Planning & Dispatching

Economical planning with people in mind

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The optimized use of resources is what operational planning is all about. It is crucial to not deploy more than the minimum number of vehicles required to fulfill the timetable. In turn, timetables need to be robust enough to facilitate desired punctuality levels while complying with legal, tariff and operational requirements and taking employee wishes into account. This is quite a challenge and one which, because of their reduced ranges, will become even more complex with the deployment of e-buses.

What INIT can help you to achieve

Increase efficiency

  • Optimize timetables, blocks and duties
  • Minimize resource allocation with efficient planning of vehicle and driver deployment
  • Reduce administrative expenses with automated depot management
  • Speed up planning processes
  • Receive bi-directional data exchange

Higher service quality and employee satisfaction

  • Increase punctuality through robust timetables
  • Increase driver satisfaction with duty scheduling based on their preferred shifts and other features
  • Ensure reliability by taking into account e-mobility parameters in block building

We plan 10 times faster!

Since we have started using MOBILE-PLAN, we have been able to fine-tune our schedules which has resulted in a 10% increase in on-time performance. The software has also allowed us to plan more efficient work shifts for our drivers while reducing overtime. Our planners’ productivity has also improved. For instance, what used to take two weeks to do manually can now be done in a matter of hours. This allows us more time to fine-tune schedules to improve connections for our passengers.

Vanessa Rauschenberger

Gold Coast Transit
Ventura County/California

Sometimes planning feels a bit like squaring a circle. Aside from the need to balance financial goals with service quality and employee satisfaction, many factors must be considered to determine the most efficient timetables, blocks, duties and shift schedules. INIT’s integrated planning and dispatching solutions offer maximum support for all these challenging tasks. They take into account working regulations that are set by laws, union agreements or within the specific company as well as operational factors such as the vehicle type, minimum layover times or depot allocation.

Timetable, block and duty planning with MOBILE-PLAN

MOBILE-PLAN offers a uniquely integrated solution for the creation of timetables, blocks, duties, and for data provisioning subsequent ITS systems. It provides a wide range of supportive tools and functionality that increase productivity while considering the needs of passengers and drivers. For example, timetables can be optimized based on statistical data in order to make them both robust and efficient. Unlike in sequential planning, blocks and duties can be adjusted in one single optimization run using MOBILEopti2, based on the Advanced Optimization Core (AOC) from INIT’s subsidiary inola. Several runs with different parameter settings can be started at the same time to present the effects on KPIs and social aspects. Consequently, the organization is able to find its individual balance between maximal cost savings and employee-friendly duties.

The electromobility-specific parameters contained in MOBILE-PLAN support transport companies in the introduction of electromobility. For example, simulations can be used to determine the effects of different sized e-bus fleets and different e-bus types on costs and on personnel requirements before any investment decision is made and before charging concepts are developed.

Contract management with MOBILE-PERDIS

In deregulated markets, transport authorities or municipalities also need to build schedules in order to put public transport services out to tender. MOBILE-PERDIS makes it possible to calculate schedules based on realistic blocks that take into account duty rostering requirements such as break times. As the incoming quotes might differ in their contractual parameters, the overall costs can be calculated based on the blocks, and compared conveniently. Later, the service quality provided by the operators is also recorded in MOBILE-PERDIS. Finally, performance-related billing is possible, which, for example, also takes bonus/malus regulations into account.

Driver scheduling

The personnel assignment system MOBILE-PERDIS organizes the entire staff deployment process from the duty roster to the transfer of payroll data. It automatically tailors duty rosters and shift schedules to the given blocks while taking into account planning strategies and employees’ wishes. It includes features that allow for more efficient working routines. MOBILE-PERDIS is not only an integrated feature of the planning solution, but also exchanges information with INIT's MOBILE-ITCS. This makes it possible, for example, to automate the recording of actual working times.

The latest version of the personnel assignment system MOBILE-PERDIS nextGen is browser- and cloud-based so it can be accessed at any time, from anywhere and from different devices. In addition, a new and improved ergonomic user interface makes working with the system even easier and more intuitive.

Depot management with MOBILE-DMS

MOBILE-DMS supports the entire vehicle dispatching process. It automates vehicle deployment as well as the organization of vehicles in the depot. This includes the monitoring of vehicles and their assignment to service or workshop schedules as well as the optimized assignment of parking spaces to ensure efficient pull-outs.

With the eMOBILE-DMS extension for the use of electric vehicles, the current state of charge, available charging capacities and planned pull-outs are already taken into account for the individual vehicles when they enter the depot.  This ensures efficient, automated dispatching with optimized vehicle deployment and the best possible vehicle allocations.

Technical highlights

  • Integrated optimization of blocks and duties within the shortest possible time
  • Exceptionally fast processing of planning runs
  • Convenient publication tools
  • Integration with the Intermodal Transport Control System
  • Consideration of operational parameters
  • Integration with the e-bus charging system
  • Shift scheduling that considers the needs of employees
  • Consideration of legal, company-specific and union regulations
  • Integrated depot management
  • Scheduling and contracting modules for public transport authorities

 

References

Knowledge database

Interested in more details or the latest news in the area of Planning & Dispatching? Check out our knowledge database for further information.

 

Corporate news
init brings innovation to the logistics sector

23 February 2017

Research report
MENDEL:
electromobility in public transport
Others
INIT continues its growth on the French market by taking over LC Consultant’s assets
Event
initplan User Group Meeting 2015 in Regensburg
Project report
Leipzig relies on Depot Management System by initperdis
Project report
Denmark: INIT has been awarded the largest single contract for planning systems
Solution report
AppComm: all duty details managed in one app
Press release
INIT at RNTP 2017

September 2017

Solution Report
12 Features for smoother operations
Press release
INIT Processes Virtual Fare Card via Android Pay

12-12-17

Project report
Hamburg: Buses are getting smart

Contact

Our experts will answer your questions and give you additional information.

Ulrich Schmidt

Managing Director
INIT Mobility Software Solutions GmbH
Germany

Further solutions