Toyota Material Handling Uses Paragon routing

JOC Staff |
Innovative software is simplifying complex route planning for leading forklift seller Toyota Material Handling. Supplied by Paragon Software Systems the automatic system enables TMHU to plan and optimize delivery routes to customers throughout the 48 contiguous states in North America. The software reduces planning tasks from several hours to minutes and allows more detailed shipping information to be visible throughout the organization. “The greatest advantage of the Paragon system is that it can perform the complex task of optimizing routes in seconds,” says Michael J. Gunn, National Distribution, IT Dealer Relations and Support Manager, Toyota Material Handling. “This task would normally take hours if we were to plan routes manually. It also enables our shipping decisions to be clearly understood by others in the organization. We are no longer reliant on one person’s expertise. The system has allowed us to extend our capabilities by enabling others in the team to build optimal loads.” The company chose Paragon because of its ability to interface seamlessly with its SAP enterprise resource planning system, enabling information to flow between the two applications and eradicating duplicate data entry or manual keying. “We wanted a systematic freight control system that would interface easily with our SAP system. We have been using Paragon exclusively for 15 months, and it is relatively easy to use and easy to update. We would recommend the product to others,” says Gunn. Third-party contractors deliver Toyota forklifts to TMHU’s 188 dealer locations and more than 1,000 customer locations. The company relies on the Paragon solution to control the routes and help direct each load to its destination. There are no fixed routes, as the number of routes and deliveries are determined by customer orders. “We use Paragon several times a day to schedule and route our outbound deliveries to customers. We rely on its optimization engine to determine the best route for our forklifts,” concludes Gunn. TMHU is the number-one selling lift truck supplier in the U.S. and currently offers a full line of high-quality lift trucks sold under the Toyota brand. Built on a reputation of excellence, Toyota remains popular due to its quality, reliability and durability.