ORTEC TD Business Package: Retail and Distribution
- simplified method of data input for planning multiple orders without the need to confirm actual
resource allocation at the time of creation
- ability to specify additional characteristics in the transport order, e.g. first or last in the delivery sequence
- increased accuracy and flexibility for managing employee working and driving hours constraints
- distribution optimizer enhancements to calculate multiple routes per day per vehicle
- integration with the ORTEC Tactical Route Planning solution
Selection of special functions for Retail and Distribution users.
Optimized vehicle routing
One of the main differentiators in the planning process for retail and distribution companies is the need to create an optimal daily plan for a batch of transport orders. ORTEC TD includes a number of features in this area, such as special functions for the way in which optimal plans are built, as well as special functions for the construction of models.
Assignment of resources
ORTEC TD enables the planner to create an optimal route plan without the need to assign actual resources at the time of creation. This functionality can also greatly benefit planners operating in the retail and distribution sector by simplifying the method of data input for planning multiple orders.
Delivery sequences an delivery time slot windows
ORTEC TD also supports transport order qualifying data, e.g. the ability to specify which orders should be first or last in the delivery sequence etc. In addition, the management of delivery time slot windows is includedd, which enables the application to set priorities, i.e. whether order delivery times take priority over location opening times and vice versa.
Employee working and driving hours
ORTEC TD also provides great support for managing the constraints associated with employee working and driving hours. For example, ORTEC TD’s optimizers deliver great accuracy and flexibility in determining the optimal break times, even increasing waiting times at a location in order to accommodate required breaks for delivery drivers.
Multiple routes per day
In previous versions of ORTEC TD, the planner had to decide on the number of routes per day per vehicle and the estimated starting time for each individual route. In ORTEC TD 2010, the distribution optimizer helps to decide on the number of routes per day per vehicle and the estimated starting time for each individual route, by proposing the most efficient route options, i.e. options that may include multiple routes per day.
Integration with the ORTEC Tactical Route Planning
ORTEC TD 2010 also features an integration package for direct data interfaces with the ORTEC Tactical Route Planner (ORTEC TRP).
The ORTEC TRP software has been designed to support planners in creating tactical plans that contain a ‘master schedule’. The main aim of this solution is to create a balanced tactical customer visit scheme and/or a plan that contains a set of geographically balanced territories. These plans can then be imported into ORTEC TD as planning templates, which can be used as a basis for the operational planning schedule. A number of different templates can be stored and then retrieved for use when required. For example, ORTEC TRP can create a number of balanced plans according to seasonal peaks, which can be stored in ORTEC TD for use at the appropriate time.
The use of planning templates will result in considerable time-savings because planners only need to make revisions to the template: all changes will then be carried through to the future operational plans based on these templates.
Furthermore, any data from TMS/ERP systems that is imported into ORTEC TD can also be directly interfaced to ORTEC TRP. This is in addition to any ORTEC TD interfaced data. By improving the flow of data between systems and software, ORTEC TRP delivers high ease of use and therefore will be accessed more frequently in order to revise the master plans.