Rural Transport Solutions. WP3.3 Trans-National Contact Centre Analysis

Transcription

1 Rural Transport Solutions WP3.3 Trans-National Contact Centre Analysis February 2011

2 1.0 Contact Centre Analysis Contact Centre Overview Scotland Dumfries and Galloway Shetland Islands Finland North Karelia Iceland Fjarðabyggð Sweden Västernorrland Good Practices Scotland Wigtownshire Community Transport (WCT) Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) Finland North Karelia Transport Combination Centre Sweden Ånge Contact Centre Good Practices, Strengths and Weaknesses Dumfries and Galloway Shetland Islands Finland Iceland Sweden Technological Solutions Conclusion 16 Appendix 1. Trans-national Contact Centre Analysis Appendix 2. Trans-national Contact Centre Analysis Summary 2

3 1.0 Contact Centre Analysis A trans-national Contact Centre analysis was conducted as a part of the Work Package 3.3 of Rural Transport Solutions (RTS) programme. Current operation, the efficiency, good practice, strength and weakness of existing Contact Centres in RTS partner regions were summarised and analysed through a questionnaire completed by each region. These regions are North Karelia in Eastern Finland, Fjarðabyggð in East Iceland, Västernorreland in Sweden, Dumfries and Galloway in the south-west of Scotland and Shetland Islands in the most northern islands of Scotland. Picture 1: The areas involved in the RTS project In order to improve public transport services in rural areas, it is vital to establish the structure and procedure in which the services are operated and delivered to the public. Contact Centres are an essential part of providing efficient and effective services in rural areas, as much of the services are operated on demand responsive basis. By clearly identifying the existing infrastructure, it is possible to identify the needed improvements and to establish solutions. It is important to look at call centres in each region/country at local, regional and national level to learn from others and to determine whether such examples are practicable and can be used to enhance and deliver rural transport solutions in other regions. 3

4 2.0 Contact Centre Overview 2.1 Scotland Dumfries and Galloway Locally, Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) is booked through Ring n Ride Contact Centre in Dumfries and Galloway Council or Wigtownshire Community Transport Contact Centre depending on the area and service required. On the regional scale DG Direct Contact Centre is operated. Dumfries and Galloway Council (DGC) Contact Centre for Ring n Ride (demand responsive bus service) is operated within the facility of the DGC, with two to three fulltime employees taking calls between 09:00 to 16:00 on weekdays to book and schedule transport services. Wigtownshire Community Transport (WCT) WCT Contact Centre is operated by one fulltime employee, who takes booking orders from customers by telephone and schedules transport using computer software. The centre is operated from 07:30 to 18:00 on weekdays. There are no restrictions on who can use the WCT service and it provides a door-to-door service when and where required. WCT Contact Centre uses computer software, AKM, a booking and scheduling system, to reduce the administration time and cost of community transport trips. The system allows for regular and one off bookings to be scheduled and tracked easily. It also highlights which other journeys have been booked on the day to allow and make easier combining journeys. There is a mapping function incorporated into the system that calculates the best route for the trip to optimise fuel consumption and journey time. The system also plans pick up times for the route which can be printed or sent to Day Centres/Health Centres. Wheelchair requirements can be listed, as well as whether the booking is to provide transport for a health appointment. DG Direct Telephone and computer software system, Cisco UCCX Call Centre System, is used at the DG Direct Contact Centre. The Contact Centre is operated by over 15 fulltime employees between 08:00 to 18:00, with Out of Hour emergency call service at all other times. The Contact Centre does not currently include transport services. 4

5 2.1.2 Shetland Islands Locally, DRT Contact Centre is operated within the Shetland Islands Council. Calls from passengers are taken by one fulltime reception staff with backup from office staff when required between 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays with Out of Hour calls taken by an automated service which connects the caller with service operators. IP Phone system and online scheduling tool is used for booking and scheduling transport. 2.2 Finland North Karelia Locally, transport is booked by passengers directly calling designated taxi drivers or a telephone number set for a route, rather than a centralised Contact Centre. Disabled passengers can book special need transportation through calling the North Karelian Transport Combination Centre. Any enquiries, advice and information on booking transport can be accessed by calling Lieksa Call Centre. North Karelia Transport Combination Centre Picture 2: North Karelia Transport Combination Centre The North Karelia Transport Combination Centre is operated regionally based on calls from customers who require special transport including disabled access and assistance. The Contact Centre provides booking and scheduling service on DRT while planning transport routes based on passengers journey and needs. The Contact Centre is operated by the city of Joensuu (since 1 August 2009), and is responsible for effective and efficient transport services in accordance with the Social Welfare Act and the Act on Services and Assistance for the Disabled in its operating areas. Anyone who has been granted a transport subsidy in accordance with those Acts is entitled to use the transport service scheduled by the Contact Centre. 5

6 The Contact Centre is operated between 06:40 to 17:00 on weekdays with around eight fulltime employees. In the evenings and weekends the calls are directed to a taxi driver on duty. All services provide a door-to-door transport and the customers are able to book a personal assistant for the duration of the journey if required. Computer software, Mobirouter, allows the Contact Centre to plan routes and combine the journeys between passengers when and where possible. 2.3 Iceland Fjarðabyggð Fjarðabyggð Contact Centre is operated by a telephone service and can be used by passengers who are disabled or require work or school commute transport. The centre is operated by two to three fulltime employees and is open between 10:00 to 16:00 on weekdays. Centrex computer system is used to handle booking and scheduling tasks. 2.4 Sweden Västernorrland Ånge Contact Centre Picture 3: Ånge Contact Centre Ånge Contact Centres in Västernorrland co-ordinates all forms of hospital and para-transit transport, as well as school transport required in the area. The Contact Centre owned and operated by Din Tur co-ordinates all forms of special public transportations on behalf of the County Council and the municipalities. Before the Contact Centre was formed, each individual municipality and County Council organised and provided transportation themselves with none or limited communication and co-operation between them. By arranging transport through the Contact Centre which can synchronise and incorporate individual journeys, hospital and para-transit travellers are able to share vehicles that operate on the same route, saving substantial sum of money for the owners and the taxpayers every year. 6

7 The Contact Centre is operated 24hours 7days a week, with over 20 fulltime employees. Work stations with computers and telephones are used with the centre s own server to allow storage of information on site. It also uses a switchboard system that connects the caller with the right operator depending on the type of service required. By using computer software, SAM3001, the Contact Centre operators are able to book, schedule and arrange trips by identifying number of total and empty spaces in each vehicle. 3.0 Good Practices 3.1 Scotland Wigtownshire Community Transport (WCT) WCT Contact Centre uses a booking and scheduling system, AKM, to reduce the administration time and cost of community transport trips. The system allows for regular and one off bookings to be scheduled and tracked easily. It also highlights which other journeys have been booked on the day to allow and make easier combining journeys. There is a mapping function incorporated into the system that calculates the best route for the trip to optimise fuel consumption and journey time. The system also plans pick up times for the route which can be printed or sent to Day Centres/Health Centres. Wheelchair requirements can be listed, as well as whether the booking is to provide transport for a health appointment. For the first full month in which the software booking system was in operation (April 2010) 398 trips were booked and scheduled, providing 5572 passenger trips in total. The efficient and effective use of the Contact Centre and the booking software has kept the hire cost of trips the same for the last two years (as of September 2010), while the cost to users has only risen in relation to the increasing fuel costs Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) The SPT provides DRT services in the West of Scotland using state of the art vehicles and booking/scheduling software in a dedicated Contact Centre, Mobile Data Terminals, with GPS vehicle tracking system. The vehicles are booked and scheduled through the dedicated Contact Centre, using software specifically designed for the service. The service areas covered are early morning local bus service, home to school transport, education transport during class time, 7

8 social Work, and evening local bus services. A study in which the SPT were involved in looked at integrating the transport services in Glasgow. Over the two year period, the study found that 117 vehicles were on standby during the day and that 87 vehicles were used for the transportation of lunches. As a result the efficiency was noted as poor. The study also found that significant savings were achievable. With the SPT scheduling the work, 800,000 could be saved and with the inclusion of the coordination of standby vehicles, 2,500,000 could be saved. As an example of the SPT system at work, Additional Support Needs Transport to a school in Ayrshire used 2 buses from Glasgow and 1 bus from North Ayrshire, resulting in weekly dead mileage of 900 miles. SPT scheduled the work using only 2 vehicles and retained them in Ayrshire on DRT services, reducing operating costs for both SPT and the two local authorities. In another example, Glasgow City Council s Social Work transport was costing 500,000 in overtime payments alone. SPT scheduled the journeys to try and achieve savings. The total cost of the service is now 370,000 a saving of 26%. 3.2 Finland North Karelia Transport Combination Centre The objective of the North Karelian Transport Combination Centre is to provide personal door-to-door services for disabled passengers and to rationalise the use of public resources by combining transport services in order to attain a taxi utilisation rate that is as high as possible. Each journeys booked by individual passengers are combined as much as possible to maximise efficiency. The Contact Centre uses computer software, Mobirouter, to plan routes and combine the journeys between passengers when and where possible in order to maximise the efficiency of transportation, leading to significant savings in cost and mileage. From August 2009 to September 2010 the Contact Centre has taken bookings and supplied approximately 4,800 transport services a month. Slightly less than 60% of the trips organised by the Transport Combination Centre are made within the city of Joensuu (including former areas of Eno and Pyhäselkä). Study has shown that there are over 1,500 customers entitled to trips that can be booked through the North Karelia Transport Combination Centre. Of these customers, over 600 made at least one trip per month. 8

9 In order to assure the quality of service delivered to the customers, a system has been implemented where the maximum waiting time for a customer s call to be answered by the operator is 2 minutes, and only three callers can be put in a queue for the call to be answered at any onetime. This avoids the customer paying excessive phone charges while waiting for an operator to answer the calls. In addition, a personal assistance can be arranged to accompany the customer for free of charge over the duration of the journey if they require help due to disability. 3.3 Sweden Ånge Contact Centre Ånge Contact Centre is operated 24 hours 7days a week, increasing customer convenience in accessing the transport services. Through the regional Contact Centre, all forms of transportation are co-ordinated and integrated from the local to the national level. The booking and scheduling system, SAM3001, allows operators to book, schedule and arrange trips by identifying number of total and empty spaces in each vehicles. This allows the maximum utilisation of each vehicle, reducing the cost and mileage. For example, hospital and para-transit travellers who arrange transport through the Contact Centre are able to share vehicles that operate on the same route, saving substantial sum of money for the owners and the taxpayers. The computer system also collects and saves data on peak times of calls from customers, allowing sufficient work force to be implemented throughout the day to avoid over- or under-staffing. In order to assure the quality of service delivered to the customers, a system has been implemented where if a pickup of the customer by a special need transport is more than 20 minutes late, the full fare is reimbursed. In addition, if the latest estimated drop-off time is not met, double fare is reimbursed. 9

10 4.0 Strengths and Weaknesses 4.1 Dumfries and Galloway Good Practice Strength Weakness WCT WCT Booking and scheduling software, AKM All vehicles wheel chair accessible Only one fulltime employee No vehicle/fleet sharing between organisations DG Direct Service available to all Monitoring of all calls received Work force scheduled when required using historical data and planning software Out of Hour calls handled by automated service that connects the caller with the service operator Virtual call-centre possible using VOIP Close monitoring of call handling, average handling times, satisfaction surveys, complaints analysis, and regular liaison meetings with main users Regular staff meetings Discussion forums implemented on Sharepoint site for staff to raise issues Could be funded corporately in the future rather than service specific as at present Does not include transport services 10

11 D DGC Rind n Ride Any complaints are faxed to the operator for response within 7 working days Vehicle procured through EU procedure Contact Centre number advertised in public transport guides and regular advertising campaigns held 4.2 Shetland Islands Good Practice Strength Weakness Out of Hour calls handled by automated service that connects the caller with the service operator Online scheduling tool Quality assurance through customer feedback forms and Key Performance Indicators (KPI) used to monitor service use levels Internal log and communication through team meetings All complaints logged and dealt with on an individual basis Service available to all Only one fulltime employee Lack skills and resources to apply DRT on a wider scale No Real Time Information provision Lack integration between internal and external transport at national level No vehicle/fleet sharing between organisations Fares have risen on the basis of historical charges and are currently under review 11

12 Vehicle procured through EU procedure All vehicle comply with industry s accessibility standards Contact Centre number advertised on website, shops, tourist information, and external transport sites RTS Trans-National Contact Centre Analysis 4.2 Finland Good Practice Strength Weakness North Karelia Transport Combination Centre Route plan and combination software, Mobirouter No Contact Centre specifically for DRT services Mobisoft company works closely with transport combination centre (continuous update) Shared trips arranged as much as possible Out of Hour calls directed to taxi drivers on duty Some local taxis equipped with GPS to allow identification of location from Contact Centre Quality assurance through set maximum waiting time/queuing on incoming calls Vehicles wheel chair accessible Assistance available for special needs passengers The Lieksa Call Centre and North Karelia Transport Combination Centre service dispersed and unsynchronised Lack operation for cancellation of booked transport by customers when the Contact Centre is closed No vehicle/fleet sharing between organisations Geographical discrimination in arranging transport practiced in one municipality 12

13 Maximum waiting time limited to two minutes as only 3 callers can be in line at the same time to avoid excessive telephone charges Efficiency numbers located in OC software Transportation costs and centre costs followed monthly and reported quarterly DRT targeted for the elderly Positive discrimination on passengers based on income, disability, and other limitations Service available to all in some areas Complaints used to develop the system further Contact Centre number advertised in Municipal web pages, leaflets and direct marketing through staff Only approved customers informed about the service RTS Trans-National Contact Centre Analysis 4.4 Iceland Good Practice Strength Weakness DRT targeted for young school children and disabled people Only 2 to 3 fulltime employees 13

14 Road Administration authorised to terminate the contract or add to the service on the contractor s expense if expectations not met Lack provision of electric information and services to customers Complaints logged at municipalities service centre Special bus for disabled Contact Centre number advertised in phonebook, webpage and brochures 4.5 Sweden Good Practice Strength Weakness Contact Centre serving all forms of DRT services including hospital and para-transit transportation Staff get six month practical and theoretical training before fully operational Contact Centre operate 24hour 7days a week Regular user meetings with the creators/owners of SAM 3001(continuous update) External audit in contact centre, evaluated by its customers and compared with other Contact Centres in Sweden (ANBARO) Booking and scheduling software, SAM3001 Vehicle capacity and vacancy accessible through SAM3001 Work force scheduled when required using historical data and planning software Advanced switchboard system used to connect the caller with the right operator depending on the service required SAM3001 software old and will have to be replaced in due time 14

15 Through Din Tur all forms of transportation are coordinated and integrated on a local, regional and national level Quality assurance through fare reimbursement for delayed pickup and drop-off All forms of transport co-ordinated and integrated on a local, regional and national level Strict division of responsibilities in handling issues Efficiency assessed through statistics in comparison with earlier years regarding times to answer calls etc. Regular staff meetings Drivers managed by the sub-contractor taxi companies (continuous development) Contact Centre number advertised in hospitals, medical centres, commercial campaigns, web pages, government agencies and regional traffic company DRT targeted for physical and mental needs passengers 15

16 5.0 Technological Solutions In order to improve and advance Contact Centres in each region, new technological solutions may be considered and implemented. This will be carried out as part of Work Package Conclusion By analysing and comparing Contact Centres in each region/country, existing good practices, strengths and weaknesses have been highlighted. It is important to consider, appreciate and take forward the positive aspects of operation that have been identified in order to improve the transport services provided to customers in rural areas. It is clear that all RTS partners have similar problems/issues in the delivery of transport services in rural areas. However there is no one-size fits all solution to the provision of Contact Centre and the technology they use. Each region has differing forms of Contact Centre, from the very small (WCT/Dumfries and Galloway, Shetland Island, Iceland) to the highly professional Contact Centres (Finland, Sweden). The Contact Centres works in each region and are providing vital services to the customers. Contact Centres are necessary part of delivering DRT services and this review brings together and suggests good practices that anyone starting a DRT should consider without being prescriptive to size and/or software. 16