Marathon Data Systems Extends Field Service Expertise To Transport And Logistics Markets

How companies like Exel and Schenker are gaining a competitive advantage using Viamente Route Planner from Marathon Data Systems

Wall Township, NJ /PRNewswire-iReach/ - Founded in 1984, Marathon Data Systems (Marathon) has spent almost three decades building a reputation as a leading provider of office management software and mobile workforce solutions to field service companies in pest control, HVAC and plumbing, maid and janitorial and lawn and landscape verticals, through brands like PestPac, QXpress and ServiceCEO. In more recent years, as Marathon has focused development on field automation solutions like smartphone applications and route optimization, it has become clear that the same needs that exist for home services can be applied to any business with a mobile workforce or fleet of vehicles out in the field. Chris Sullens, President and CEO of Marathon, explains, "The transport and logistics markets are a natural fit for our products. These companies have trucks out on the road making deliveries and doing installs all day, every day, and they face many of the same challenges a company scheduling service appointments each day would. We can apply all the things we've learned in industries like pest control, HVAC, and plumbing to help logistics and delivery companies provide better service and be more efficient in their operations."

Increased competition and high customer expectations in these fields have caused companies to look for ways to stand out from their competition in the form of better service. The ability to provide on-time deliveries and pickups is critical to a company's success and reputability, but can be tricky when there are many variables to be considered and routing problems are complex. The ability to fit in last minute orders, reschedule in real-time from the field, and provide narrower time windows are just a few of the ways many companies strive to differentiate themselves. For these companies Viamente Route Planner can provide a powerful advantage, allowing them to provide service at a level that their competition is unable to match. Viamente Route Planner uses a proprietary set of heuristics and algorithms that, when combined with the domain knowledge and expertise of the user, provides the best possible solution to resolve today's complex routing challenges.

Although many companies are looking to differentiate on service, efficiency is still of critical importance especially with fuel and operating costs on the rise. Historically, customer service and efficiency have often been a trade off. Providing superior service meant you had to be willing to give up some of your bottom line. Viamente Route Planner allows companies to align service with efficiency, a win for the customer and a big win for the company, since they are saving money and time while exceeding customer expectations. Chris Sullens adds "The challenge that solution providers face is how to deliver this sophisticated technology through a user interface that is both easy to understand and easy to use." Viamente solved this puzzle by packaging the Viamente Route Planner's complex algorithm in a web-based system with an intuitive user interface. Paul Bugenstein, Senior Director at Exel, Inc., part of the supply chain division of Deutsche Post DHL, the world's leading logistics group, notes how the web-based platform adds to its value,"The Viamente Route Planner software has provided superior results in dense urban environments as compared to other route optimization software packages. The ease of use, web hosted flexibility and optimization results has made the Viamente Route Planner an important optimization tool within my team's portfolio." Ease of use also proved to be an important consideration to Mark Soetens, Business Development Expert at DB Schenker, the world's second largest transportation and logistics services provider based on revenue and performance. Mark notes, "The Viamente Route Planner has proven to be the easiest and quickest way for me to solve complex clustering problems."

While large companies like Exel and DB Schenker have seen dramatic improvements in efficiency and service using Viamente Route Planner, they are not exactly representative of Viamente's customer base, which is made up mostly of small operations like Marleen Kookt, a Netherlands-based food delivery company. In addition to using Viamente Route Planner to route their vehicles, Marleen Kookt was able to increase the efficiency of their fleet of delivery bikes. Marleen Kookt's founders, Joris and Marleen, note how the system has helped them manage their growth over the past year, "...While the number of stops increased, we witnessed reduced planning time, more efficient routes, and our drivers love the mobile version of their route plan."

Viamente Route Planner features particularly of interest to transport and delivery companies include the ability to minimize fixed and hourly costs per vehicle, define time windows, optimize for multiple days, create multiple load capacity and value limits, create traffic profiles, and the ability to define a number of maximum working hours per driver.

Though the challenges of each industry are unique, it is clear from Marathon's success in verticals from pest control to logistics that any company with a mobile workforce can be considered a field service company that would benefit from the products it provides.

About Marathon Data Systems
Voted as one of America's fastest growing companies by Inc. Magazine and one of the best places to work in New Jersey for the past three years, Marathon Data Systems helps businesses, large and small, solve key pain points that mobile workforce companies face every day, allowing them to save money, save time and improve customer service levels, all at the same time. For more information, visit www.marathondata.com.

About Viamente
Viamente is a division of Marathon Data Systems that develops and markets worldwide innovative cloud based technology for Vehicle Routing Optimization, designed to help Fleet Managers in the Transport industry and Team Managers in the Field Service industry make better routing decisions. Viamente was acquired by Marathon Data Systems in August of 2012. For more information, visit www.viamente.com.