News from Paragon: Knowhow, the technology services arm of the UK’s largest electrical retailing and services company, Currys and PC World, is seeing the benefit of using Paragon’s Multi Depot routing and scheduling solution to further enhance transport efficiency and customer service.
Together with INRIX-based road speed data and Here Map Content with street level mapping, the Paragon solution provides a high level of specific driver, vehicle and route planning capabilities across the company’s UK and Ireland transport operation.
With 500 stores nationwide and a busy online and multi-channel operation, Currys and PC World provides Knowhow with thousands of customer delivery assignments every week, with a significant increase in volume in the run-up to Christmas. Knowhow also collects more than 60,000 tonnes of waste electrical products for recycling every year, delivering to recycling centres around the country.
Paragon’s solution facilitated the switch from local to central planning, with the ability to share results and incorporate changes from all the sites across the operation. Routing in this way has been proven to cut planning time, improve visibility of the transport plan and enhance the overall efficiency of the vehicle fleet.
Knowhow’s Sheffield-based central planning team manages the transport operations of 18 regional depots. Each depot operates around 40 vehicles, requiring different vehicles and skill bases on each run, servicing many thousands of Currys and PC World customers each day.
Knowhow’s home delivery operations use two-man teams for major appliances like washing machines and fridges. Some teams include specialist gas fitters to install gas appliances, and highly trained engineers to perform on-site repairs. The Paragon system enables the company to match load-for-load with vehicles and drivers.
“Paragon has allowed us to create a customised solution for our specific needs, and has given us the tools to produce an efficient and optimised routing schedule for our entire fleet,” says Robert Redmile, General Manager for Knowhow’s National Routing Centre in Sheffield.
“We offer more than 100 different types of service using six different types of vehicle, from panel vans to 7.5 ton trucks. We deliver to every postcode sector in the UK every week, with the vast majority of those postcodes being covered by next-day service. The expansion of different services we offer has driven the need for a bespoke solution for our planning needs. The more time we save on the road, the more time we can spend with our customers supporting their technical needs, which is fundamental to what Knowhow is all about.”
The implementation of Paragon’s solution has given Knowhow the flexibility to manage order allocations, improve routing and optimise delivery schedules, and has accommodated increased business by enabling additional deliveries to be made to more customers whilst maintaining service levels.