In the none-stop world of passenger transport it is often difficult to find
savings and efficiencies. Constant demands on resources, the unknown that
accompanies staff, vehicles and passengers as well constantly changing working
environments, its understandable that many transport operations struggle to see
the wood from the trees. Planning for worse case scenarios often overrides
potential for savings and fire fighting often eliminates the spare time needed
to think about what to do next or how to economise in order to deal with the
pressures of shrinking budgets and constant demand.
TranSys is a time proven solution employed by numerous local authorities to
assist with operational control, resource management, passenger management and
statistical feedback ensuring that targets and KPI’s are achieved. Savings and
efficiencies are found through the use of optimisation tools such as routing and
scheduling, resource management and suggest features where transport problems
are resolved with the best available options.
TranSys represents a complete solution for passenger transport where tools
and functionality available within the software allow efficiencies to be found
and operational control to be set and new unprecedented levels.
Client/pupil database
TranSys provides a comprehensive database designed to capture all necessary
information on your clients and passengers. Each module within TranSys provides
data capture tailored specifically to the transport type it was designed for
ensuring that information captured is relevant and meaningful and the SEN module
is no exception. Client data contains multiple address options with “geo-coding”
tools provided enabling exact longitudinal and latitudinal co-ordinates to be
set pin pointing addresses for routing and scheduling optimisation. Essential
data such as disability, medication requirements, number or type of seat needed,
equipment required etc allowing TranSys to allow for these requirements when
assisting planners find the best possible options for the provision of
transport. TranSys uses this data to suggest best options i.e. a vehicle(s) with
a tail lift, appropriate/closest vehicle(s) for a client, available drivers etc.
This information can be communicated in several ways and all manifests and
outputs are automatically filled with all the essential information to ensure
that clients are transported with their requirements met. All of KL2’s modules
allow external data to be introduced via KL2’s data transfer service part of our
project management options.
Routing and scheduling optimisation
KL2’s TranSys PTMS solution provides two types of routing and scheduling options
micro and/or mass scheduling. KL2’s micro scheduling enables micro adjustments
in established routes, for example adding a new passenger to a route can throw
the entire journey into a high level of inefficiency. TranSys allows users to
micro schedule routes of this nature to ensure that small adjustments do not
disadvantage or compromise the operation. Alternatively through the use of
Optimiz KL2’s mass routing and scheduling module, TranSys can take numerous
clients i.e. pupils forming a new school term and calculate the best way to
allocate them onto available transport resources finding the most efficient
options for the transport provision eliminating costly dead, wasted mileage and
hours in front of an A-Z manually planning routes.
Actual verses planned activity
One of the most powerful tools KL2 offer is the link between TranSys our
routing, scheduling and transport management package and GPS tracking. This link
provides actual verses planned activity analysis. KL2’s systems can display
planned routes as scheduled through TranSys and also show what actually
happened. Planned routes are by their nature planned for a reason giving
transport efficiencies, time on the bus advantages to clients and management
advantages however there is always risk that drivers determine their own running
order and routes. If a driver does choose a route of his own or chooses to swap
the running order of pick-ups or drop offs, it will eliminate any efficiency or
advantages planning systems introduce and may have adverse affects for the
transport provider and for the client. Actual verses planned activity analysis
shows exactly what should have happened against what did actually occur giving
important information to aid KPI’s and the analysis to why things may be going
wrong. This information is also essential in retraining as you can’t argue with
the facts.
The system uses sensors connected to the doors of the vehicle and geo
address markers in order to identify actual pick ups and drop offs ensuring that
full time management audit trails can be recorded and exception reporting
achieved showing problem areas.
Diary and operation management
TranSys offers an extensive array of options to assist the control of
operational management centring around a diary system. KL2’s diary integrates
every element of passenger transport enabling a transparent view of all
activities from clients through to operational resources such as vehicles, staff
and even destination sites. This allows everyone to see what is going on with
tasks and reminder functionality designed to ensure you don’t forget about that
vehicle that’s booked for an MOT, or the staff member whose review is now due.
The Diary links all system users providing total control.
Staff Management
TranSys not only collects information to help manage passengers it also records
a wealth of information to help manage staff members such as drivers and
escorts. By detailing essential information such as address information, working
hours, split shifts etc, TranSys can be used as a full time and resource
management tool and can be used to plan routes, check staff availability and
provide routing and scheduling in order to optimise operations.
Resource control
TranSys employs numerous tools designed to offer “issue solving” functionality
and show problems in a graphical way. Resources can be viewed in easy to
interpret graphical interfaces where issues such as vehicle unavailability,
staff shortages and time overlaps can be shown with changing colours.
Resolutions can be found by simply right click the mouse giving users options
and other available resource to solve problems.
Modular Design
As a modular concept TranSys allows modules to be added to the base package
ensuring that the right tools are available for different council transport
types. This allows councils to start small and only buy in needed functionality
specific to their transport operation or expand into a total transport solution
covering a magnitude of different transport types.
GPS Tracking
KL2 can provide optional GPS tracking in order to produce actual verses planned
time and movements analysis. This provides users with the ability to monitor the
operation using both live and historical GPS tracking aiding customer service
queries and provides important retrospective analysis leading to Key performance
indicator or KPI analysis. The system can be used to determine exactly what
occurred against the planned route identifying bottlenecks and issues that lead
to inefficiency and customer dissatisfaction.