Schwartz and Baron ended up divorcing in 1987, but they remained business partners and continued to rely on their 286-based system to keep the business running smoothly. It wasn't until the early 1990s, when Schwartz began to feel the need for more speed, that he set out to streamline communication between dispatcher and driver. At the time, the dispatcher radioed the drivers to relay delivery information, a process that often took a long time when there was radio interference or the driver was away from the van. Schwartz's idea: to transmit delivery information from the company's computers to alphanumeric pagers worn by the drivers. Unfortunately that was more than the company's Novell network and antiquated 286 computers could handle.
Instead of upgrading the system, Schwartz hired systems designer Sherri Steinhorn, owner of Unique Data Systems Inc. in West Palm Beach, Fla., for a complete makeover that would satisfy Schwartz's appetite for speed. In place of the Novell network, Baron Messenger opted for a UNIX-based system that ran on a central minicomputer hooked up to nine terminals with no processing capabilities of their own. Though that bucked the trend toward relying on Windows-based systems, it was in fact a shrewd move. Most of the large national couriers were moving toward the UNIX system because more sophisticated dispatching software was available on that platform. In fact, UNIX was the only platform at the time that could easily handle the paging features Schwartz wanted. UNIX systems were cheaper, too. Back then, Schwartz's PCs were costing him about $2,000 apiece; his used dumb terminals were just $150 ($300 new) each. Ultimately the company got its new networked system, including hardware and software, for a paltry $15,000.
Walk through Baron Messenger's offices today, and you won't find many Rolodexes or cardboard boxes. You also won't find the panicky hustle you might expect in such a small operation working on tight deadlines and with demanding customers. In fact, the offices, on a drab street in North Miami, are austere and quiet, with eight or nine people calmly tapping away on keyboards. There's almost no paper in sight. When a frenzied paralegal calls with an urgent request that court documents be delivered within the next hour, all the operator has to do is type the custom-er's name into the computer system. A moment later the customer's address and standard delivery requirements pop up on the screen, along with a list of all the deliveries Baron Messenger has made for that customer. Because the new delivery is going to a "regular" destination, the operator only has to type in the pickup time and deadline.
Seconds later the job shows up on William Bermudez's screen. Bermudez, Baron Messenger's operations manager, is working today as the company's lone dispatcher. On his screen, Bermudez calls up the location of some 40 drivers and quickly picks out the best one for this delivery. With a few keystrokes, the information is on its way to the driver's alphanumeric pager. Moments later the phone rings; the driver has called in on a cellular phone -- dispatcher and drivers can also communicate by radio -- to confirm receipt of the dispatch order. When the job is completed, the driver will call in again, allowing Bermudez to update the driver-tracking system.
Schwartz has considered letting the computer automatically select and page the driver closest to a pickup request, a function the system could easily perform. But Schwartz is convinced no computer can match Bermudez's knowledge and judgment in certain crucial respects. Bermudez was born and raised in Miami and knows just about every address in the city. So, for example, when a customer calls for a delivery to SE 40th Ave., Bermudez knows immediately that either the address is wrong or the customer wants a package delivered somewhere in the middle of the ocean. And a computer can't always take traffic patterns into consideration. For example, early in the morning, the traffic on I-95 northbound tends to be heavy; traffic on the southbound side usually runs more smoothly. If Bermudez is faced with a rush 8 a.m. delivery and has to choose between a driver on the north side and one coming up from Coral Gables, he knows which one will get there faster. And that small edge in speed can make all the difference. "Some attorneys get really angry if their documents don't get to the courthouse on time," says Bermudez.
Bermudez also knows when a certain driver might not be the right driver for a particular delivery for reasons beyond the grasp of any computer. Most of the company's drivers are independent contractors. The advantage of that is that the company doesn't have to pay employee payroll taxes or workers' compensation for them. The disadvantage is that Schwartz doesn't have much control over his drivers. He can't require them to wear the Baron Messenger blue-and-white uniform. And he can't force them to remove the lip rings they may be wearing or fix the dents in their vans. Instead, Schwartz says, Bermudez keeps tabs on which drivers are likely to go down well with which customers and which are likely to raise eyebrows.
Schwartz claims the company would need at least a third again as many full-time employees if it weren't for the computer systems. (Unfortunately, he recently had a chance to check his arithmetic when the computers crashed. Reverting to the old manual system, the company was forced to bring in four additional dispatchers to come close to its normal level of service.) As for the late-night pizza-and-billing parties on Fridays, they are now part of company history. Office manager Cherie Pidcoe prints out over 1,000 bills each month at the push of a button.
