Screenshots and detailsInfoTRAM_small_2

Transport Management & Scheduling System

Feature Highlights

  • Instantly provides cost feedback on schedule changes
  • Allows management to define cost factors and implement scheduling policy
  • Gives scheduler full control while keeping track of costs
  • Interactive Map Interface
  • Cost Factor icons on Map Interface
  • Full History of changes with the ability to undo
  • Capable of accepting a range of product mix scenarios
  • Respects different jurisdictional regulations
  • Designed in collaboration with schedulers to suit their workflows
  • Can be interfaced with other systems
  • Automatic scheduling with the Optimiser
  • Provides cost minimising Hints for schedulers
  • Dynamic interface – windows can be rearranged, multi-monitor ready
  • Scheduler may lock some trips manually, allowing the computer to optimise the rest
  • Customisable Cost Factors
  • Create plan & output detailed run sheets for drivers
  • Simulate the outcomes of complex decisions by running simulations
  • Reconcile plan against actual collections, export actuals into financial system for correct payment of suppliers

Map Interface

InfoTRAM’s map interface is intuitive. The thickness of road lines indicates road quality. Trip routes are not drawn directly on the road, but alongside to indicate the side of the road the vehicle drives on. Self-explanatory icons represent collection and delivery points, as well as highlighting cost factors such driver overtime, or late arrivals. Those white spots on the map indicate a change of jurisdiction – as different states can have different load limits.

Furthermore the map can be click-dragged to pan the view, and mousewheeled to zoom. The map may be moved to a separate window, and that window could be moved to a secondary monitor.

Cost Factors

The right of this screen shows cost factors for the trip selected on the left. Cost factors are listed in descending order of cost. These cost factors have user-defined penalties associated with them, these penalties can be modified to accurately model the effect of these cost factors within your business. Penalties can be applied per unit eg: amount of time spent stopped; or in terms of frequency eg: the number of stops.

Hints

In the centre panel ‘Controls’, we can see ‘Trip Hint’, and ‘Global Hint’. The scheduler may ask InfoTRAM for hints at any time. Hints are listed in descending order of cost saving, and accepting a hint is as simple as double clicking it. Each hint provided shows an estimate of cost saving, the effect on travel distance, which cost factors are improved, and which cost factors are worsened.

 History

While the user makes modifications to refine the schedule InfoTRAM keeps track of changes in its History. This feature is useful for keeping track of what modifications were made, and how they affected the schedule. Also, it allows the user to quickly rollback to a particular schedule revision should they wish to revert to a previous version of the schedule.

Notes

Notes can be created in the system, these notes would be viewable by other InfoTRAM users, and would also be printed on the associated driver’s run sheet.

Dynamic Interface, & Separate Products

In this instance the map is not viewable because it was moved to another screen. The other window components have automatically resized to fill the available space.

Also, in the bottom right corner we can see there are two separate products available for pick up from multiple locations. In this example they are two different types of liquids – milk. Although it is possible to mix two different types of milk, it might be unwanted. InfoTRAM can be configured to handle a range of mixing conditions, it can prevent mixing (eg one trip, one type of product), allow the user to set a mixing threshold, or allow for any mix without restriction.

Schedule Finalisation & Driver Run Sheets

Once the schedule is finalised, run sheets can be generated and provided to drivers.

Functionality and Scope

Infomace’s InfoTRAM is a well proven system with a 20+ year track record of successful operation. Individual client tailoring and regular updates have maintained the system’s integrity.

Our two foremost InfoTRAM Transport Company Clients are McColls Transport in Australia and Dairy Fresh Logistics in New Zealand. Australasian Dairy companies for whom our optimised milk collection is being utilised include Australian Dairy farmers Co-Operatives(ADFC), Beston Global Food Company, Fonterra, Fresco, La Casa Del Formaggio, Lion, Milk2Market, Miraka Dairy, Open Country Dairy, Parmalat, The Kiwi Organic Hub, and Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory.

InfoTRAM is feature rich, there’s a lot more to it than we are able to show here. For more information or a free personal demonstration – please email Steve, or contact us.