Keystone Distribution UK has become the first to implement Paragon's ITIS-based road speed data for transport optimisation. 

This new feature of the Paragon system, which automatically calibrates routes and reduces time consuming data set-up, has enabled Keystone to improve the accuracy of its daily transport planning.

Keystone supplies the entire UK network of McDonalds restaurants with all its products, making around 200,000 deliveries per year. The company uses Paragon to produce core schedules and daily plans as well as for strategic planning of new routes.

For Keystone, the incorporation of ITIS road speeds has improved results and eliminated the need to manually manage road adjustment regions within the plan.

According to Peter Holdsworth, Keystone's head of scheduling, the new ITIS road speed map functionality has removed discrepancies between plans and what was actually happening out on the road.

"The ITIS information is incredibly accurate, whether for long haul or city driving, and we have seen a huge improvement in our delivery performance by using it to automatically calibrate our plans," said Holdsworth, adding that the system enables the company to give drivers true timings for each leg of their journey.

Journey plans are always accurate since the ITIS data is regularly updated, which will enable Keystone to further develop the system to incorporate dynamic scheduling, with variable plans that allow for greater flexibility of the delivery fleet.