FAQ

 Frequently Asked Questions

 

Does your software have multi-facility routing capability? If yes, how many different facilities can be routed on the same scenario?

Yes, the Optrak system does support multi-facility routing.  There is no specific limit on the number of facilities that can be routed in a single scenario. Routing up to 10 facilities is fairly common.

Is your software capable of routing various equipment types (tractors, straight trucks, trailers, reefers, etc.) in every scenario?

The Optrak system is capable of routing various types of equipment including tractors, straight truck, and refrigerated units in every scenario.  The key strength of Optrak system is its ability to model almost any loading and delivery problem.  Each vehicle and/or driver can be individually customized to mimic what you have in a given fleet.

How do you manage actual versus planned routes (i.e., establishing baseline measurement)?

Actual and planned routes can be compared at different levels of detail. The least detailed is to compare overall performance at a trip level. This requires a minimum of data acquisition and entry and the data can be managed through entry of driver debrief sheets. The more detailed comparison is at a drop level. For mainly full loads, the data can also be acquired using manual methods. However, for multi-drop trips, the system would need to be collected to an on-board computer. This latter option enables a wide variety of analysis to be carried out, including:
a)    In real-time, driver movements are fed back to the Optrak system, which dynamically recalculates the trip and alerts the user to any problems such as impending late deliveries.
b)    Alternatively or in addition, the data can be fed back to the data warehouse (OptrakBI), which can perform additional queries such as speed variance, load /unload rate variance.
c)    The OptrakBI can analyze and compare data over a range of days. For example it can track compliance with customers' delivery time-windows over a period and alert the users to any persistent failures at a particular customer to mitigate customer complaints.

Describe your systems interface capabilities such as Satellite tracking/data, Bluetooth, Data Integration.

Satellite tracking data:

Each satellite system will have its own data formats and content and requires a specific interface.  Optrak has powerful tools based on modern ETL (Enterprise Transformation and Loading) techniques to enable us to build interfaces to different satellite systems quickly and efficiently.

Bluetooth:

Bluetooth devices (such as hand held computers used for Proof of Delivery will typically have their own software, including base station and control software. We would interface to the base station rather than to the device itself.

Data Integration:

Optrak can be configured to automatically update key operational data such as orders (items and quantity), products, and site locations from many popular ERP systems, such as SAP.


Is your system stand alone, client based, or Web based?

The main Optrak Vehicle Routing System is a PC-based workstation application. However, when implemented in conjunction with OptrakBI (data warehouse) it exists within a framework of general Business Information tools, including reporting services, analysis tools and a digital dashboard, all of which furnish routing information to multiple users via a Web interface.

What are your mapping capabilities?

The Optrak system mapping capabilities are very extensive.  The system has a built-in map engine that is used in geographically locating all depots and customer sites.  This information is used during optimization scenarios to route schedules that have accurate driving times and distances.  Our maps can be flexible in size to include small delivery regions or it can be expanded to include whole states, provinces or all of North America. The maps provided are normally from Navteq and can be supplied at street-level, for local delivery work, or at major road level for long-haul type operations.

Does your system handle One Way Street routing, Right Hand Turns Etc?

Where Navteq street-level maps are appropriate, they are provided with one-way street information, banned turns and, where the data has been collected, bridge height and weight restrictions.

Can it handle customer's preferred pick-up/deliveries times and various constraints?

The Optrak system is configurable to handle the unique delivery windows for each customer.  The user can individually configure each site or attributes can be assigned to customer sites globally.

Can it handle different Customers, Vehicles, Driver Hours (Canada and US have different Hours of Operations), Weather, Construction, Traffic?

The Optrak system models all aspects of your transportation scheduling and loading problems.  Vehicles are completely configurable; drivers are created with rules to handle all CVOR and Hours of work legislation for both the Canada and the United States.  The speed network within the Optrak map engine can be adjusted to handle different driving conditions at different times of the day, for specific regions of the map and for specific times of the year.  This flexibility allows the system to account for congestion, weather conditions and construction activities.

How does your system manage "on the fly" routing as the fleet is running live? (GIS, Real time data integration/Routing/Geo-fencing)

On-the-fly routing is only effective in conjunction with a reliable source of real-time data from the vehicles. The underlying data model "understands" the difference between planned and actual events. As events occur, for example, a delivery, it is fixed. The system is able to make subsequent changes to the route but not to change events prior to the last fixed point. Events such as vehicle loading actions are fixed, so that a delivery order cannot be added to a trip that has already left the depot. It is also possible to designate a trip as "picked" prior to departure - so that the system does not move any orders to another trip.

How quickly can you run "what if" scenarios with changed variables?

"What-if" scenarios can be run with tremendous ease in the Optrak system.  Variables can be switched on the fly or a separate set of parameter can be stored in a unique optimization project that runs common order and product data to be used in your analysis.  The most time consuming part is organizing and importing the data for running the scenarios.  Once the data is in, running the scenarios takes just minutes.  The key is to spend your efforts studying and analyzing the results.  To assist in this the systems has several built-in reports and tools for you to better understand the results.

Does your system require barrier files?  i.e., lakes, rivers, boarders etc?

No. The system carries out all route planning via the detailed road network. Barrier files are necessary when a system has fewer or no roads in its database and consequently has to prevent straight-line routing across natural obstacles. If all the usable roads are known, the system will only cross rivers via bridges which are part of the network, and will follow roads around the lake side.

What are the technical requirements or technical constraints of your system?

The workstation component of Optrak - the Optrak4 Vehicle Routing System runs on a powerful Windows PC with W2K or XP. For larger problems we recommend 1 GB RAM and a 3Ghz or faster processor. We also strongly recommend a large screen since the application is very visually orientated, with maps, Gantt charts and data tables.

For OptrakBI a Windows Server is required with Microsoft SQL Server. A normal server configuration would be 2GB Ram and plenty of disk space.
 

Can you provide a demonstration of your product (Web, in person etc) and what is the lead-time to set up?  Can you use our data for the demo?

We prefer to demonstrate with your own data, as this provides you with a better context for understanding the solution presented. However, a demonstration with your data is different from a controlled modelling exercise where we analyse performance of the Optrak system against your own routing. The former typically requires a 2 - 3 week lead-time; the latter will take longer, will require significant participation on your part and may be chargeable.

Where is Optrak in the market place of routing software providers?

Optrak specialises in providing sophisticated and often customised systems for larger logistics operations.  Our system is not and "out-of-the-box" system that usually do not work properly for everyone - especially diverse organizations with complex transportation needs. Optrak is uniquely customizable.  The system is implemented to mimic all resources, configurations, constraints and parameters associated with a specific operation.  It does not present a "one-size-fits-all" approach whereby the system is forced to schedule/optimize orders without properly fitting that transportation sector - often requiring much manual intervention to get the results you need.

Added to our strong system is our talented team of transportation professionals.  The technical solutions that kmKeystone implements using Optrak are solidified by years of operations experience in several sectors of transportation.  The principals of kmKeystone have decades of proven knowledge in freight, petroleum/lubricant, pallet management, computerized vehicle routing, GPS/AVL, and consulting services. This combination of strong systems and industry experience give our solutions real merit.

What is the main competitive advantage of Optrak?

Optrak4 is the result of 40 man-years development. It represents a considerable advance over other Vehicle Routing and Scheduling products in a number of ways, having:

The benefits of this flexible architecture are seen in its ability to be customised to suit client requirements and for different sector-specific versions to be created. Optrak4 can be adapted to address problem types that competitor products cannot.
In addition to the unique features of Optrak4:

Optrak4 is currently focussed on multi-drop distribution.