MICROLISE TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT CENTER

Key Benefits

  • Provides real-time visibility and dynamic control of all operational fleet resources.
  • Ensures the best and most efficient use of resources for asks and journeys.
  • Provides real-time visibility of POD/POC and driver task achievement against the plan.
  • Provides monitoring and management by exception with real-time alerting of problems
  • Automatic generation of pre advice to customers (SMS, e-mail, fax), 2 way messaging with drivers (voice, text) and electronic POD notes to customers (pdf via e-mail) .   
  • Facilitates the management of vehicle/trailer and driver availability to ensure efficient use of fleet.
  • Facilitates the management of hours of service and driver tasks for resource planning and statutory compliance.
  • Provides a powerful and flexible suite of reports for analysis at all operational levels.


Overview

Microlise Transport Management Center (TMC) – part of the Microlise portfolio - is a centralised control centre at the heart of the Microlise Integrated Transport Management Strategy, that provides real-time visibility and dynamic control of all operational fleet resources.

The TMC system simplifies the management of assets, vehicles, driver shift rotas, driver hours and driver tasks in order to ensure optimum resource usage, productivity, customer service and compliance to working time legislation.

Typical business problems addressed by the Microlise Transport Management Center include:

  • Poor visibility of resource availability
  • Inability to plan and manage resource utilization, both cost effectively and efficiently
  • Poor visibility of drivers & working-time hours constraints – resulting difficulties assigning drivers to routes without risk of infringement
  • Inability to effectively plan and manage tasks
  • Inability to quickly respond to changing circumstances affecting fleet operations
  • Difficulties updating journey schedules when plans change
  • Poor traceability of real-time journey adherence – ensuring service levels are maintained in a safe operating environment with the driver taking planned breaks
  • Lack of visibility of order and consignment status, ETA’s and delivery information
  • Inability to quickly respond to Customer Service queries
  • Un-measurable Customer Service metrics
  • Reactive rather than proactive response to problems 

At the hub of an operations Transport Management solution, the solution uses and updates data from other applications. This can be Microlise components (such as Microlise Advanced Planning & Scheduling, Microlise Vehicle/Trailer Tracking and Microlise Mobile Workforce) and 3rd party systems – such as MRP, ERP, WMS and Routing & Scheduling packages.

The key functions of the TMC can be summarised as:

TMC Diagram

Plans and schedules can be created within the TMC or imported from both the Microlise Advanced Planning & Scheduling system or a 3rd party solution. Plans can be amended dynamically using the optional Microlise Active Journey Planner module.

Resources (Drivers, Tractors, Trailers etc.) managed within the TMC, are allocated to plans – these can be fixed or dynamic relationships either created by the TMC user or recommended by the TMC. This is done on the basis of depot grouping and a combination of driver hours, working hours &  hours of service availability, vehicle location & status. The system checks for and alerts against projected driving or working hours infringement.

Having optimally allocated resource to planned routes event data is continually collected from the Microlise Tracking Unit and any mobile data terminal in the vehicle.

  • Increased efficiency.
  • Increased profitability.
  • Increased Delivery Accuracy.
  • Increased Customer satisfaction.
  • Increased Productivity.
  • Reduced Customer Service costs.
  • Reduced Office Staff costs.
  • Reduced Delivery disputes.

TMC

Key Business Benefits

Feature Key Business Benefits
Flexible and configurable host software Integration through standard XML web service, CSV, XML, ftp,http and persistent message queuing interfaces
  • Send and receive exactly what data you want the driver to have for his delivery and the information you require back on completion of deliveries in real-time from your ERP / WMS / SOP system.
  • Send updates to consignments / deliveries in real-time throughout the journey execution. 
  • Real-time update of the line of business applications 
Configurable look and feel to mobile workforce solution
  • Customize application with logo, button caption, and message configuration to meet industry specific terminology.
Driver authorization and authentication
  • Real-time driver logon to system via cradle, WLAN, WWAN for deployment flexibility and security.
  • Driver identification systems available  
Structured menu driven functionality for Start of Journey, In Transit, On Site, and End of Journey processes
  • Configure tasks required to be carried out at each of these stages in the delivery process based on business requirements.

Flexible functionality for: -

  • Vehicle inspection (start and end of journey)
  • Odometer capture (start and end of journey)
  • Depot departure notification
  • Delivery point information and notes
  • Consignment and consignment item
  • Delivery and collection
  • Ad hoc delivery and collection
  • Transhipment to 3rd party locations or between vehicles 
  • Receive real-time updates to journey
  • Manual and Barcode Scanning of Items
  • Capture of reason codes for un-delivered / unmanifested items.
  • Configurable capture of text and images for reason codes.
  • Asset delivery and collection
  • Customer signature capture
  • Customer site image capture
  • Customer delivery point arrival and departure notification
  • Return to base notification
  • End of journey upload
  • Hours of service compliance 
  • Driver debrief capability
  • Proactive critical service monitoring identifies system or interface issues
  • Configurable web based subscription to reports delivered directly to the users e-mail inbox
  • Implement best practice process to drivers
  • Configure and capture vehicle inspection information for vehicle road worthiness and defect tracking.
  • Track mileage covered for journeys.
  • Capture on time departure performance through automatic driver confirmation.
  • Ensure the driver has all the information he requires for the delivery through the addition of delivery specific information and notes.
  • Flexible to allow both deliveries and collections to be carried out simultaneously, both planned and unplanned.
  • Enable changes to the plan to be sent automatically to the driver in real-time and to cope with breakdows, bulk outs etc. 
  • Ensure items with a barcode are proactively scanned by the driver during delivery / collection.
  • Accurately record reasons why items / deliveries could not be carried out through configurable reason codes.
  • Configure reason codes to capture additional text and images as required to improve customer service response to customer.
  • Ensure costly assets (e.g. totes, rollcages, stillages) are tracked throughout the delivery process and ensure empty assets are returned.
  • Capture customer delivery signature or an image for unattended / left on premises deliveries.
  • Accurately capture when the driver arrived and departed the delivery point to monitor time in motion.
  • Real-time update of drivers arrival at the depot for efficient reuse of resources.
  • Enable any additional non-critical data (images) to be uploaded using least cost routing.
  • Capture of breaks, delays, non-working / non-driving / driving time.
  • Warnings of pending breaks requirements.

 

Additional Microlise product modules

The following additional and related modules are available for integration with this solution to enhance functionality and deliver extended business benefits :

  • Microlise Active Journey Planner
    This module operates within Microlise Transport Management Centre. Following the import of a completed scheduled plan it provides functionality to make last minute changes to planned routes and schedules without the need to completlely re-plan. Drag and drop functionality allows additonal deliveries to be added or removed from any route or for deliveries to be moved from one route to another. Schedules are re-calculated and alerts indicate potential probelms with hours of service, SLAs etc.
  • Microlise SofTrac
         Vehicle tracking using an in-cab Mobile Data Terminal or PDA type of handheld unit. Requires either inbuilt, Bluetooth or serial GPS receiver and cradle. GPS tracking of the vehicle without the need for a Microlise Tracking Unit but with more limited functionality. Ideal for contract and spot hire fleet. 
  • Microlise RFID Systems
    Microlise offers a wide range of RFID solutions to identify coupling of tractor, trailer and drag units or correct location of trailers with dock doors. The microlise RFID trailer Portal RFID enables the loading doors of a vehicle to allow for positive loading /unloading without operator intervention.
  • Microlise Driver Communications Module
    2 way data messaging & voice communication for job management and to control driver phone behaviour and the available numbers driver can call. Driver ID recognition using Dallas key etc.
  • Microlise Lone Worker
    Ensures duty of care to isolated workers using a range of wireless panic buttons and man down units linked to in-cab strobe and sirens with automatic alerts to host system via the MTU.
  • Various peripherals
    Serial interface with MTU for a wide variety of peripheral sensors including temparature, door sensors, axle weight, power take off etc.