How Fleet Controller Works

The integration of Paragon's Fleet Controller with the industry's leading tracking system Ctrack using a simple XML interface enables real-time information about vehicle location and status (moving or stationary) to be captured automatically and fed back to the Fleet Controller system every few minutes. This information can then be used to automatically provide an accurate up-to-date picture of the execution of the day's transport schedule as well as an accurate plan versus actual history.

Fleet Controller as part of your transport planning and execution function

• Using Fleet Controller with Paragon's automatic routing and scheduling

  Fleet Controller can be added to any Paragon routing and scheduling system that is used to automatically plan delivery schedules on a daily basis - whether batch scheduling or continuous optimisation.

• Using Fleet Controller with fixed routes

  Fleet Controller can also be used in operations with fixed routes. Daily order volumes can be updated from the SOP, WMS or ERP system. Fleet Controller is used to validate the plan for the day in terms of feasibility and legality, make any final adjustments and then monitor the execution of the plan in real time.

• Using Fleet Controller with manual planning

  A third option is using Fleet Controller to monitor a manually-created transport plan. Order data can be keyed directly into Fleet Controller, or it can be downloaded to Fleet Controller from upstream systems, or even from a spreadsheet system. The orders can either be presented to Fleet Controller already in route sequence pre-allocated to loads, or they can be routed manually within Fleet Controller - using its map displays and drag-and-drop options to build the loads and automatically calculate the route timings and distances.

What are Fleet Controller’s capabilities?

1. Validation of the plan

   
   Regardless of how the transport plan has been created, Fleet Controller calculates the route timings and distances, and warns the user if any of the planned vehicle routes will:
   • Miss any promised customer time windows
   • Overload the vehicle
   • Have difficulty accessing a customer site, because too large a vehicle has been used
   • Violate drivers’ hours regulations
   • Exceed the legally permitted driving time per day.

   It also highlights any routes that are under-utilised or have spare capacity.

   If there is an issue, or an opportunity to improve efficiency, the user can adjust the planned routes and schedules, for example by dragging calls from one route to another, or moving a second trip to an alternative driver. Fleet Controller recalculates the scheduled distances and timings, and reports any remaining feasibility problems. This helps ensure that the day’s plans remain both efficient and legally sound, and that promised customer time windows will be met.

2. Execution

   Fleet Controller automatically tracks each vehicle against its planned route, and can immediately determine whether or not there are any problems. It will alert the user if an unexpected delay means being late for a time window later in the day.

By tracking against the plan in real time, Fleet Controller enables you to:

• Get early warning of potential missed delivery time windows caused by earlier delays
• Respond efficiently to such issues, by adjusting the plan in a controlled way, having visibility of efficiency and feasibility indicators before confirming changes to the plan
• Send customers automatic text or email messages to give advance warning that their delivery is approaching.

This can help you to maintain efficiency as the plan unfolds, and significantly improve the service you provide to your customers.

Reporting

Once all the vehicles have completed their shifts, Fleet Controller has a complete and accurate picture of each vehicle’s daily activity, and can compare it with what was planned. It can generate a wide range of user-configurable reports showing actual performance against the plan, for example:

Key performance indicators, such as the “percentage of on-time deliveries” can also be reported. Similarly, a range of exception reports can be generated in order to identify hidden inefficiencies and other issues. This means that recurring problems that were previously unknown can now be resolved and inefficiencies can be ironed out.

The Fleet Controller user can choose whether or not to include the real-time tracking capabilities. Fleet Controller can be implemented without the real-time tracking element – to focus on tightening up performance against the plan.

Deployment Options

Paragon’s Fleet Controller software can be deployed in a number of ways, including single PC, multi-user networked PCs, or Citrix and thin client server configurations, including access over the Internet using a VPN connection. All these options include wide access to reports and status updates using a browser.

Advanced Fleet Controller Options

This document focuses on the simple application of Fleet Controller that unlocks the core benefits of real-time customer service management and planning versus actual performance reporting. However, there are also additional options, including downloading the Paragon plan to Satellite Navigation units.

Benefits

Paragon' routing and scheduling software is helping hundreds of companies to:

Flexibility

Paragon's advanced routing and scheduling technology has been developed to handle diverse needs of the logistics industry and manage operations ranging from ten vehicles based at a single site to hundreds of vehicles running out of several sites. Paragon's client list features numerous blue chip companies spanning a wide range of sectors, including:

How Fleet Controller Works

The integration of Paragon's Fleet Controller with the industry's leading tracking system Ctrack using a simple XML interface enables real-time information about vehicle location and status (moving or stationary) to be captured automatically and fed back to the Fleet Controller system every few minutes. This information can then be used to automatically provide an accurate up-to-date picture of the execution of the day's transport schedule as well as an accurate plan versus actual history.

Fleet Controller as part of your transport planning and execution function

• Using Fleet Controller with Paragon's automatic routing and scheduling

  Fleet Controller can be added to any Paragon routing and scheduling system that is used to automatically plan delivery schedules on a daily basis - whether batch scheduling or continuous optimisation.

• Using Fleet Controller with fixed routes

  Fleet Controller can also be used in operations with fixed routes. Daily order volumes can be updated from the SOP, WMS or ERP system. Fleet Controller is used to validate the plan for the day in terms of feasibility and legality, make any final adjustments and then monitor the execution of the plan in real time.

• Using Fleet Controller with manual planning

  A third option is using Fleet Controller to monitor a manually-created transport plan. Order data can be keyed directly into Fleet Controller, or it can be downloaded to Fleet Controller from upstream systems, or even from a spreadsheet system. The orders can either be presented to Fleet Controller already in route sequence pre-allocated to loads, or they can be routed manually within Fleet Controller - using its map displays and drag-and-drop options to build the loads and automatically calculate the route timings and distances.

What are Fleet Controller’s capabilities?

1. Validation of the plan

   
   Regardless of how the transport plan has been created, Fleet Controller calculates the route timings and distances, and warns the user if any of the planned vehicle routes will:
   • Miss any promised customer time windows
   • Overload the vehicle
   • Have difficulty accessing a customer site, because too large a vehicle has been used
   • Violate drivers’ hours regulations
   • Exceed the legally permitted driving time per day.

   It also highlights any routes that are under-utilised or have spare capacity.

   If there is an issue, or an opportunity to improve efficiency, the user can adjust the planned routes and schedules, for example by dragging calls from one route to another, or moving a second trip to an alternative driver. Fleet Controller recalculates the scheduled distances and timings, and reports any remaining feasibility problems. This helps ensure that the day’s plans remain both efficient and legally sound, and that promised customer time windows will be met.

2. Execution

   Fleet Controller automatically tracks each vehicle against its planned route, and can immediately determine whether or not there are any problems. It will alert the user if an unexpected delay means being late for a time window later in the day.

By tracking against the plan in real time, Fleet Controller enables you to:

• Get early warning of potential missed delivery time windows caused by earlier delays
• Respond efficiently to such issues, by adjusting the plan in a controlled way, having visibility of efficiency and feasibility indicators before confirming changes to the plan
• Send customers automatic text or email messages to give advance warning that their delivery is approaching.

This can help you to maintain efficiency as the plan unfolds, and significantly improve the service you provide to your customers.

Reporting

Once all the vehicles have completed their shifts, Fleet Controller has a complete and accurate picture of each vehicle’s daily activity, and can compare it with what was planned. It can generate a wide range of user-configurable reports showing actual performance against the plan, for example:

Key performance indicators, such as the “percentage of on-time deliveries” can also be reported. Similarly, a range of exception reports can be generated in order to identify hidden inefficiencies and other issues. This means that recurring problems that were previously unknown can now be resolved and inefficiencies can be ironed out.

The Fleet Controller user can choose whether or not to include the real-time tracking capabilities. Fleet Controller can be implemented without the real-time tracking element – to focus on tightening up performance against the plan.

Deployment Options

Paragon’s Fleet Controller software can be deployed in a number of ways, including single PC, multi-user networked PCs, or Citrix and thin client server configurations, including access over the Internet using a VPN connection. All these options include wide access to reports and status updates using a browser.

Advanced Fleet Controller Options

This document focuses on the simple application of Fleet Controller that unlocks the core benefits of real-time customer service management and planning versus actual performance reporting. However, there are also additional options, including downloading the Paragon plan to Satellite Navigation units.

Benefits

Paragon' routing and scheduling software is helping hundreds of companies to:

Flexibility

Paragon's advanced routing and scheduling technology has been developed to handle diverse needs of the logistics industry and manage operations ranging from ten vehicles based at a single site to hundreds of vehicles running out of several sites. Paragon's client list features numerous blue chip companies spanning a wide range of sectors, including: