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It used to be that
the Driver Map in
the dispatch screen
gave you the
estimated location
of a single driver.
This interface has
changed drastically
to try to give the
dispatcher a much
larger view of what
is happening in a
particular area.
For example, if you
are one of the many
MapPoint 2002/2004
users,
right-clicking on
the dispatch screen
on any order and
selecting "Show
Drivers Map
(MapPoint)" will now
show you the
following
information:
The intent of this
interface was to
have it sit on a
"dedicated"
workstation in the
dispatching center,
as the display
contents will
refresh
automatically every
30 seconds.
The information
contained on this
map is two-fold:
First, it is
intended to show the
dispatcher a
GEOGRAPHIC view of
estimated driver
locations, relevant
restaurant locations
(restaurants that
have an active
order) and customer
locations.
SECOND: It is
intended to show the
dispatcher relative
paths and
destinations on the
map from a driver's
point of view.
Drivers are
represented by a
"car" icon on the
screen, while
restaurants are
represented by a
fork/knife/spoon,
and customers by an
exclamation point.
For example, this
particular screen
shows a single zone
with three
individual drivers
handling a total of
4 orders.
Let's take a look at
the driver labeled
"#22 Cornel",
located on the
right-middle side of
the screen. If
we trace his path,
he is currently
going to a
restaurant called
'Pat and Oscars', to
pick up an order
that will be ready
by 12:42 pm, then
will be going to a
customer named "John
Borden" (no
relation) with a
target delivery time
of 1:23 pm.
This interface
tracks quite a bit
of information, even
though it's not
apparent in this
example.
First, each series
of "arrow heads"
follow a distinct
path from beginning
to end, and follow
the color codes
established in the
dispatch screen.
For example, if your
"driver en-route"
color was green, the
arrow that showed
the driver traveling
from the restaurant
to the customer's
location would also
be green.
The system also
follows the path a
driver is scheduled
to take from
beginning to end.
For example, if the
driver was assigned
to three different
orders, the arrow
path for that driver
would follow the
track the driver
will follow for the
order sequence:
arrows would start
at the driver's
location, then point
to the first
restaurant, the
first customer, the
second restaurant,
the second customer,
the third
restaurant, and
finally terminate at
the third customer.
Currently, the
current locations of
each of the drivers
is estimated, that
is, they are not
currently
synchronized with
any outside GPS
device. Driver
locations are
currently "estimated
and synchronized"
using the exact
lat/long points
provided by the
customer's address
and the restaurant's
address. This
means that at the
exact moment when a
driver arrives at
the customer's site,
and when the driver
arrives and departs
to/from a restaurant
location, the exact
whereabouts of the
driver ARE known.
As part of the
system refresh
cycle, the system
will then "estimate"
the current
whereabouts of the
driver, and adjust
the length of the
arrow accordingly
based upon the
programmed time
estimates in the
Restaurant Setup
Screen for each zone
permutation.
This interface
certainly isn't
perfect, and again,
driver lat/long
positions are
estimated based upon
travel estimates
between points and
"synch" points
between a customer
and restaurant
lat/long
coordinates. But, as
time goes on, and
additional input is
received for this
feature set, more
and more wrinkles
will certainly be
ironed out.
DID YOU KNOW
You can do a "data
proof" of your
entire restaurant
delivery fee
structure, menu item
structure, and
employee lists? This
allows you to
quickly scan ALL of
your settings in a
single report to
look for omissions,
errors and typos.
To see this report,
simply go to Report
--> Data Proofs, and
select the type of
proof you want to
look at. This
will push the data
into a grid report,
allowing you to
either sort and
review it in the
program, or to push
it to Excel for
further analysis and
review.
DID YOU KNOW--
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