National plant and site equipment hirer, Nixon Hire, has modernised its portable toilet service routing and scheduling with multi depot planning software from Paragon Software Systems.
The routing software helps improve customer service by identifying the most efficient route as well as monitoring KPI performance and saving time and labour on maintaining facilities and accommodation units across northern England and Scotland.
Paragon has integrated the routing software with Nixon Hire’s existing IT infrastructure to provide a single, central transport planning and management solution that ensures all drivers, vehicles and routes are used optimally and cost effectively to provide the highest levels of service possible. The system also enables Nixon Hire to model new routes and depot locations using “what if” scenarios.
Nixon Hire uses the routing system for daily dynamic planning of its fleet of special service vehicles across 27 routes from 12 depots. Each vehicle will be used to service up to 25 units a day, emptying waste, refilling with fresh water and replenishing consumables. All the routing and scheduling is done at the company’s central support office in Newcastle.
“We are a very dynamic business operating across a large area and often look at how new technology can make us more effective and assist in delivering excellent customer service. Paragon enables us to produce the most efficient, accurate and achievable routes possible at a click of a button. These are sent direct to our drivers who are equipped with Motorola ES400 handheld computers. The routes align with the orders taken using our hire software and the jobs created and advised to the drivers by the Three X system. It is seamless and eliminates unnecessary paperwork, and our drivers appreciate the ability to work electronically. The routing software also helps measure our Key Performance Indicators by enabling us to compare the plan to the actual work done, which helps to address any issues we need to resolve,” says Graham Wood, Transport Manager, Nixon Hire.
“Paragon routing software facilitates a cultural change from traditional methods to a total logistics solution and we use the software as a strategic planning tool to improve and evolve our operations and services. We can model a wide range of scenarios from changing the capacity of the vehicles to reallocating work to different depots – this could extend to opening new depots. In short it gives us overall visibility of the business and is a positive introduction to our operations management processes,” he adds.
Notes to Editor
- Nixon Hire is the trading name of John Nixon Ltd, a leading provider of plant and site equipment with bases throughout the United Kingdom.
- Founded in 1967, Nixon Hire is a dynamic and professional family-run business employing over 300 people across all of its sites. Nixon Hire draws on over 45 years of experience to deliver quality, products and services that are second to none from its large headquarters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
- Nixon Hire operates 13 depots across northern England and Scotland – providing national hire coverage through Nixon Extra.
