2009-11-11 14:50:29 - Geoplan solution helps plan, implement and control visit schedules

Businesses operating with vehicle fleets and field-based personnel are the target for a new routing and visit scheduling system, launched today by Geoplan, a leading geographic information solutions company. TourSolver allows users to plan and control itineraries and visit schedules to reduce transportation costs, while increasing efficiency and environmental performance.

TourSolver can easily schedule optimal itineraries for field personnel or vehicle

fleets. It allows business rules, working rules, skills and agendas to be taken into account and combined with customer requirements and available resources to plan the most effective visit schedules.

It works by calculating the lowest cost route considering both distance and time in order to save money, and is able to cut vehicle costs by 20% on average, while increasing productivity. This comes in the form of reductions in working hours, with early adopters also reporting a decrease in staff absence through overwork and stress. Lower mileage levels also help reduce carbon emissions and improvements in efficiency boost service levels and customer satisfaction.

Users can create maps, schedules and directions for each resource, each day. The cost and efficiency of routes can be pre-calculated, and compared with current routes to create the most efficient plans.

TourSolver is provided as a standalone desktop solution, or as a flexible online service designed to complement existing systems. It links with diary products such as MS Outlook, and if offered with an optional Tom-Tom Visit Manager, allowing TourSolver visit orders to be directly uploaded for use by drivers and field-based workers.

The product is also available as a trial using the customer’s own data, allowing a detailed assessment to be made. Cost-effective pricing enables a business case to be made and precise ROI to be calculated prior to purchase.

“Effective route planning and scheduling creates daily challenges for many businesses – balancing efficiency and service levels is a long-standing problem,” explained John Taylor, Managing Director of Geoplan. “TourSolver helps create precise and efficient plans, driving down costs, helping to increase service levels while improving environmental performance.”

About Geoplan
Geoplan deliver world class geographic information solutions to improve business performance. Combining creativity and a drive to get things done, our approach provides clarity, quality, reliability and consistency throughout.
By helping our customers to optimise their resource deployment, we enable them to combine their data with market and competitor information to automatically identify trends, gaps and overlaps in their current business model.
The Geoplan product range includes maps and directories, databases, mapping software, consultancy and bespoke solutions. Their primary application is in Sales, Marketing, After Sales and Distribution applications, across a broad range of industry sectors. Working alongside Royal Mail and Ordnance Survey ensures that our products are the most accurate, reliable and trusted on the market today.
For further information, visit: www.geoplan.com