There are two main components of any automated transport optimisation solution: a modern computerised Transport Management System (TMS) and a Routing & Scheduling programme (R&S). A growing number of transport operators and logistics companies are implementing these, but most are not getting the full range of benefits in cost savings and reduced workloads for one very simple reason: despite their investment in both a state-of-the-art TMS and R&S, in most cases it has been impossible to marry the two to deliver a solution that has the flexibility to cope with real-world conditions.
In short, when any flexibility is necessary to encompass a range of diverse transport requirements, the only way to achieve it has been through manual intervention – and so many of the benefits of what should be an entirely automated process are lost. It’s like building a superhighway on each side of a river and trying to connect the two with a rope bridge and the result is a bottleneck.
Bridging the TMS–R&S divide
Fortunately, we have developed what you could call a ‘middleware mathematical engine’ that bridges the gap between TMS and R&S. Called PlanR, our solution provides a means of mapping the planning process, uploading files as per on-the-ground reality and only optimising when optimisation is needed. Basically, PlanR is a plug-and-play solution that delivers completely automated optimised routing and scheduling without any manual interventions.
PlanR delivers mechanisms by which companies can amend rules and constraints to suit their particular requirements, either within their own optimisation engine or within PlanR itself, to deliver a future-proof transport planning tool. Another major benefit of our TMS-S&R bridge is that no changes are required in a transport operator’s working practices. PlanR is a true pain-reliever for transport operations managers seeking to realise the full range of cost savings and reduced workload benefits from their transport optimisation programme.
If you would like know more about PlanR and how it delivers the automated flexibility required to bridge the gap between your TMS and S&R processes, please contact Bashir Khan.
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