Maxoptra blogs and latest news

Maxoptra’s dynamic multi-drop route planning software is helping Sandown Mercedes-Benz plan and complete deliveries of spare parts to garages across the south of England. Operating from a centralised hub in Basingstoke, the Mercedes-Benz dealership offers trade customers two deliveries a day and completes in excess of 1,000 deliveries a week.

Sharps Bedrooms has successfully implemented Maxoptra’s dynamic delivery route planning and scheduling software. The UK’s number one fitted bedroom manufacturer, Sharps, is using the cloud-based software to support a nationwide team of installers with the rapid manufacture, dispatch and delivery of any missing or replacement components.

Online ethical food retailer, Ten Mile Menu, is using Maxoptra dynamic route planning and scheduling software to help keep its delivery operations ‘lean and green’. Having recently implemented the cloud-based multi-drop planning solution, the award winning supplier of organic fruit and veg, traditional local meat and artisan produce is already realising a return on investment. Quick to set up and easy to use, Maxoptra has condensed the time taken to route and schedule weekly deliveries and reduced delivery times.

LafargeHolcim group, is implementing Maxoptra’s dynamic route planning and scheduling software for time-critical cement delivery operations.  Faced with dramatic seasonal fluctuations that can see demand rise and fall by as much as 800 percent, Holcim must manage the delivery of cement to high profile construction projects across the country using a mix of own vehicles and third party contractors.

Route planning and scheduling software specialist Maxoptra is one of a small number of specially selected partners joining forces with TomTom Telematics at the newly launched ‘Let’s Explore: LCV Fleet 2017’ event which takes place on the 4th July at The Vox, Resorts World, Birmingham.

Total Hygiene (Clos-o-Mat), the leading supplier of specialist wash and dry toilets for the elderly and disabled, is reaping the rewards following the implementation of a high-tech system to manage its mobile service operation.

I live in a crazy world where the visionary technology providers are getting all hot under the collar about deliveries being made by drones or driverless trucks. On the other hand, when meeting actual delivery companies, I see the current reality is that the majority of them rely on fixed routes with fixed drivers. One of the main reasons for this is that the regular driver knows precisely where the customer delivery point is.

Route planning and scheduling software specialist Maxoptra has reported unprecedented sales in the first quarter of 2017. New additions to the Maxoptra cloud based user community in the UK have seen a focus on the food and furniture sectors, while international adopters of the dynamic route optimisation solution include one of Saudi Arabia’s leading food and confectionary manufacturers, a South African based telecoms provider and Denmark’s best and well known online furniture store.

Maxoptra dynamic delivery route planning and scheduling software is helping temperature controlled distribution specialist, K2B Couriers, optimise its fleet operations and boost customer service.

Agricultural merchant Zantra is implementing Maxoptra dynamic route planning and scheduling software to manage deliveries of its crop protection solutions.

Research amongst decision makers operating delivery and field service fleets has revealed that saving money is not the main objective when selecting new computerised routing and scheduling solutions.

Maxoptra dynamic scheduling and vehicle routing software has proved ‘business critical’ for market leading raw pet food manufacturer Natures Menu.

As someone who has worked in the routing and scheduling software industry for more years that I care to remember, it never ceases to amaze me how many people lose sight of this concept.

Dynamic route planning and scheduling software specialist, Maxoptra, has released a new Facebook bot that enables real time delivery information to be accessed by customers via social media.

Retail entertainment equipment specialist, Clearhill, is automating its service operation with an integrated route optimisation and mobile workforce solution from Maxoptra.

Tahira Food is implementing the Maxoptra dynamic vehicle route planning and scheduling platform to transform its Halal food delivery operation.

Scot JCB is rolling out the Maxoptra dynamic route planning and scheduling platform across its countrywide network of service depots.

WorldStores is using Maxoptra dynamic delivery route planning software to optimise its nationwide home delivery service.

Vtec Solutions, a leading provider of TomTom telematics, has signed a reseller agreement with Maxoptra, the number one name in dynamic vehicle routing and scheduling software.

Maxoptra, the dynamic route planning software solution, is celebrating its best ever year supporting fleet operators in their quest to control costs, improve customer service and minimise the effect of their transport operations on the environment.

Maxoptra has announced expansion in the UK and is recruiting new staff for its recently opened regional offices in Brighton. With company headquarters in central London, the Maxoptra Brighton office was first opened in autumn 2016 and was originally staffed by a small team of presales consultants and support staff.

We’re a nation of food lovers, me included, especially at this time of year when shop shelves and restaurant menus are heaving with treats and festive delicacies. Every day the UK food industry feeds more than 27 million households, nearly 64 million people* who rely on shops having stacked shelves and food service outlets having stock to sell. Before I worked in logistics, I spared little thought for how food reached its destination.

Hannah Foods, the family run food service specialist, is investing in route optimisation software from Maxoptra. The cloud based route planning system will help the team at Hannah Foods to continue to deliver exceptional customer service – something the company takes very seriously.

Maxoptra, the dynamic route planning software solution, has been awarded the Fleet Supplier 2016 Fleet Hero Award by the Energy Saving Trust in recognition of the support provided to help fleet operators reduce carbon emissions.

Arthur David, the food service specialist, is taking control of its distribution costs and improving customer service by implementing a dynamic scheduling and route optimisation solution.

Home is where the heart is; it’s where we retreat to at the end of our working day, turn our email off, kick back and spend precious time with our beloved families.

Maxoptra, the dynamic route planning software solution, has been shortlisted for a 2016 Fleet Hero Award in the category of Fleet Supplier.

Every day on social media it seems we are all intent on proving our inability to answer school grade maths test questions.

Maxoptra has opened a new regional office in the south coast seaside resort of Brighton – increasingly referred to as ‘Silicon Beach’.

There seems to be a misconception within the transport and logistics industry that routing and scheduling software is only for “the big guys”.

Independent brewers, Thornbridge, are improving delivery costs, increasing driver efficiency and minimising the environmental impact of their mobile operation following the implementation of a dynamic delivery route planning solution.

Recently my colleague Jane Geary, with many years’ marketing experience of route scheduling technology, published an insightful article: The true definition of dynamic scheduling.

Implementing route optimisation software is often promoted as being “easy”, but be aware that there are certain steps that need to be followed to ensure success.

Driving the motorhome back from Devon at the weekend, my superior local knowledge of Bath meant that I reduced my journey mileage and duration over that predicted by my SatNav.

A new version of the Maxoptra dynamic scheduling and route optimisation platform has been released.

Tim McCarthy has joined the sales team at Magenta Technology to meet the growing demand for Maxoptra, the dynamic vehicle routing and scheduling optimisation software system.

In the world of transport planning and route optimisation, ‘dynamic’ is an overused and often misused term. For those of us, myself included, who want to get pernickety about this very subject, I can confirm that the real dictionary definition refers to dynamic as being something that reacts to change as it happens.

Dynamic delivery route planning software is allowing Leekes - one of the UK’s leading independent retailers - to automate its nationwide home delivery service. The online Maxoptra delivery route optimisation platform is helping Leekes to streamline the complex task of scheduling over a thousand deliveries of homewares and home improvement products every week across the UK.

Warren Evans, an award winning London based bed maker, is implementing Maxoptra. Building on the company’s impeccable green credentials, Warren Evans hopes the introduction of the Maxoptra will reduce unnecessary mileage, help manage costs and minimise the environmental impact of its operation.

London, 19 May 2016 – Greenshields JCB, one of the world’s largest JCB dealers, has implemented advanced dynamic vehicle routing and scheduling optimisation software for its field service operation.

Specialist sofa retailer Sofology has chosen an advanced dynamic vehicle routing and scheduling solution to help improve the visibility and flexibility of its delivery operation.

Although it seemed as if the CV Show had been better attended in previous years, the teams at the Maxoptra stand were kept busy having some interesting conversations with a steady stream of visitors.

Mobile Workforce Management application with Maxoptra’s Field Service Management Software, enabling customers of both Maxoptra and GeoPal to enjoy a number of benefits. Maxoptra will allow customers to build optimised routes and schedule emergency jobs.

Topspeed Couriers has reduced the time taken to plan the daily work programme by up to 80 percent, following the introduction of an advanced dynamic routing and scheduling system.

In today’s rapidly changing world, businesses are eager to do more with the same resources and at lower operational costs. This is why logistics companies use transportation management software solutions to manage their routes and fleets and to track orders.

Maxoptra will be announcing the latest version of its cloud-based software for managing transport operations at the Commercial Vehicle Show 2016. Taking place at the NEC Birmingham, 26 to 28 April, Maxoptra’s software is aimed at transport operations that require real-time scheduling and accurate, continually updated ETAs.

Two months into 2016, and companies are considering which technologies and future developments to invest in during the next twelve months. Perhaps the best investment is in providing convenience for customers.

As overheard, muttered by a not very cheery fellow wearing a red coat and sporting a white beard in Heston Services …….routing & scheduling software,

We are pleased to announce significant progress this autumn in product development for Maxoptra’s Route Optimization Software, with the introduction of three major upgrades for operators within the Distribution Industry.

You know, the questions that got progressively harder to the point where rapidly diminishing time, building pressure and brain melt-down clouded your thinking to the point where you just wanted it ALL to end?

We are pleased to provide some minor, yet important upgrades for operators within the Field Service sector.

A recent study has identified that the UK has the third highest dissatisfaction rate with online shopping due to inflexibilities in choosing convenient delivery dates and time. Of those surveyed, nearly half said they preferred next day delivery to any other option.

These days, I tend to play it safe when going through motorway roadworks monitored by average speed cameras. I set my cruise control at the appropriate speed limit and let it worry about keeping an appropriate distance from the vehicle in front.

Andy was fed up but he wasn’t surprised when his employer went into receivership – they never truly recovered from the recession.

According to Statisticbrain the total consumer spending on costumes, treats and festivities will reach $7,950 million in America this year. And WalesOnline claims that Halloween is now the UK’s third highest spending festival (£300m) placed behind only Christmas and Easter.

People often talk about those rare individuals who have the capability to effectively turn their hand to almost anything and succeed – to be a ‘jack of all trades’. But can such a multi-skilled person really exist and are such individuals really an asset in a growing business or a liability?

Magenta Technology is pleased to announce the appointment of WorldTrack as a Maxoptra distributor for the Nordic region.

Most road accidents are typically related to bad driving behaviour. But what is not so obvious is, who are most likely to be involved? Research undertaken by Brake, the road safety charity reveals that 20 people are killed every week while driving for work in the UK. That is almost one in three (31%) of fatal crashes and one in four (26%) of serious injury crashes – typically involving field service and mobile workers, most of whom are home-based.

Magenta Technology’s latest update of the Maxoptra dynamic scheduling and route optimisation software platform solution for Distribution focuses on making it as simple as possible to use.

The European Court of Justice has ruled that, for workers without a fixed office, time spent travelling to and from their first and last appointments count towards the EU Working Time Directive of 48 hours per week, a decision that many leading experts fear will drive up costs for businesses.

Magenta Technology’s latest update of the Maxoptra dynamic scheduling and route optimization software platform solution for Service is now available!

Magenta Technology are delighted to announce the appointment of Communicate Better as a Premier Solutions Partner.

The “Ideal Plan” should be viewed as a masterpiece of excellence and perfection. After all, it is ideal. Designed with care, based upon knowledge of all the facts, specialist expertise and the benefit of past experience, the “Ideal Plan” is intended to deliver the agreed objectives, precisely to a set timetable.

“Time is money” is a well-used phrase we hear repeatedly as we grow up. We learn to appreciate that our own time is valuable and it should not be wasted, especially by someone else!

We have all seen at least one Terminator movie and heard the prediction of eminent scientists that artificial intelligence poses the greatest known threat to mankind.

Transform, the latest release of Magenta’s Maxoptra Distribution Solution, provides a completely new entry level service which enables fixed delivery routes to be quickly reviewed and adjusted in order to maximise operational savings and customer service improvements.

Service Management Expo, held at ExCel London, is a key service management event and popular across Europe.

Every day experienced dispatchers have to process a continual torrent of information from up to 11 different data sources to manage teams productively, react to unforeseen events, maintain schedules and keep customers happy.

It is sometimes frustrating when start-ups seem to take a lead in your market with better technology – although with the advent of UBER, some private hire companies may say it is a little more than just ‘frustrating’.

A dispatchers map resembles the night sky with it’s stars. To create beautiful constellations one needs time. Our Dynamic Routing Software does this in seconds.

Service Management Expo is Europe’s leading event for the Service Management industry, providing all the latest information and the most up-to-date products and services for those working within service management, logistics, fleet management, operations and IT.

Managing a field service team can be a tricky balancing act. Particularly when maximising field staff productivity on the one hand with carefully worked out

People know that deliveries can be predicted and delivered almost precisely “on time.” And because we also apply our consumer principals at work, this attitude is now increasingly universal. The fact is that people today are far less likely to accept, or put up with, a delivery that cannot be estimated accurately or, is late — whether at home or at work.

As 2014 came to a close, a number of articles reminded me of technology and business trends I have observed over my career providing businesses with new technology. The first was a report about research carried out by Epson showing that 85% of European businesses believe new technology provides a competitive advantage.

The CV Show is the largest and most comprehensive event in the UK. It is considered to be a primary sourcing and selling opportunity for the road freight transport and logistics industry. The show attracts over 18,000 business visitors and its central location at the NEC Birmingham ensures a nationwide attendance.

As I prepared my vegetable patch for planting at the weekend I mused over some of the objections we face when introducing new efficiency improving technologies to our potential customers.

I remember one Christmas morning and my Dad opening up a present given to him by my Mum. After removing the wrapping he held up an unusual looking circular object proudly bearing the words “A round tuit” at the bottom. When I asked my Mum what it was for she simply smiled and answered that it was a tool for my Dad to complete all those jobs around the house that he had left until “he got around to it”.

Last month, I was contemplating the research from the European Field Services conference 2013 as I prepared for my visit to the 2014 conference (on which there is much to comment on from the 2014 conference in terms of content and atmosphere but more of that in a future blog!).

As I prepare to go to the 2014 “Field Service Europe” event in Amsterdam this October, I re-read “The 2014 European Services & Trends Report” based on the survey results of their 2013 conference attendees.

Serviceline has chosen Magenta Technology to implement its Maxoptra for Field Service solution, thereby enabling them to streamline their field service operations by providing better visibility of their resources and availability of service engineer’s time.

As you pore over highly informative telematics reports – identifying examples of poor driver behaviour, late starts from home, figuring out why illogical journey plans happened, or wondering why two vehicles seem to be in the same street at the same time – did you stop to wonder if those journeys should have ever been made in the first place?

Magenta Technology today announced that their Maxoptra cloud-based dynamic routing and scheduling service will be directly available to users of the Wialon telematics solution at the touch of a button.

Champion Timber have chosen Maxoptra – Magenta’s leading scheduling and routing solution–to overcome the scheduling and routing optimisation challenges they faced from using manual processes.

In 2012, when Magenta Technology started on the development of its cloud-based Maxoptra dynamic routing and scheduling solution for distribution and field service companies, the potential benefits to our potential customers seemed obvious.

Magenta is launching its next generation Maxoptra solutions for Distribution and Service businesses at the Commercial Vehicle Show 2014.

Natures Menu has chosen Maxoptra, the leading real-time dynamic routing and scheduling solution from Magenta Technology.

Flowervision London have implemented maxoptra routing and scheduling

Flowervision London have chosen Magenta Technology’s leading routing and scheduling solution, Maxoptra, to help meet their daily challenge of a two hour window to unload stock.

The latest release of Maxoptra, Magenta’s cloud based distribution planning solution, available from June, helps customers increase productivity and reduce operating costs by exploiting further the hidden value of comparing schedules planned with the actual movements of GPS equipped vehicles.

Magenta’s Maxoptra Dynamic Real Time Scheduling Solution, which automatically plans and allocates work to fleets, has been given the status of ‘Promoted Solution’ by TomTom Business Solutions in their recently launched Application Centre.