Paragon Software Systems, Inc, a leader in vehicle routing and scheduling optimization solutions, announces that Texas horticultural specialist Weatherford Farms has installed its transportation routing product.
The third-generation, family-owned business uses the transportation management solution to dynamically route daily deliveries to grocery stores, interior plantscapers, garden centers, and local florists throughout the Houston area. The software replaces hours of complex manual planning and produces the routes and schedules in minutes, saving time and maximizing vehicle loading across the Weatherford fleet.
“Manual planning was demanding and we were relying on the knowledge and experience of the drivers. It was clear to me that we could improve efficiencies significantly by using logistics software. For an operation of our size, Paragon provides an ideal solution that is both flexible and cost effective. Other solutions were too complicated and expensive or they lacked the sophistication we needed to include delivery time constraints and the various sizes and shapes of the plants,” says Bridget Weatherford, who is co-owner of Weatherford Farms, together with Jack Weatherford, company president, and Janette Oxley, vice president.
Weatherford Farms has a fleet of delivery vehicles that service a 150-mile radius of Houston. This gives the company sufficient delivery flexibility to provide good service all year round. The demand for foliage and flowering plants doubles during the holiday season, but this is no problem for Paragon Single Depot software reports Bridget Weatherford, who currently manages the planning system.
“We are very happy with the product and the support we get from the company. Paragon is very easy to use and it does not take long to master it. The procedure is simple and quick. It just requires me to import the daily order spreadsheet into the software to create the routes. The software produces accurate routes that allow for the variation in orders and delivery times, even during the very busy holiday season when we have double the number of orders. Also, when our fleet is running at full capacity, we feel Paragon is a great tool to make the best use of our vehicles and driver resource,” adds Bridget Weatherford.
Weatherford Farms was established in 1927 and currently employs 50 people. The company provides quality plants, including various varieties of popular flowering shrubs – Kalanchoe, Chrysanthemum and Hydrangea – together with tropical foliage, seasonal flowering and holiday blooming specialties to businesses across the Houston and surrounding areas.
