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Advance Packaging

Saves Time and Improves Performance

Advance Packaging

Customer Studies
Advance Packaging

Advance Packaging. - Saves Time and Improves Performance

The Challenge

  • Maximize fleet utilization
  • Enhance forecasting ability
  • Improve customer delivery appointments

The Solution

Appian DirectRoute™ from TMW Systems

The Results

  • Improved accuracy in forecasting miles and delivery schedules
  • Greater on-time delivery 
  • Seamless integration into other enterprise business systems
  • Fewer man hours devoted to manual route planning

Seashore Food Distributors, Inc. was established in 1920, and is a leading food distributor in southern New Jersey. Seashore provides a wide range of fresh, frozen, and canned foods to hotels, health-care facilities, restaurants, schools, and other institutions in three mostly rural counties.

Advance Packaging provides corrugated packaging solutions for customers with diverse products and needs. Founded in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 1966, Advance Packaging has grown to become a leading regional packaging provider. In 1973, the company opened a second location in Jackson, Michigan, to expand its corrugated capacity and add foam and returnable packaging products.

Challenges

Advance Packaging spent a large amount of time planning routes daily. Each afternoon a Shipping Lead spent approximately 1 to 2 hours routing stops to maximize trailer utilization. Advance began to look at the current process to see if it could be made more effective and efficient.

Advance had four main objectives:
  • Automate the routing process allowing routes to be generated in a timely manner
  • Prepare next-day routes maximizing trailer utilization and forecasting future requirements.
  • Ensure the process was the most effective and efficient possible
  • Improve accuracy of customer delivery appointments

Boosting a Reputation for Excellent Customer Service
  • Advance was able to automate its fleet routing and accurately predict miles and delivery schedules.
  • An already outstanding on-time delivery rate was further improved.
  • The system was integrated into Advance’s Enterprise Business Systems.
  • “The routes created by DirectRoute can be realistically loaded and delivered as suggested. Hours and miles are right on,” Manager Steve Philip said.

"The routes created by DirectRoute can be realistically loaded and delivered as suggested. Hours and miles are right on."
Steve Philip
Manager