Keep it simple… Einstein knew what he was talking about

By Jane Geary | Marketing Manager | Maxoptra

Keeping things simple is often the key to success in any business situation. 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. Overcomplicating something – whether it be a software product, a system implementation or a sales process – does not make your product more intelligent than others out there.

The same really can be applied to the route optimisation software space. If I read another article waxing lyrical about the complexities of implementing a route planning system, then I swear my head might literally explode. For many years I believed that only the big transport operators could benefit from route planning; that you had to have mega bucks in the bank to reap the benefits of intelligent route optimisation; and that making the leap from manual planning to automated transport scheduling was a huge strain for all involved.

A year ago my blinkers were removed, and I saw route optimisation for what it really is – a tool that can deliver huge benefits to both small and big operators. It just takes a simple model, a great piece of software, a passionate team, and you have the recipe for success.

So here comes the blatant sales pitch bit! Maxoptra is a cloud based route optimisation software package. Some of our customers run fewer than five vehicles, others run several thousand. What does that tell you? It tells you that this is a scalable system; that route optimisation is not just for today’s big players; and that Maxoptra really is a fantastically flexible solution that delivers huge benefits. Throw in the robust tracking link with industry leaders such as TomTom and TeletracNavman, which provides users with the ability to keep customers notified of ETAs in real time, and I challenge you to find something you don’t love about this innovate product.

What’s the key to our success? It’s our flexible attitude. We’re one of the only cloud-based systems on the market, and probably the only one that gives users the ability to dynamically alter the plan once their trucks are out on the road. It’s a low cost model (check out our pricing page), and there are no huge startup or ongoing support costs. This is probably why we’re growing month on month. Today’s forward thinking transport operators are starting to hear the message, trust the team and use the software … all with great results. Obviously I’ll attribute this to having a new marketing manager in place ☺ but I’m sure the reality is that the tide is turning. Today’s market is heavily skewed towards smaller fleets, and those small and medium fleet operators are realising that they, too, can work smarter using route optimisation software without breaking the bank.

As far as I’m concerned, there are no three, five or seven steps to success. (Why is it always an odd number?) There is just one – download our free trial. We’ve had two customers in the last month who have trialled, bought and self-implemented within a week. Now, if that’s not testament to a simple, straightforward software product, then I don’t know what is.

So what’s this got to do with Einstein? He’s quoted as saying, “Everything should be made as simple as possible. But not simpler.” And I thought that would make a better title than KISS – Keep It Simple Stupid!

Happy route planning.

Jane Geary | jane.geary@magenta-technology.com | Tel: 07881 368452