planning and execution. Furthermore, the software enables the company to compare the route plan with actual performance, providing valuable insights for post-mortem analysis and real-time progress tracking.

Benefit #1	15% cost saving from reducing fuel, mileage and labor
Benefit #2	Ability to quickly re-route deliveries to maintain service and clear weather-imposed backlog
Benefit #3	Improved post-mortem transportation analysis using planned and real data

Benefit #1

15% cost saving from reducing fuel, mileage and labor

Benefit #2

Ability to quickly re-route deliveries to maintain service and clear weather-imposed backlog

Benefit #3

Improved post-mortem transportation analysis using planned and real data

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Overview

Southeastern Food Merchandisers Overcomes Weather Challenges with IoT

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit