Hello and welcome to the sixth edition of InTransit eq, the newsletter that will be “ e ”-mailed you on a “ q ”-uarterly basis. We try to include articles that appeal to our clients and/or our prospects and other friends in the industry. If there is something you'd like to read in future editions please provide feedback. Of course if you are not interested in being included in our circulation list, please unsubscribe where indicated right at the bottom of this email.

Nicola Williams
Managing Director

The first time I used Odyssey, I was simply overwhelmed by the size of the system.  Like all users, I had hours of training that not only showed me how to use Odyssey, but also demonstrated a lot of the functionality associated with the system.  For the first few weeks, I experimented with Odyssey using standard test data.  I asked Sam (my supervisor) a lot of questions about different buttons, functions and macros if I didn't understand the help files, and I asked many questions on how to correct the validation errors that kept popping up every time I pressed the schedule button.  After a few weeks of testing, I was finally able to successfully run a schedule.

I also learned about Odyssey from assisting Sam with consulting projects.  From repetitively geo-coding customers manually and understanding the importance of geo-coding correctly, to turning on and off vehicles for rooster schedules, and finding shortcuts for actions (such as Save), I learned how to use the system much faster.

I got tips from watching Sam do her consultancy projects such as filtering orders by locality and turning on/off the filtered orders using buttons, instead of turning them on/off manually.  In this way, I could learn and pick up new ways of doing actions. 

Although I am familiar and understand most concepts about Odyssey now, answering help desk calls is another way I still learn about Odyssey, as I am exposed to the different ways clients use the product, and what they do to produce schedules.

Odyssey is a fantastic product that does meet requirements.  However, in order to fully understand and run the program, it is encouraged and recommended that users call our Help Desk whenever they need assistance.  I found that by asking Sam, Scott or Damian questions, however small, I learned to understand the system much faster than by experimenting by myself.

The fundamental difference between Odyssey 1.1 (the last general-release version) and 1.2 (the next general release version) comes down to map display.  It is now possible in 1.2 to view all orders in a dataset, or all customers, or to view the whole schedule.  But this generalisation does not do the system justice. 

There are a considerable number of other changes.  There have been speed improvements across the board, improved stability and increased detail in the error messages.  “Early Unload” scheduling is enabled and PUD scheduling has been significantly improved with enhanced multi-depot functionality.

There is also a new import/export scheme called “Comprehensive Import/Export”.  Comprehensive import gives you access to include all the information in all the fields throughout the system.  Comprehensive export allows you to save a dataset so that another user can import it into their system and have exactly what you have – same customers, same orders, vehicles, and parameters… even the same schedule!

Within the mapping functionality we have had to change the right-click to move the pin (the pointer that indicates the customers location on the map) because now right-click shows all the possible maps at a certain point. 

By showing all the different scales on a right-click the user can navigate between different scales quickly.  Moving the customer marker now requires a Control-Click (“Ctrl” key held down and left-click).  Make sure you read the help text on maps before you start adventuring.

We hope our clients will find Odyssey 1.2 a worthwhile upgrade in every aspect.  This system will be the general release until Odyssey 2.0, which will have a new underlying architecture.  If you have any questions about Odyssey 1.2 or 2.0, or any other application question please don't hesitate to call your Account Manager or our Help Desk.

Nicola Williams
Managing Director

Part 3  - Like with like comparison

In the last two parts of this article we have tackled the importance of calibrating the model of your operations and exposing all the business rules that contribute to your success.   Now the deciding factor – is it cost effective to change?

There are as many ways to cost transport operations as there are operations themselves.  We have not attempted to emulate all the possible costing models within Transit Odyssey – but it is possible to get a real idea of the cost of a proposed change by using a baseline.  When you have replicated your actual operations within the system (calibrated the system and included all your business rules) it is reasonable to expect that any differences in the virtual price of your schedule will be comparable between your existing activities and the optimised schedule.

Transit scheduling costing is based on the costs of transport:  the number of vehicles and drivers, how long they work and how many kilometres they travel.  If you have calibrated the system you will find that your modelled scenario will be different from the baseline by the real difference in your operation.  All the time and distance calculations, cost basis, customer service durations… all the “variables” of the system will be the same.  The cost difference will be due to the change you are modelling (e.g. new truck sizes, new depot location etc.).

With the baseline and the first optimised schedule in place you are then able to change more variables to further tweak your model.  This tweaking can be a skilled task but the fundamentals are in place.  You know what the difference between an existing schedule and a Transit-optimised schedule is and you can go on to compare one optimised schedule to another by changing other variables.

Can Transit Odyssey handle orders placed after cut-off?

In most operations where Transit Odyssey is installed, there is an order cut-off time, after which Sales should stop taking orders.  In reality, there are always situations where Sales will take orders after cut-off and ask Transport to “deal with it”.

Odyssey has been designed to cope with this situation in several ways, regardless of whether a schedule has been produced already.

If a schedule has not been produced, the Import functionality allows the user to append the “after cut-off” orders without affecting any existing records.  The schedule can then be produced as if the cut-off had not been missed.

If a schedule has already been produced, and picking has started, Odyssey allows you to confirm the trips that you have started picking (or are on the road already), append the “after cut-off” orders via import, and schedule these around the work that is confirmed.  Although this is not as efficient as scheduling all of the orders, it saves the scheduler from the pain of manual insertion.