Software from Paragon Software Systems is enabling Argos to increase its order fulfilment without having to significantly expand its delivery fleet.
Deployed as part of Argos’s five-year digital transformation plan, Paragon HDX is now used across more than 160 Argos hub stores to help manage a fleet of 436 vans, with around 1,300 routes being optimised by the software on a daily basis to support its Fast Track services.
This allows the retailer to offer four delivery timeslots throughout the day for customers to select at the point of purchase, making it possible to order an item as late as 6pm for delivery to around 95 per cent of UK households the same evening.
The HDX software enables the retailer to dynamically plan delivery slots, based on real-time availability, using both operational fleet capacity and the proximity of the customer to available stock. The software continually re-optimises the routes and schedules as every order comes in.
Andy Brown, central operations director at Argos, said: “The software solution has helped us manage strong levels of customer demand, particularly during the Black Friday and Christmas trading periods, and support significant increases in digital transactions over the last 12 months.
“The successful integration of all of our supply chain systems has been critical in allowing our customers to order any product they want and receive it at a choice of destinations within unmatched timescales. Paragon has worked closely with Accenture and a number of other partners to deliver a dynamic routing and scheduling solution that helps Argos deliver on our promise to customers,” added Brown.
