Route planning software and route optimization
PLANTOUR – the cross-industry route scheduling
With route planning and route optimization, shipping orders are planned for vehicles and efficiently sequenced so that all restrictions (such as business hours, capacities, breaks, etc.) are observed and so that all applicable transportation costs are minimized as much as possible at the same time. Our cross-industry route planning software PLANTOUR supports you from manual route scheduling to automated, unrestricted optimization.
Coverage of all dispositive business processes
With its basic functions, our route planning software covers all dispositive business processes, from strategic, tactical and operational planning to implementation and subsequent controlling. In order to meet your individual requirements, our route planning software can be supplemented by various additional modules, which can be activated via remote maintenance without any major installation effort.
Free Route Optimization
The optimization algorithms developed by PASS carry out automated planning of transportation orders for the most diverse requirements.
Score tours
Recurring orders are automatically planned and optimized for predefined routes via score tours.
Planning by drag & drop
Each planning result can be changed by the dispatcher via drag & drop. Our basic approach: The dispatcher is the expert, our system is the tool.
Collection and delivery operations
Our route scheduling supports both inbound and outbound logistics including pick-up & shipment as well as orders with varying loading locations.
Key performance-indicator-based planning
You use your own quality criteria to define when the planning is good. Our route planning software enables modeling of your individual KPIs (Key Performance Indicators).
Customizing
Our route scheduling adjusts itself to your workflow – not the other way around.
Integration
The route planning software can work with any other system. Either by using standard interfaces or through our integration layer.
Usage models
Buying, renting, in your own data center or in the PASS Cloud – the right usage model for every requirement.
- Automatic set-up and expansion planning
- Day/multi-day routes with single/multiple use
- Can be integrated into terminal server environments
- Blocking of streets directly by the dispatcher
- Simulation of various planning variants
- Planning on the map, the grid or both at the same time
- Detailed authorization management
- Multi-user and multi-organization through client server
- Individual KPIs for measurement of planning quality
- Replaceable maps (possible additional costs)
- Support via remote maintenance
- Multilingualism
dispatcher
- Tour scheduling through tailor-made algorithms
- Straightforward detailed scheduling and rescheduling
- High flexibility, transparency and efficiency
- Automatic consideration of restrictions
- Time saving creates space for other activities
company
- Automation in the age of digitalization
- Planning reliability and reduction of dependencies
- Economization of driving and wear and tear
- Consideration of your individual KPIs
- Consistent from order picking to controlling
customers
- Increase of delivery speed
- Adherence to lead times and deadlines
- Responsiveness to deadline changes
- Confidence through integration into the supply process
- Satisfaction through adherence to quality standards
environment
- Protection of the environment
- Reduction of CO2 emissions
- Economical driving thanks to telematics*
- Increased road safety *
- Relaxed drivers thanks to realistic tour guidelines
* Use of telematics and telemetry add-ons required
Start page
All objects in the route planning software PLANTOUR can be found via the Navigator. Frequently used functions or individual workflows can be saved in the favorites bar. The Navigator as expert view is mostly hidden and operated only via favorites.
One object – three views
Every object can be displayed and edited in three different ways: in a table, in a detailed view or directly on the map. The individual partial views are synchronized and can be grouped into favorites as desired.
Dispatch view
The typical planning view combines tours and unscheduled orders. In addition to the tabular view, these are also displayed in the map. In a work place with multiple screens, the map can also be displayed on the second screen. The tours can be displayed as routes or bee-lines.
Score tour planning
Orders can automatically be merged by the system as completed tours for specified customers or assignments. Depending on the specification, the system takes into account the order sequence, time windows, restriction violations and much more, which should then be resolved by the dispatcher.
Free route optimization
With the unrestricted route optimization, any selection of orders can be entered into the automatic calculation. The algorithm takes into account all parameters such as departure times, maximum duration, breaks, etc. KPIs visualize individual quality criteria by means of numbers or symbols.
Alternative map display
It can be helpful, especially during live tracking, to visualize traffic information in real-time on the map. Alternatively, the switchable satellite view can help with graphical geocoding of locations.
KPI-based planning
With PLANTOUR, several planning scenarios can be simulated in parallel. Using relevant KPIs, alternative route plans can be compared - regardless of whether they are generated from score tours, free optimization or manual scheduling.
Cross-industry route planning software and route optimization
We have special expertise in the following sectors
Our route planning software is suitable for all industries. We have selected the following industries as examples, in which we have particularly extensive experience:
Furniture
- Smart accumulation
- Planning of two-man crew
- Consideration of labor values
- Vehicle contractual constraints such as kitchens, reclamation, etc.
- Planning of pick-ups from external warehouses
- Appointment notifications to the customer directly from planning
Beverages
- Customer driver commitment by means of score tours
- Automatic order accumulation
- Planning of one man and two-man crew
- Consideration of complication factors
- Vehicle constraints such as side loaders, etc.
- Empties management
Trade and food
- Support of multi-day tours
- Branch delivery with multiple time windows
- Vehicle group restrictions for branch access
- Orders and shipments to the Colli-level
- Pre-scheduling with approximate volumes
- Empties and pallet management
Money and valuables transport
- Cash In / Cash Out / Pickup & Delivery
- Detailed multiple time windows
- Special personnel / vehicle group restrictions
- Rendezvous orders, such as special filling of ATMs
- Consideration of turn restrictions and median strips
Lightweight web app and integration of route planning into your in-house systems
Do you only plan sporadically or do you only have a very small fleet, so that a tour planning system is supposedly not worthwhile? Or are you looking for a solution that you can transparently integrate directly into your own ERP or TMS systems? Then find out more about our MAPSERVICES.
for the past 25 years
more than 100 installations
mor than 500 users
in 7 European countries
Supplemental add-ons
In addition to the integration of further logistics software, our route planning software can be extended with further components to add functionality.
Packaging materials management
No more lost pallets
Do you want transparency with regard to your loading equipment in circulation? The loss due to lost loading equipment quickly amounts to several thousand euros, even for small businesses.
Forget about the use of paper-pallet notes. With the loading equipment management in PLANTOUR and the connected telematics, you automatically manage the loading equipment account towards your customers during order processing with the mobile terminal. You are now able to evaluate the account balance in the planning center. The module can be used for any type of loading equipment as well as for empties.
Delivery notification
Inform your customers directly from the planning stage
Offer top service and avoid waiting times by using the notification module. After completion of the planning process, the planned arrival time is communicated directly from PLANTOUR via mouse click.
If you use our route planning software together with the telematics solution, planning deviations can be transmitted automatically or automatic reminders can be sent by using geofencing such as: “Your order will be delivered to your location in approximately 60 minutes”.
Tour number matrix
Complex score tours without ERP system
You have complex distributed branch deliveries throughout the week, and would like to display these in score tours? Usually, score tours are specified by the ERP system in which the route number for an order has already been specified before the route scheduling.
With the Tour Number Matrix Module, you can also model complex score tours in PLANTOUR without an ERP system by simply specifying the number per weekday with the customer. You work independently from the ERP system and control the scheduling from where it belongs: directly in the route planning software.
PLANTOUR Business Intelligence
Informed at a glance
Our standard route planning software already offers comprehensive reporting options, both with pre-defined standard reports and with the option of integrating individual customer reports.
We have created the PLANTOUR BI interface for those who would like to gain a deeper insight into the data. The module allows you to integrate the PLANTOUR database into your existing business intelligence tool or you can entrust us with the implementation of your individual analysis requirements in a BI tool.
Packaging materials management
The customer’s packaging materials account is automatically filled via the mobile device. The account status can of course be adjusted in PLANTOUR with central chargebacks, such as additional balance bookings or cost allocation.
Delivery notification
Once you have completed planning, you can inform customers about the planned time of arrival. Simply control the recipient of the notification via the customer master data. You can do this by e-mail, fax or SMS. *) Depending on the channel, additional costs are incurred
Tour numbers matrix
Using a complex control matrix, you can plan customers in score tours without the need for an ERP.
PLANTOUR BI
The PLANTOUR module gives you unrestricted access to the database for individual BI evaluations. The ready-made business model allows for quick implementation of your individual requirements into the dashboard.
Of course, the actual savings potential always depends on the size of the company or the number of planned tours. As a rule, time savings are realized in both route scheduling and duration. This leads in a cost reduction. This results in a below-the-line cost reduction. In our experience, savings of approximately 15 percent can be achieved in an ideal situation. However, planning should not only be based on the aspect of cost savings, but should also be software-supported with a focus on increasing quality and facilitating work.
Route planning does not always have to be fully automated. Even though algorithmic optimization of supply routes usually produces very good and better results than manual scheduling, there are also situations in which the manual planning approach with software support makes sense. For example, if restrictions such as business hours exist only in the dispatcher's header or if there is insufficient order information. But even then, a software-supported planning tool such as PLANTOUR can help to simplify the daily work of the dispatcher, e. g. by simply visualizing the planning or automatically calculating customer arrival times.
Our route planning software is particularly suitable for small and medium-sized companies, but also works in large corporations with several hundred tours per day. We will be happy to help you find out whether a route planning software is worthwhile for you. Simply contact us for a free initial check. Here we carry out a route optimization on your own data and present the result to you. You can then decide on the basis of facts. Often, the support of our software is worthwhile for as little as three to four trucks.
We only want to recalculate our score tours once a year. For such project requirements we recommend the use of our consulting approach. You provide us with your data, we load it into our route planning software and work out your new tour plans with you. With such one-off analysis, the correct data basis is very important to achieve sustainable good results. Here we help you to create the right data basis for new useful tour plans.
Theoretically you can be up and running within two weeks after initial contact. In practice, the implementation period varies depending on the project scope and testing effort, especially if existing systems are to be connected or if telematics and/or telemetry hardware has to be installed in the trucks. After an initial consultation, we can usually provide you with a good indication.
Our route planning software offers the possibility of a seamless connection to your ERP system, your enterprise resource planning, your AMS or any other order management system via a very flexible integration technology. The route planning software requires at least customer and order data from your system. In principle, however, all data objects such as fleet, drivers, locations, costs, etc. can be loaded or unloaded via the interface to PLANTOUR. Of course, you can also create orders and new customers directly in our route planning software - even if you don't use any other system - and thus plan completely without further systems.
Yes, for new installations we always recommend the telematics solution of our preferred partner, as a ready-made real-time integration exists and can be used immediately. Of course, we can also connect your existing telematics solution to PLANTOUR as part of the implementation project. Whether this enables real-time communication or not, and whether all the functions available withour preferred partner can be used depends on the respective telematics solution. We would be happy to consult with your telematics service provider.
The software can be used both on premise and as Software as a Service (SaaS). It doesn't matter whether the installation is done in-house or in the PASS Cloud - in one of our ISO-certified data centers in Germany. Our pricing model is based on the size of your fleet, as this is the decisive factor for potential savings. In most cases, the introduction of tour planning software pays off in less than a year. Contact us for a detailed analysis of your potentials.
PLANTOUR is a client server system which runs on any commercial Windows server with a Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle database. A Java runtime environment is required for the client. The sizing depends on several parameters such as the number of orders, number of tours, number of planners etc. Please do not hesitate to contact us, we will then determine your hardware setup for you. Of course, you can also use the software from the PASS Cloud, so you only need a powerful Internet connection.