Tracking & Scheduling User Guide

Transcription

1 Tracking & Scheduling User Guide Version /28/13

2 2011 Command Alkon Incorporated. All rights reserved. Command Alkon Incorporated believes the statements contained herein are accurate as of the date of publication of this document. HOWEVER, COMMAND ALKON INCORPORATED HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY IMPLIED WARRANT OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. In no event will Command Alkon Incorporated be liable for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings, or other incidental or consequential damage arising out of the use of or inability to use any information provided through this publication, even if Command Alkon Incorporated has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim by any other party. Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply. This information is not intended to be an assertion of future action. The contents of this document are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Command Alkon Incorporated expressly reserves the right to change or withdraw current products that may or may not have the same characteristics listed in this publication. Should Command Alkon Incorporated modify its products in a way that may affect the information contained in this publication, Command Alkon Incorporated assumes no obligation whatever to inform any user of the modification. This publication may contain technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Command Alkon Incorporated assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this manual. This publication is intended only for the direct benefit of users of Command Alkon Incorporated products. This manual may not be used for any purposes other than those for which it is provided. Information disclosed herein was originated by and is the property of Command Alkon Incorporated, and, except for rights granted by written consent, such information shall not be disclosed, disseminated, or duplicated in whole or in part. Command Alkon Incorporated reserves all patent, proprietary, design, manufacturing, use, and reproduction rights. Command Alkon Incorporated 1800 International Park Drive, Suite 400 Birmingham, AL (205) Blazer Parkway Dublin, OH (614) COMMANDseries (and the names of its components, such as COMMANDconcrete and COMMANDnetwork), Spectrum, Eagle, and COMMANDbatch are registered trademarks of Command Alkon Incorporated. All rights reserved. Microsoft and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington.

3 Contents Welcome... 6 Tracking and Scheduling Operations... 8 Change Truck Status...9 Change Truck Information...9 Change Order Status...10 Display Trip Profile...11 Change Task...11 Driver Overtime...12 Change Conditions...13 Change Plant Info...13 Punch In/Out Truck...14 Punch In/Out Driver...15 Reset Trucks...15 Display Trucks...16 Display Loads...16 Tracking Tracking Screen Overview...18 Tracking Screen Layout...19 Drag and Drop Functionality...22 Operations Past Midnight...23 Order Line Double-Click Functionality...24 Right-click Functionality...25 Sort/Search Features...26 Keyboard and Mouse Functions...29 Themes...30 Screen Access...33 Miscellaneous Features...33 Scheduling Schedule Screen Layout...36 Order Modeling...39 Scheduling Screen Enhancements...41 Configuration Tracking and Scheduling Setup...46 EXP Configuration Admin Privileges...58 Themes Administration...58 XML Options...63 Journaling...68 Miscellaneous...73 Contents 3

4 Special Features Show Late Loads as Overdue...74 Truck Rostering Contents

5 Contents 5

6 Welcome Command Alkon products cover many phases of business, but at the same time, it never forgets that the lifeblood of the construction material industry runs through dispatch operations. Dispatchers must have a functional, reliable means of managing fleet operations. Command Alkon s Tracking & Scheduling system is designed to provide just that. At the heart of the system is Tracking, a flexible tool that enhances dispatchers ability to service customers without compromising the time-critical dispatch environment. The Windows XP user interface allows Tracking & Scheduling to provide the expanded flexibility without the complexity of many Windows solutions, resulting in a high performance dispatch solution. This manual has four major chapters: Tracking and Scheduling Operations Tracking Scheduling Configuration 6 Welcome

7 Welcome 7

8 Tracking and Scheduling Operations The Tracking and Scheduling Operations screen lets you change order, truck, and plant information as they relate to tracking and scheduling. It also lets you display truck and load information for the current day. The screen offers a viable alternative for customers who do not wish to purchase the graphic T&S module. Most users do not use the Tracking and Scheduling Operations screen directly; rather, they access it through the Tracking or Scheduling screens. Tracking & Scheduling Operations screen (DBATSOP) Topics in this section: Change Truck Status Change Truck Information Change Order Status Display Trip Profile Change Task Driver Overtime Change Conditions Change Plant Info Punch In/Out Truck Punch In/Out Driver Reset Trucks Display Trucks Display Loads 8 Tracking and Scheduling Operations

9 Change Truck Status Change Truck Status lets you change the status of a truck for the current day. Please note that you cannot change the status of a truck until it has been clocked in. Tracking and Scheduling Operations (DBATSOPA) To change a truck s status: 1. Enter the Truck Code and press <Tab>. The truck s current information displays. 2. Select a New Status for the truck. If nothing is selected, the system will move the truck to the next logical status. For example, if you enter the truck code, and the truck s current status is To Job, when you accept the screen it the truck will move to the next logical status; in this case, On Job. If you set a signaling-enabled aggregate truck s status to Unload, COMMANDseries sends a message indicating the truck s next assignment (if known). 3. The current time (the time the screen was initially displayed) will default in the New Status Time field. Edit the time if necessary. 4. Accept the screen to change the truck s status. If you punch the truck out, the driver is also punched out automatically (if the driver was not already punched out). Change Truck Information Change Truck Information lets you change certain information on a truck for the current day. To change truck information: 1. Enter the Truck Code of the truck you wish to edit. Tracking and Scheduling Operations 9

10 Tracking and Scheduling Operations (DBATSOPB) 2. The system will display the current order and ticket to which the truck is assigned, along with current status information. This information is provided for reference purposes; it cannot be changed on this screen. 3. To assign the truck to a different plant, enter the new Plant Code. 4. Enter a Flag. The flag displays on this screen as well as the graphic T&S screens. Flags can be used as reminders for dispatchers. For example, if a truck has been ticketed to a COD job, the dispatcher might put a $ flag on the truck as a reminder to get the payment from the driver upon return. 5. Select an appropriate Color for the truck entry. This will be the default color for the truck, absent a condition-triggered color change. 6. If the truck is bringing leftover material back, enter the amount in the Returned Material field. Three checkboxes control different aspects of mobile signaling. The values default from the truck file, but can be changed from this screen: 7. The Automatic Signaling checkbox indicates that the truck has some manner of auto-signaling unit. 8. The Enable GPS checkbox indicates the presence of a GPS tracking device. 9. The Enable Auto-Statusing checkbox will be active if Enable GPS is enabled. When checked, indicates that the truck can send automatic GPS-based status updates, and receive GPS trip packets. 10. Accept the screen. Change Order Status Change Order Status lets you change the status of an order for the current day. After the order date and order code are entered, the current order information displays. 10 Tracking and Scheduling Operations

11 Tracking and Scheduling Operations (DBATSOPC) You can changes three things from this tab: 1. Current Status changes the status of the entire order. If the order has multiple schedules, the status change will be applied to all the schedules. 2. Color will change the color of the order information line on the Tracking screen. Different colors can be assigned to orders to indicate priorities. 3. If the order has multiple schedules, change the status for each individual schedule by selecting a schedule from the drop-down list and then changing the Schedule Status. Display Trip Profile When a GPS-enabled truck is ticketed, COMMANDseries sends the truck a "trip packet," or profile, containing GPS coordinates for the plant as well as the destination. This screen lets you review a truck s current trip profile. Tracking and Scheduling Operations (DBATSOPJ) Change Task Tasks and Conditions provide for additional flexibility within the tracking system. If you have tasks and conditions implemented, you can use this screen to change tasks as needed. To change a truck/driver s current task: 1. Enter the appropriate Truck Code, and press <Tab>. The truck s current assignment will be retrieved. Tracking and Scheduling Operations 11

12 Change Tasks tab (DBATSOPK) 2. Select a task from the drop-down list. The available tasks will depend on the system configuration. 3. If the specified task allows the user to enter a projected task duration, the Estimated Minutes. The value will be used as a timer on the Tracking screen. 4. Accept the screen. Driver Overtime The Driver Overtime screen lets you review the number of hours a driver has worked, comparing that figure with the driver s assigned overtime table. The same information is also available on the Ticketing screen, and through the Driver Overtime report. If tasks and conditions are configured appropriately, the Tracking screen can indicate when a driver is close to or past the specified overtime threshold. Driver Overtime tab (DBATSOPL) This information is provided for review purposes only; no data can be changed on this tab. 12 Tracking and Scheduling Operations

13 For more information, consult the Managing Driver Overtime Section in either the COMMANDconcrete or COMMANDaggregate User Guides. Change Conditions The Change Conditions tab lets you review and change a given truck s current conditions. Change Condition-s tab (DBATSOPM) Conditions can be changed using the drop-down menus and the add occurrence buttons. In addition, this screen can also be useful in identifying potential conflicts. For example, the screen shot above shows a truck with two conditions, one for a pre-ticketed truck, and one for a break warning. Because the warning condition has the higher priority, it will be displayed on the Tracking screen instead of the pre-ticket condition. Therefore, a dispatcher seeing the warning might not realize that the truck is also pre-ticketed. By reviewing this screen, the dispatcher would know that the truck is pre-ticketed, and that a new truck needs to be assigned to that load. Change Plant Info Change Plant Info lets you change the fleet sizes, specified capacity and current capacity for a plant for a specified date. Specified Capacity is the capacity of the plant when it is in perfect operating condition. If for some reason the plant cannot operate at that capacity, enter the adjusted capacity in the Current Capacity field; the scheduling routine then attempts to adjust for the diminished plant capacity. If you have entered data on the Truck Capacity screen, that information will be shown in the lower part of the form. The fleet size will display on the Scheduling screen as a horizontal green line. Tracking and Scheduling Operations 13

14 Tracking and Scheduling Operations (DBATSOPD) The Scheduling screen uses the current capacity to calculate the Pre-Load Demand graph, and the fleet size to determining the Fleet Adjustment graph. To reset capacity back to the maximum, clear the Current Capacity field. Punch In/Out Truck Punch In/Out Truck lets you punch a specified truck in or out. After the truck code is entered, the system determines whether the truck is being punched in or out and displays the appropriate prompt for entering the time. This screen is basically a specialized version of the Change Truck Status screen. You can only punch in trucks that are out of service and punch out trucks that are in an In Yard status. To punch a truck in/out: 1. Enter the Truck Code of the truck you wish to punch in/out. Tracking and Scheduling Operations (DBATSOPE) 2. Edit the Driver Code, if necessary. The driver will be punched in/out along with the truck. 3. Punch-In Time will default to the current time, but can be edited. 14 Tracking and Scheduling Operations

15 4. Plant Code, Flag, and Color can all be changed on this screen. These changes are temporary and will be reset when the truck is punched out. 5. Select Automatic Signaling if the truck is equipped with automatic signaling. 6. Accept the screen to punch in/out the truck. If a newly punched-in truck s Next Order field contains an assignment, a message displays noting that this is a New Assignment. Punch In/Out Driver Punch In/Out Driver lets you punch a specified driver in or out. After the driver code is entered, the system determines whether the driver is being punched in or out and displays the appropriate prompt for entering the time. You can only punch in drivers that are out of service and punch out drivers that are in an In Yard status. Punch In/Out Truck (DBATSOPF) Reset Trucks Selecting Reset Trucks does exactly what it says: it resets all trucks (or a single truck) for the day, removing them from current assignments and placing them in an Out of Service status. Warning: Great care must be taken when using this function. Resetting trucks during the day will effectively cancel all current orders. All the order and ticket information will then have to be re-entered manually. To preserve truck dispatch records from the day prior, the Reset Trucks function does not clear the To Plant and Next Order Information fields of Aggregate trucks. Reset button message (DBATSOPG) Tracking and Scheduling Operations 15

16 To reset a truck/all trucks: 1. Enter a Truck Code if you wish to reset a single truck, or leave the field blank to reset all trucks. 2. Accept the screen. You will get a confirmation box warning you of the potential dangers of resetting the trucks during operating hours. Select Yes. Display Trucks Display Trucks displays the current status of trucks for the current day. You can display all trucks or only active trucks. Display Trucks (DBATSOPH) You can adjust the sort characteristics of the list by clicking on the various column headers. Display Loads Display Loads shows all loads delivered for the current day. Display Trucks (DBATSOPI) 16 Tracking and Scheduling Operations

17 Tracking and Scheduling Operations 17

18 Tracking COMMANDseries scheduling allows for entering scheduling parameters on the Orders screen, such as quantity per hour, minutes apart, etc. The T&S screens display this information in real time to provide dispatchers with up-to-the-minute information and easy access to dispatching functions. Scheduling is continually updated from ticketing, keeping the current day s schedules accurate. The truck tracking module of COMMANDseries monitors your company s truck fleet through every phase of the workday to maximize the use of the fleet, allow the dispatcher to react to changes in the job condition, and ensure that planned service levels are reached. Topics in this section: Tracking Screen Overview Tracking Screen Layout Drag and Drop Functionality Operations Past Midnight Order Line Double-Click Functionality Right-click Functionality Tracking Screen Overview The Tracking and Scheduling screens display information directly related to the scheduling, dispatching, and tracking of customer orders. The order taker uses the scheduling information to make sure that sufficient resources are available to meet a requested order. Dispatchers use this information to make decisions regarding truck and driver usage during the course of a day s deliveries. To Load Tracking & Scheduling: 1. In the COMMANDseries menu, select Dispatch > Tracking & Scheduling. 2. The program will load. The title bar will initially read Accessing Database... Please Wait as the system builds the display from order, schedule, and truck records. The initial screen layout is determined by the user s individual Tracking & Scheduling Configuration. The default screen used here will be Standard Concrete Tracking. 18 Tracking

19 Tracking Screen (Standard Concrete Tracking) Tracking Screen Layout The Tracking screen displays all critical information about a day s business. Tracking screen Tracking 19

20 Order Line Order lines appear at the top of the screen, sorted according to the screen configuration. If sorted by plant (a common configuration) the orders appear underneath their assigned plant. The yellow column header goes with the yellow order line. The fields on the Order line are as follows: Ord (Pkt) The Order Code and the Pocket Number. Customer/Address The Customer Name and the Delivery Address. Double-click the column header to rotate through Customer/Address, Customer, and Address. Start Start Time. Trv Travel Time, taken from the To Job time in the schedule. Spc Truck Spacing. Unl Unload time. Ordered Ordered Quantity for the order. Delv d Amount of material that has been ticketed against the order. Pl The Scheduled Plant for the order. The Order line can also indicate that an order has a special status. The white block on the left indicates that this order is a Will Call. The white block on the right indicates that this order is On Hold. Orders in Will Call or Hold status will display in the Order line section of the screen. However, specific loads will not display in the Orders to Load list. To ticket either type of order, simply drag a truck to the order line. The Ticketing screen will prompt you to update the order s status prior to ticketing. Order to Load Loads appear under Orders to Load as the load s ticketing time approaches. You can control how far in advance of the first load time an order will appear on the screen by adjusting the Truck Tracking Orders-to-Load Lead Time setting in Dispatch 20 Tracking

21 Configuration. This setting lets you have the screen display, for example, only orders that are to be delivered in the next two hours. Orders to Load on Tracking Screen By default, the Orders to Load section displays only the next load for each order. The reasoning is that since the timing of an order s subsequent loads are dependent on the ticket time of the first load, it does not make sense to display loads whose load times are likely to change. To toggle between using this mode and displaying all upcoming loads regardless of the order code, press A: Orders to Load displaying All orders Trucks In Yard/Out of Service The lower middle section of the screen displays Trucks In Yard and Trucks Out of Service. Double-click on the section header or press N to toggle back and forth between the two screens. Trucks in Yard / Out of Service Tracking 21

22 Trucks Returning Trucks in To Plant status display in two areas of the screen: The individual Order Line The Trucks Returning section Trucks Returning Having the token in both locations is fairly useful. The returning truck on the order line tells you that a specific truck has finished at a specific job site and is returning to the plant. The Trucks Returning section displays all returning trucks in one place, right next to the Trucks in Yard display, making it easier for the dispatcher to allocate trucks to upcoming loads. Drag and Drop Functionality The COMMANDseries Tracking and Scheduling screen lets dispatchers ticket trucks simply by using the mouse to drag and drop a truck to an order. To punch a truck in: 1. Display the Out of Service pane. 2. Select a truck, and drag it to the appropriate Plant Line. When you release the truck, it will be clocked in, and will appear as In Yard. You can use the same method to transfer a truck from one plant to another. To ticket an order using drag-and-drop: 1. Using the mouse, point to the desired truck token and click the left mouse button. 2. Holding down the button, drag the pointer to the order you wish to ticket. You may drag to the Order Line for the desired order, or drag to the load token in the Orders to Load section. 3. Release the left mouse button. The ticketing screen displays; the order, truck, and load information will default into the appropriate fields. Review the information for accuracy, making any necessary changes (driver, load size, etc.). 4. Accept the screen to generate the ticket. 5. When an order is ready to load, generate a ticket for the order, either by dragging the truck token to the load, or from the ticketing screen. 22 Tracking

23 Changing Truck Status If your fleet is equipped with Mobile Signaling units, truck statuses will be updated automatically, either when a driver presses a button on the signaling unit or when the GPS system detects that a truck s status has changed. Otherwise, dispatchers will need to update the status of each truck manually, based on radio communications from the drivers. To change a truck s status, simply click on the truck token and drag it to the new status. You may drag to the new status underneath the order line, or you may drop it on the appropriate status column header. Ticketing F.O.B. Orders The standard Tracking screens provide dispatchers with a means of monitoring truck statuses; the screens do not normally display F.O.B. orders. Press J on the keyboard to toggle the tracking screen between regular orders and F.O.B. orders. When a customer arrives to pick up an F.O.B. order, do the following: 1. From the main Tracking screen, press J on the keyboard. The screen shifts to F.O.B. mode. The lower displays and all of the delivery orders will disappear and be replaced with the current F.O.B. orders. 2. Right-click on the order to be ticketed, and select Ticket Order from the pop-up menu. 3. The standard Ticketing screen displays. 4. Ticket the load using a generic truck (the system should have a number of generic trucks in the system for such purposes). 5. Press J to return to standard orders. Operations Past Midnight If T&S encounters an order for tomorrow that has a load scheduled to be loaded today, when the order s lead time is reached, the order will internally move to today so the dispatcher can see that the order will be due soon (just as all today's orders normally display). This will display the order for tomorrow for most of the day as available for the scheduler, but will then switch the order over to today s screen so that the dispatcher can load the truck at the correct time. This date change is strictly internal for T&S; the order record in the CMDseries database is not changed. When the clock reaches midnight, the Tracking system must be restarted; the restart will reset the order so that it will continue to display when tomorrow is the current date. Scheduling displays are unaffected by orders that cross midnight; the demand always displays at the correct time on the scheduling graph. This is a compromise between the order taker's need to find the order if the customer calls to make changes, and the dispatcher s need to have an appropriate amount of warning time indicating that the truck should be loaded. Tracking 23

24 Example If you enter an order for tomorrow that will start shipping on the current day, the order will appear under tomorrow s date until the order lead time is reached. For example, an order for tomorrow is due On Job at 12:30 A.M. tomorrow, and the truck needs to be loaded at 11:20 P.M.today to satisfy the On Job time. There is an order lead time of two hours. The order will display on the T&S Order List for tomorrow until 9:20 P.M., which is the load time of 11:20 P.M. minutes the two hour order lead time. At 9:20 P.M., the order switches from tomorrow s Order List to today's Order List and displays on the Tracking screen. Order Line Double-Click Functionality The Tracking screen also includes double-click functionality to quickly access desired information from a specific order. To perform this function, place the cursor over the desired order line area and double-click the mouse button. The following table describes the double-click functionality of each order line area: Order Line column Order Number / Pocket Number Customer Name / Address Start Time (Start) Travel Time (Trv) Spacing (Spc) Unload (Unl) Ordered Quantity (Ordered) Plant (Pl) Function Retrieves the order and positions the cursor in the customer number (Shipping) field. Retrieves the order and positions the cursor in the Delivery Address field. Retrieves the appropriate schedule information and places it into the Order Line Schedule Information screen. Places the cursor in the Start Time field. Retrieves the appropriate schedule information and places it into the Order Line Schedule Information screen. Places the cursor in the Travel Time field. Retrieves the appropriate schedule information and places it into the Order Line Schedule Information screen. Places the cursor in the Truck Spacing field. Retrieves the appropriate schedule information and places it into the Order Line Schedule Information screen. Places the cursor in the Unload Time field. Retrieves the order and positions the cursor in the Order Quantity field. Retrieves the appropriate schedule information and places it into the Order Line Schedule Information screen. Places the cursor in the Plant Code field. 24 Tracking

25 Right-click Functionality Users can also access various scheduling, ticketing, and tracking routines by right-clicking various objects on the Tracking screen. Right-click on an object to bring up a contextspecific menu: Object Menu Option(s) Description Plant Line Change Plant Info Calls the Change Plant Information screen in Tracking & Scheduling Operations. Order Line/ Orders to Load Token Change Order Status Calls the Change Order Status screen in Tracking & Scheduling Operations. Change Order Info Order/Trucks Location Ticket Order Change RTT info Loads the order into the Orders editor. Loads the order into the Ticketing screen. Loads order into the Orders editor, then calls the Schedule screen and the Round Trip Trucks screen. Show Loads Calls the Load Schedule screen, which displays all loads for the order, including projected/actual status times. Truck Token Call Truck Calls the Signaling Operations screen. If the truck s signaling unit can receive text messages, a message box will display. Change Truck Status Calls the Change Truck Status screen in Tracking & Scheduling Operations. Change Truck Info Change Tasks Ticket Truck/Change Ticket Info Calls the Change Truck Info screen in Tracking & Scheduling Operations. Calls the Change Tasks screen in Tracking & Scheduling Operations. Calls the Ticketing screen. If the truck is unticketed, the truck will be entered in the truck code field and the user can enter the additional information before ticketing. If the truck is currently ticketed, that ticket will be loaded into the Ticketing screen. Tracking 25

26 Sort/Search Features Tracking has a number of search features that will simplify many dispatcher problems. Find Truck There are many situations in which the dispatcher needs to find a truck. When the users presses T on the keyboard, a search box will display. Press T to find a truck When you press OK, the system will locate the truck on the tracking screen, and will scroll the order display so that the truck s current order is at the top. Once the orders have been scrolled, the search is over: at this point, all standard Tracking screen functions are available. The truck can be called, the order or ticket retrieved, etc. Once the situation with the truck has been resolved, the dispatcher can restore the display by scrolling down with the arrow keys. Find Order In addition to searching for trucks, you can also search for orders. Sometimes a customer will call wanting information about an order, but will be unable to provide an order code. Before, dispatchers had to leave the Tracking screen to perform a customer search from Order Entry. Now, they will have a flexible tool that they can use from the Tracking screen. Pressing O (the letter, not the number zero) calls the Find Order screen. Press O to find an order When you press OK, the system will search both the Customer Name and Delivery Address fields for the specified search string. The order display will scroll to place the first matching order at the top. Press F3 to find the next occurrence of the search string. If no matches are found, the system will display No More Matches for on the message line. 26 Tracking

27 One-click Order Search The standard order search is useful if you have the customer or address handy. But in some cases, the problem is a little more basic. Suppose you re looking at the Orders to Load column and spot an order that is late. If it is very late, you might want contact the customer to let him know about the problem. To do that, you may need to retrieve the order and look for a contact number. But to do that, you must first find the order in a very crowded order display. One-click Order Search Simply click on the order in the Orders to Load column: Tracking will automatically perform an order search and scroll the selected order to the top of the screen, so you can quickly retrieve the order. One-click Order Search can also make it easier for you to determine what order will get the next load. If four orders are scheduled to be loaded now, but there are only three trucks available, you can quickly review those four orders, determining if all of those orders are indeed on schedule, if an order is behind schedule, or if there are already trucks on site waiting to pour. The result is more efficient use of your available manpower and equipment. One-click Order Search also works for the Trucks Returning column. Select a truck in the Trucks Returning column, and that order scrolls to the top of the screen. From here you can select a date; the screen will go directly to that date. If you need to return to the current date, you can either select the current date on the calendar or click at the bottom of the calendar, where it reads: Today: MM/DD/YYYY. The calendar can only take you to dates within standard dispatch parameters; that is, from (current date - Days Back to Allow Dispatch value) through (current date + 25). Nothing will happen if you click on a date outside the acceptable range. Sorting Options Tracking provides many sorting options and users quickly change sorting options from the Tracking screen itself. This sorting ability, combined with other Tracking screen functionality, gives dispatchers and order takers much more flexibility. Let s say that a customer calls wanting to update some information on a given order. Before, unless the customer could provide an order code, the Customer Service Representative (CSR) was forced to perform a search from the Orders screen to find the order in question. Now, the CSR has options directly on the Tracking screen. Not only can a CSR quickly find the order, but the CSR can take the opportunity to review any other order that customer might have that day. Sorting options are now available on the menu of the Tracking screen, and can be changed whenever necessary. Tracking 27

28 Sort menu Sort options can also be changed from the Sort Options screen, which can be called by pressing the S key. Press S to display the Sort Options screen There are three sort options that begin with Plant. If any of these sort options are selected, the Plant lines will display on the Tracking screen. They will not display for the other sorting options. The orders are now sorted, but if we are only interested in the orders, we don t need to see the trucks. Pressing U will toggle between standard Tracking and Order-only display. Order-only display 28 Tracking

29 There aren t that many orders on the above screen. One reason for that is that many customers set the Orders to Load Lead Time value on the Configuration > Dispatch screen to only show orders that will be loaded in the next 120 minutes. If the customer has orders later than that range, they will not appear. Press Y to toggle between displaying the restricted set of orders and displaying all orders for the current date. That way, you can be sure of seeing everything the customer has on the schedule for the entire day. Only orders that have been completed will not appear. If your system has a long lead time, this step may not be required. Pressing Y displays all current day orders From here, the CSR can bring up each of the customer s order, confirming or modifying order and schedule information as needed. Best of all, once the CSR has finished with the customer, only two keystrokes (Y, U) and two mouse clicks (Sort, Plant > Order Code) will restore the Tracking screen back in its initial configuration, ready for the next customer. Keyboard and Mouse Functions Tracking has the following mouse and keyboard functionality. Mouse Resize the screen to expand the display. Middle wheel scrolls main screen. Drag left/right the column divider between customer name and address. Drag left/right the banner divider between orders to load and in yard. Drag left/right the banner divider between in yard and returning. Drag up/down the orders to load banner. Tracking 29

30 Keyboard Home End Themes Restore a view of orders starting at the first order on screen; restart order search. Go to the last order in the current view. + Go ahead 1 day in all configurations in the date group. - Go back 1 day in all configurations in the date group. A B C E F G I J N O / Ctrl+F P / F3 Q S T U V X Y Toggle show all loads in the orders to load window. Toggle the unloading column display mode in aggregate tracking. Toggle 3-way to display customer name/address, customer-name, or address in the main window. Activate the calendar dialog box to choose a new date for all configurations in the date group. Modify the playback speed when replaying a set of journal files. Toggle 'Gantt chart' mode on truck tracking when using optimization Toggle hide non-loading trucks (for aggregate sites where signaling and statuses are not used). Switch to FOB screen. Toggle between in yard and out of service displays. Find Order. Find next matching order. Used after O, Control+F, or Home. Toggle home plant display in horizontal tracking. Change Sort Order. Find Truck. Toggle hide all trucks (equivalent display to order monitoring). Choose Theme. Toggle the plant line display options. Toggle display of all orders (past, present, and future for today). T&S offers several different themes for users: 30 Tracking

31 Traditional Tracking screen Tracking Screen using Full Graphic theme Please note that the location and appearance of the Date/Time box differs in the two screen shots. Despite the difference, the functionality of the box remains the same: Single-click to bring up the Calendar. Double-click to retrieve the configuration screen for the current screen. Tracking 31

32 The basic appearance of the screen can be adjusted through the use of themes. Users can change themes by using the menu (Options > Themes), or by pressing the V key to call the Theme Options screen. Theme Options As soon as a theme is selected in the drop-down box, the screen will adjust, making it easier to select a theme. Three default themes are provided: Standard (resembles the old Tracking & Scheduling screen) Graphic Full Graphic Themes only change the appearance of the screen; functionality is not affected. However, users should note that in the Standard theme, messages, date, and time are displayed at the top of the screen (as they are in the old Tracking & Scheduling screen); in other themes, the same information is provided in a status bar at the bottom of the screen. This placement should be noted because certain functions (configuration and the calendar) are accessed by clicking or double-clicking on the date. These default themes may not be altered, but additional themes may be provided by the local admin. 32 Tracking

33 Screen Access Users can still shift from different screens using the keyboard. However, users can also shift screens from the Window menu: The menu options include the keyboard number to access the screen, facilitating the training of new users. In earlier versions of Tracking & Scheduling, users could assign letters as switch keys: T, T1, or S3, for example. This initially caused a problem with Tracking because the letters O, T, and S were pre-assigned to specific search commands. If a system had switch keys that conflicted, the T&S search took precedent. Now, the switch key functionality has precedence. If a user has a switch key of T2, then when the user presses T from Tracking, the system will wait for the rest of the switch key instead of invoking the Truck Search function. We recommend placing numbers before letters in switch key assignments: using 2T instead of T2, for example. This preserves the ability to call the Truck Search function with the keystroke T. If T2 is set as a switch key, then users will have to press TT to call Truck Search. Miscellaneous Features Just because we like you. Dynamic Sizing In the standard Tracking screen, the program window could be, but the screen elements didn t adjust to account for the changed dimensions. Tracking automatically resizes the width of the status columns, allowing use of the full width of the monitor. Note: The width of the status columns cannot be manually adjusted. Tracking 33

34 In addition, there is limited ability to manually resize certain screen elements, using standard Windows resizing functionality. Columns can be resized by using the doublearrow to drag them apart or together. Resizing columns The Trucks In Yard/Out of Service and Trucks Returning columns can be resized, as can the Customer and Address columns (when both are displayed; you can still toggle between the two columns as well). In standard tracking, the number of lines used to display orders could only be adjusted through the Tracking and Scheduling Setup screens. In Tracking, the number of order lines can be adjusted from the tracking screen itself: Resizing Order Space At the beginning of the day, there may be lot of orders, and need as much screen space as possible devoted to the order list. Instead of opening the Tracking & Scheduling Configuration screen and adjusting the available space, just resize using click and drag functionality. And when there aren t that many orders on the screen, the space for orders can be decreased, in the process increasing the space for Trucks in Yard. The handle for resizing the order space is only available on the Orders to Load column; the resizing arrow will not appear on the Trucks in Yard or Trucks Returning Columns. When Tracking closes, it remembers the various sizes and placements for use when the program is restarted. Home/End Key Functionality Sometimes, despite our best efforts, there are a lot of orders on the Tracking screen: so many, in fact, that scrolling from the top of the list to the bottom of the list can become tedious. Users can now use the <Home> and <End> keys to quickly jump to the beginning or end of the order list. Graphic Date Selection Previously, to change the date on the Tracking & Scheduling screen, you had to use the + and keys. Those keys still function, but you have an additional option. You can single-click on the date to bring up a graphic calendar. Double-clicking on the date will still call the Tracking & Scheduling Configuration screen. 34 Tracking

35 Making date selection easier Tracking 35

36 Scheduling While the Tracking screen lets you manage the day s deliveries, the Scheduling screen shows you the big picture, so you can: More efficiently manage your fleet. Gauge the impact of new orders in the midst of an already hectic schedule. Identify scheduling problems before they get out of hand, or, if they do get out of hand, regain control of the situation as efficiently as possible. The system supports multiple scheduling screens, or even multiple scheduling graphs on a single screen. Either option provides the ability to easily monitor individual plants. Accessing the Scheduling Screen The method of accessing the Scheduling screen is dependent on user configuration. The T&S system provides for up to 99 different screen configurations. The default configuration assigns the number 2 to the Full Scheduling screen. Pressing the number 2 on the keyboard will switch you to that screen. To switch back to Full Concrete Tracking, press 1. If the menu is enabled (see Themes for additional information), you can access any of your configured screens using the Windows menu (see Configuration for additional information). Schedule Screen Layout The Scheduling screen is a graph representing your fleet demand. Additional information is also included, based on the screen configuration. 36 Scheduling

37 Full Scheduling screen Screen Header The screen header provides reference information needed to interpret the scheduling graph. Screen header (02) - Designates the screen number within Tracking & Scheduling. Date\Day The date\day being displayed. The date can be changed using the plus (+) and minus (-) keys, or you can double-click the date at the bottom of the screen to display a graphical calendar. Plant\Name The plant being displayed. Trk Indicates the scale of the vertical (truck) graph axis. A value of 1 indicates that a single hash mark on the axis represents a single truck. Hr Indicates the scale of the horizontal (hours) graph axis. In this case, a value of 10 indicates that a single hash mark represents ten minutes. Note:Both scale settings can be adjusted from the Tracking & Scheduling Setup screen, discussed later. Fleet Indicates the size of the fleet(s). If only one plant is displayed on the screen, the two numbers will always be the same. If multiple plants are displayed, there will be multiple Plant Loading lines at the bottom of the screen. The Fleet value in the header shows the fleet size of the first plant in the display list, and then the total number of trucks for all displayed plants. Ordered/Delivered The top number represents the total Order Quantities for all orders for the displayed plant(s). The lower number is the total ticketed quantity. If Scheduling 37

38 both US Customary and metric orders are scheduled, quantities will be converted to the system s default Unit of Measure (UOM). Scheduling Graph The scheduling graph displays truck demand for the day. The graph has additional elements to assist the busy dispatcher. Scheduling Screen graph Pre-load adjustment You can have all the trucks in the world, but your plant can only batch so much concrete in an hour. If the current schedule has times when the material demand exceeds the plant capacity, the pre-load adjustment graph indicates times when loads will have to be ticketed early in order to meet the schedule. Pre-load adjustments like the one shown above might not be a problem; ticketing a load ten minutes early is not likely to have an impact on the delivered material. But if the preload adjustment has you ticketing loads over 30 minutes early, you might consider adjusting the schedule. Fleet Size The green line indicates the fleet size for the displayed plant(s). The label on the left indicates what plant(s) are being graphed. Double-click the label to call the Change Plant Info screen in Tracking and Scheduling Operations, making it easy to adjust fleet sizes. Fleet Adjustment If truck demand exceeds truck availability, the schedule will be delayed. The Fleet Adjustment graph only displays if flagged in the Configuration and the Fleet Adjustment Graph (truck demand) exceeds your fleet size, indicating how long it will take to recover. Ticketed Loads Diamonds in the main graph indicate loads that have already been ticketed. Plant Loading The main part of the screen provides a graphical representation of truck demand. This chart provides text information on plant demand. 38 Scheduling

39 Plant Loading Information Note: If the screen displays multiple plants, multiple rows will be displayed. The green line displays the number of loads scheduled to be batched during that hour. The white line indicates the quantity scheduled to be batched during that hour. At the far left of the white line is displayed totals for both loads and quantities. If both US Customary and metric orders are scheduled, quantities will be converted to the system s default UOM. Order Modeling When a customer wants to place an order in the midst of an already hectic schedule, its good to confirm your ability to service the customer. Before an order is accepted, it can be modeled to view how it will fit in the current schedule. This option aids in schedule planning and lets the scheduler cross-check order information with truck availability. Note: The Scheduling screen must be open before the modeling operation begins. To model an order: Let s say that tomorrow s schedule looks like this: You have a customer on the phone, wanting 100 yards of concrete tomorrow, starting at 1:30 P.M. 1. With the customer on the phone, set up the order, including all of the information on the Order Line Scheduling Information screen. Do not save the schedule yet. 2. Select Model from the Options pull-down menu located on the application toolbar. 3. A dialog box will display. If you already have a scheduling screen active, the internal tracking number for that screen will default. If you do not have an active scheduling Scheduling 39

40 screen, the field will default to the first scheduling screen in your configuration list. Accept the screen. Scheduling Screen (EDTORDRD) 4. The selected scheduling screen will become active, and the modeled order will display. Modeled Order Looking at the model, you see that you don t have the available trucks to deliver the order at that time. 5. Go back to the Schedule Information screen. Talk to the customer and see if they can take the order later (things open up starting at 4:30 P.M., for example), or if the truck spacing can be extended. As soon as you change any of the values on the screen, you can shift back to the modeled screen to see how that change impacts the model. 40 Scheduling

41 Remodeled order In the above screen, the order has been pushed back to 2:30 P.M., and the truck spacing has been increased from 25 to 30 minutes. 6. If this schedule is acceptable to the customer, accept the order. If not, continue to work until you can accommodate the customer s needs. Scheduling Screen Enhancements The Scheduling Screen is useful in showing and resolving scheduling problems. Here s a scheduling issue. Scheduling 41

42 Order List The above graphic shows that the fleet is overbooked, and there will be a period starting at 2 P.M. when you ll be catching up the overbooked orders. To identify the orders being ticketed around that time, double-click the time line. The Order List screen will appear in a separate window. Order Screen The Order List displays all orders that are scheduled to be active at the specified time, providing all the information available from the Tracking screen. To broaden the scope of the display, enter a time range in the supplied fields. Ticketed loads will not display unless the appropriate checkbox is selected. The Order List automatically calls the Order Modeling function. As you select each order in the Order List, the Scheduling screen automatically shows the model of that order on the Scheduling screen. Order List + Modeling 42 Scheduling

43 As soon as you click on a different order, the model is updated. This feature lets you identify problematic orders, and gives you the information needed to make a decision about which order to try and move, possibly because the order is the smallest order, or perhaps because the other orders are for more important customers. Once you ve identified the order you want to move, you can double-click on the order to load it into the Orders screen. Show Loads Select the Show Loads button to display the Load Schedule screen for the selected order. The screen provides approximate ticket times for an order s loads, based on the order s schedule. Load Schedule screen (including ticketed loads) Dispatchers can use this information to delay or speed up delivery in certain situations, such as when managing cleanup loads. As with various Time Analysis reports, the value in parentheses before the Printed status represents the time between tickets. Accordingly, there will never be a value in front of the first ticket. If the Load Schedule screen shows ticketed loads, be advised that while the screen shows the actual Printed time for tickets, all other times are calculated from the schedule, using the printed time as the starting point. These calculated ticket times will reflect manually-edited load schedules, or schedule variances dictated by use of map page travel times and travel time periods. A future release will include actual ticket times for printed tickets. Truck Capacity Graph Once the Truck Capacity screen and Change Plant Info tabs have been updated, you can view your plant s fleet capacity on the Tracking and Scheduling screen. Records from the Truck Capacity screen table (TCAP) will be used to dynamically calculate the plant s capacity throughout the day. A red line represents truck availability. You can view variations for each plant and each truck type, depending on what you have entered on the Truck Capacity screen and Change Plant Info tab. In the example below, the dips in the red line represent periods in which various trucks are unavailable for certain periods of time. Scheduling 43

44 The red line indicates variable truck capacity The graph displays information entered in the COMMANDseries Truck Capacity editor (Files > Plant & Delivery Information > Truck Capacity). The information can be reviewed from the Tracking & Scheduling Operations-Change Plant Info tab. Change Plant Info The Truck Capacity button allws you to enter updated capacity information. The dynamic graph is enabled in EXP Tracking by adding the following tags to the cmdtracexe_config.xml file: 44 Scheduling

45 <!--Dynamic Fleet Line in Scheduling --> <read_tcap>true</read_tcap> <read_trkv>true</read_trkv> Scheduling 45

46 Configuration Tracking & Scheduling is a complex system, and as such it has a sophisticated configuration system. Configuration options fall into two categories: Tracking and Scheduling Setup lets you configure specific screens and screen layouts. Configuration options are set either from within the T&S program, or from an XML configuration file. A special version of the Tracking exists just for systems running Optimization. However, not all users will want/need to use the Optimized Tracking screen. Tracking and Scheduling Setup The T&S screens can be configured to match the specific needs of a user or group of users. Using the Tracking and Scheduling Setup screen, users with appropriate privileges can configure T&S screens. There are three parts to configuring a given screen: Selecting basic layout and switch key(s) Configuring the Tracking screen (if needed) Configuring the Scheduling screen(s) (if present. To define the T&S screens, go to the Tracking and Scheduling Setup screen {Dispatch > Tracking & Scheduling Setup}. Tracking and Scheduling Setup (EDTTSHD) 46 Configuration

47 Selecting Basic Layout & Switch Keys To select the basic layout and switch keys: 1. Enter the name of an individual User or the name of a Group of users in the User field, or detail to select an existing user. To set the configuration for all users, enter # in the field. User lookup When T&S loads, it uses this list to load the proper screen configurations for the current user/group. In the above graphic, there are eleven screen configurations assigned to the generic user #. Candace, on the other hand, only has five. If Candace starts T&S, she will have access to only those five screens. If a user with no assigned screens starts T&S, the user will have access to the screens assigned to #. It is generally easier to manage T&S at the group level rather than the user level. When a user/group is selected, all of the current configurations for that user will be loaded. If the user/group has no existing screen configurations, the main part of the form will remain blank. Configuration 47

48 Populated T&S Setup screen (EDTTSHD) Three read-only reference fields are displayed in the lower left of the display: Scheduling Grids shows the number of scheduling grids included in the current screen. The Tracking checkbox indicate which functionality sets are active within the screen. The Rostering checkbox indicates which functionality sets are active within the screen. In addition, corresponding Tracking and Scheduling buttons display on the right of the screen. These buttons are used to configure components of each screen. Scroll through the existing screens using the scroll bar, or press Add Occurrence to add a configuration. 2. Enter an identifying character for the current Configuration if this is the initial setup for the user. Normally, screens are simply numbered sequentially. 3. From the Standard Setup field s drop-down menu, select one of the tracking and scheduling configuration options. By setting up several configurations, you can effectively use several different screens. The Standard Setup field selects a basic layout for the screen, determining which components (Tracking and/or Scheduling) it will contain. Available layouts are: Full Display Tracking - Standard Tracking screen layout. Full Display Scheduling Scheduling graph with no additional information. 2 Grid Scheduling Display two scheduling grids on one screen. 4 Grid Scheduling Display four scheduling grids on one screen. Tracking and Scheduling Display both Tracking and Scheduling screens at once. 6 Grid Scheduling Display six scheduling grids on one screen. 2 Grid Tracking and Scheduling Two independent Tracking and Scheduling screens. This option is best used with a widescreen monitor. Scheduling Day at a Glance The Scheduling screen, compressed to display the graph for the entire day. Full Report Scheduling Standard Scheduling screen plus the plant loading line. 48 Configuration

49 4. Select a numeric key(s) to use as a Switch Key. Pressing this key while using T&S changes the display to the configuration defined for that key. Multi-key switch keys are entered using the individual switch key fields. If 1 and 2 are entered, respectively, in the first two fields, pressing 1+2 will take you to that screen. If you have a switch key of 1 for a screen, for example, and 12 for another screen, to switch to screen 1, press 1+<Enter>. If a user has a switch key of T2, when the user presses T from EXP Tracking, the system will wait for the rest of the switch key instead of invoking the Truck Search function (which it did in previous versions of T&S). We recommend placing numbers before letters in switch key assignments: using 2T instead of T2, for example. This preserves the ability to call the Truck Search function with the keystroke T. If T2 is set as a switch key, then users will have to press TT to call Truck Search. 5. The Tracking button, Scheduling button, or both buttons will activate, depending on the specified configuration. Information in the Tracking Setup screen and the Scheduling Setup screen defaults from information entered while setting up the system. If you need to alter any fields for the current configuration, do so in these screens. Configuring the Tracking Screen There are many options within both Tracking and Scheduling screens. It is important to experiment with and find the configurations that work best for your company. Screen Options There are several basic types of Tracking screens, selectable through the Display Type field. Standard Concrete Tracking Standard concrete tracking displays. FOB Concrete Tracking Similar to the above, but displays only FOB orders. Users can switch between standard and FOB displays by pressing the J key. Concrete Plant Loading Display Displays only concrete plants and the orders associated with them. Concrete Order Product Display Similar to the standard screen, but with an additional order line column displaying the product code. The Pocket field is not displayed. The next two screens are actualy two halves of a single, horizontal Tracking screen. If used, they should be configured with adjacent switch keys to let dispatchers easily move back and forth. Concrete Horizontal Tracking Left The left side of the screen focuses primarily on ticketing. This view provides a graphic depiction of upcoming loads, making it easier to identify loading bottlenecks before they happen. Configuration 49

50 Concrete Horizontal Tracking Left Concrete Horizontal Tracking Right The right portion of the horizontal displays the delivery cycle. Individual orders are in the center of the screen, and represent, in effect, the job site. The two statuses to the left, To Job and On Job, represent the truck getting to the site and preparing to pour. To the right of the orders are the Pouring and Wash statuses. Once a truck has finished washing, drag the truck to the Plant line to place the truck in To Plant status. The truck will disappear from the screen, and will display on the right Tracking screen. Concrete Horizontal Tracking Right FOB Concrete Horizontal Tracking Left/Right These two screens share the same functionality as the Concrete Horizontal Tracking screens, but only track FOB orders. Users can also also switch between standard and FOB displays by pressing the J key. Standard Aggregate Tracking As the name says, the Standard Aggregate Tracking screen displays. Functionality is identical to the Standard Concrete Tracking screen. The one key difference is that there are fewer statuses. Loading an aggregate truck dispatches it to the quarry to get material; once loaded, it returns to the scale for weighing and ticketing. 50 Configuration

51 Standard Aggregate Display FOB Aggregate Tracking Similar to the above, but displays only FOB orders. Users can also switch between standard and FOB displays by pressing the J key. Aggregate Plant Loading Display Displays only aggregate plants and the orders associated with them. Tracking Screen Options To configure tracking options: 1. After setting the fields on the Tracking and Scheduling Setup screen, select the Tracking button to go to the Tracking Setup screen {Dispatch > Tracking & Scheduling Setup > Tracking}. Tracking Setup (EDTTSHD1) 2. From the Display Type field s drop-down menu, select the type of information to be displayed on the tracking screen. 3. Select an Order Sort Method from the field s drop-down menu to specify how orders in the upper display area are solved. Configuration 51

52 If the Group Orders by Plant checkbox is selected, the orders are sorted by plant code first, then by the selected order sort method. 4. From the Plant Summary Lines field s drop-down menu, select when plant summary lines should be displayed separating the orders by plant code. If the Group Orders by Plant checkbox is not selected, no plant summary lines will display. 5. From the Lower Middle and Lower Right Display fields drop-down menus, specify the initial display for those areas of the Tracking and Scheduling screens. 6. Select the Customer Address information that will be displayed for each order line from the field s drop-down menu. 7. Define the physical parameters of the Tracking and Scheduling screens in the Starting Row, Starting Column, Number of Order Rows, and Number of Rows fields. 8. The Minutes Back to Show Detail field specifies how long mobile signaling messages will be available. Note: This option only applies to users of COMMANDfleet. 9. Mark the Group Order by Plant checkbox to separate orders by shipping plant. 10. Mark the Hide Lower Displays checkbox to remove the Orders to Load, In Yard/ Out of Service, and Trucks Returning columns from the display. This option can be useful in environments where a user needs to see orders and trucks, but will not be ticketing trucks. 11. If the Display Load Assignments checkbox is selected, ticketed loads (load assignments) are displayed (default). If the box is unchecked, ticketed/dispatched loads will not be displayed. 12. Mark the Combine Orders To Load and Trucks In Yard Displays if necessary. 13. If the Display Load Timer in Pocket checkbox is selected, the timer for the next load will display in the Pocket field on the Order Line. 14. Select the Plants button to go to the Plant Setup screen. Plant Setup (EDTTSHDA) 52 Configuration

53 The Plant Setup screen lets you select which plants are to be displayed on the tracking windows associated with the Standard Setup field chosen on the Tracking and Scheduling Setup screen. 15. Select Yes to display the plant. Otherwise, select No. These buttons specify whether or not a plant is to be included on the Tracking window. 16. Accept the Plant Setup screen to save the new plant tracking display information. 17. From the Tracking Setup screen, select Product Lines to go to the Product Line Setup screen. Product Line Setup (EDTTSHDC) The Product Line Setup screen lets you select which products are to be displayed on the Tracking windows associated with the Standard Setup field chosen on the Tracking and Scheduling Setup screen. 18. Mark each product line as Yes or No to specify whether or not that product will be included on the tracking window. 19. Accept the Product Line Setup screen to save the new product line tracking display information. 20. Accept the Tracking Setup screen to save the tracking information. 21. Add a second configuration, if necessary, by clicking the Add or Insert Occurrence button and then repeating this procedure and the prior procedure, starting on page 47. Configuring the Scheduling Screen To configure scheduling options: 1. After setting the fields on the Tracking and Scheduling Setup screen, select the Scheduling button to go the Scheduling Setup screen {Dispatch > Tracking & Scheduling Setup > Scheduling}. Note: If you don t see both the Scheduling button, click down arrow at the bottom of the window s scroll bar. Configuration 53

54 Scheduling Setup (EDTTSHD2) 2. Select the type of information that will be displayed in the graphs from the Display Type field s pull-down menu. Options include: Trucks Displays the number of trucks required vs. truck capacity. This data is presented for both the current plant (foreground) and all plants as a group (background). The vertical (Y) axis represents the number of trucks required while the horizontal (X) axis represents time, graduated into configurable increments. Two additional horizontal lines represent the number of trucks available at the current plant and at all plants. Loads Displays the number of loads required during each time interval. The vertical (Y) axis represents the number of loads scheduled while the horizontal (X) axis represents time, graduated into configurable increments. These time increments are typically configured to be the same length of time it takes to load a truck. Therefore, if an interval showed three trucks stacked to load during that time, the two following intervals have to remain empty to properly compensate the schedule. Quantity per Hour Displays planned production vs. plant production capacity. The data coming into the graph represents required production (i.e., demand) information based upon scheduled order information. The graphic shows meters or yards scheduled for a given time interval. The vertical (Y) axis represents production in terms of cubic meters batched per hour while the horizontal (X) axis represents time, graduated into configurable increments. Horizontal lines represent the maximum plant capacity for the plant and can be adjusted manually. 3. In the Title field, enter the title that will be displayed at the top of the grid portion of the scheduling window. 4. Specify the physical parameters of the scheduling window in the Starting Row, Width, Starting Column, and Height fields. 5. Enter a Start Hour to specify the initial starting hour for the scheduling graph. This ensures that the scheduling graph always starts at the same time every day. 6. Enter a Starting Truck Count to specify the initial truck count for the first row of the scheduling graph. For larger plants, this option prevents a lot of wasted space on the graph by letting you focus on truck demand as is approaches the fleet size. The 54 Configuration

55 disadvantage to this feature is that no trucks will display until the demand reaches this level, which can result in misleading graphs. 7. Enter the Minutes Per Column and Minutes Per Line to specify how many minutes each column/line represents on the scheduling graph. Selecting 10 minutes per column lets you display 12 hours of information on a single graph. 8. Enter the Trucks Per Row (generally 1) and Trucks Per Line (generally 5). These fields specify how many trucks will be displayed per line. A line at each truck results in a cluttered graph. 9. Enter a Display Line (2) and a Report Line (2 per plant). These fields specify the number of lines used to display the plant quantity per hour and trucks required summary report information on the scheduling window. 10. In the Column Multiplier field, enter a number that will multiply the width between the columns in the scheduling window. This feature lets you accommodate particularly large fleets. Normally, each line represents a single truck. For fleets of 35-80, you might need to double this setting. Fleets over 80 trucks may need to set this value at 3. This setting does allow you to fit large fleets onto a single graph; however, the more trucks per line, the less individual detail is displayed. As a result, when approaching your scheduling capacity, it can be more difficult to look at the graph and see if you can accommodate a call-in order. 11. From the Report Type field s drop-down menu, select what information will be included in the plant summary report information lines on the scheduling window. This section can display quantity, trucks, quantity and trucks, or quantity, trucks, and loads. 12. Select Preload Demand Graph if necessary to display a colored area in front of the graph to indicate the amount of pre-loading occurring as a result of inadequate plant loading capacity (overloading the plant). 13. Select Fleet Adjustment Graph if necessary. This feature adjusts the graph to indicate when you will have trucks free, making it easier for you to work through situations in which you have become inadvertently overbooked. 14. Select the Plants button to go to the Plant Setup screen. Plant Setup (EDTTSHDA-fbn) Configuration 55

56 The Plant Setup screen lets you select which plants are to be displayed on the scheduling windows associated with the Standard Setup field chosen on the Tracking & Scheduling Setup screen. A powerful feature of dynamic scheduling is the foreground/background display option. A single plant is generally displayed in the foreground of the graph, with the remaining plants display as a group in the background. When the foreground plant is booked up, a quick glance at the background will reveal if trucks are available at other locations. 15. Select the Front radio button to display the plant in the foreground, select Back to display in the background, or select No to leave the plant off the graph entirely. 16. Accept the Plant Setup screen to save the new plant scheduling display information. 17. From the Scheduling Setup screen, select the Truck Types button to go to the Truck Type Setup screen. Truck Type Setup (EDTTSHDB) The Truck Type Setup screen lets you select how truck types are to be displayed on the scheduling window. Differentiating truck types on the Scheduling screen can be useful if you have a limited number of certain truck types, such as front dischargers, mini-mixers, or pump/conveyor trucks. 18. Select the necessary Front, Back, and None radio buttons. These radio buttons specify whether or not a truck type is included in the front truck demand graphs, back (total) truck demand graphs, or not included in the graph at all. 19. Accept the Truck Type Setup screen to save the new truck type scheduling display information. 20. From the Scheduling Setup screen, select the Product Lines button to go to the Product Line Setup screen. 56 Configuration

57 Product Line Setup (EDTTSHDC) The Product Line Setup screen lets you select which products are to be displayed on the scheduling windows associated with the Standard Setup field chosen on the Tracking and Scheduling Setup screen. 21. Mark each product line as Yes or No to specify whether or not a product will be included on the scheduling window. 22. Accept the Product Line Setup screen to save the new product line scheduling display information. 23. Accept the Scheduling Setup screen to save the new scheduling setup information. Changes will take affect immediately. You do not have to restart the Tracking and Scheduling screen. 24. Add a second configuration, if necessary, by clicking the Add or Insert Occurrence button. Configuration 57

58 EXP Configuration Configuration options fall into five basic categories: Admin Privileges Themes Administration XML Options Journaling Miscellaneous Admin Privileges Users granted certain levels of access to their COMMANDseries user record can assume certain administrative functions with regard to T&S. There are two levels of admin privileges: Theme Admin EXP Admin Theme Admin Privileges In order to have Theme Administrator privileges, a COMMANDseries user must be granted full access to the Tracking & Scheduling Setup screen (EDTTSHD). If the appropriate screen privilege is present, Themes Admin appears in the Options menu. It is not sufficient for a user to have full access through use of the system wildcard, #. The user must have EDTTSHD as a specific entry on the Users > Privileges tab. EXP Admin Privileges EXP Admin privileges give users access to a broader range of functions. Most of these additional functions will be implemented in future releases. For the time being, EXP Admin privileges allow a user to activate Journaling for COMMANDseries users. In order to have EXP Admin privileges, a COMMANDseries user must be granted full access to the Data Maintenance screen (DBAUFLD). Having Theme Admin privileges does not grant a user EXP Admin privileges. It is not sufficient for a user to have full access through use of the system wildcard (#): the user must have EDTTSHD as a specific entry on the Users > Privileges tab. Themes Administration Tracking employs themes so users can modify the appearance of the Tracking screen. While it is possible to give all users full access to themes, the most practical approach is to 58 EXP Configuration

59 have a system administrator create a number of themes and let users choose from those themes. The basic colors of the Tracking and Scheduling screens cannot be changed through themes. To create a new theme: 1. Log on to COMMANDseries with a user name that has been granted Theme Admin privileges. 2. Start Tracking. 3. Open the Theme Administrator {Options > Theme Admin}. Theme Administrator 4. Rearrange the screens so that you can see the Theme Administrator screen and the main Tracking screen at the same time. This step is optional, but because the Tracking screen immediately adjusts to any changes made on the Theme Administrator screen, being able to see both screens simultaneously makes theme admin a much easier process. 5. The General Theme field displays the current theme. Press the Add button to create a new theme. EXP Configuration 59

60 Add Theme Enter the name of the new theme and select OK. Note:All new themes default to the settings of the current theme. At this point, the best thing to do is to simply start experimenting with the different options. This document will not attempt to describe every option. It will describe key options, and provide a general overview of certain option groups. 6. The Show Windows Menu checkbox determines if the main menu will display. The menu is convenient, particularly for new users, but it does take up valuable screen space, and the menu options are also available through the keyboard. Once users become accustomed to Tracking, it might be useful to create some themes that do not include the Windows menu to get the maximum use out of the available screen space. 7. Extra graphic screen space adds a small amount of space to every display element on the Tracking screen. It is most useful on larger screens. 8. Several options deal with different graphics: header graphics, plant graphics, etc. In the context of Tracking, graphics simply refers to a 3-D box placed around the selected element: In the above screen shot, the graphics flag has been applied to the Headers, the Plant line, and the Truck token. The Order line, however, is flat, without any kind of border. The graphic borders can be useful, particularly on larger screens, because the borders prevent users from shifting up or down while reading a line of information. On smaller screens, the borders may simply add additional clutter. 9. In addition to the basic Order Line graphics option, the order line can be further adjusted as follows: Order Loads graphics puts a 3-D box around the tokens in the Orders to Load column. Because these tokens are substantially shorted than the order lines, the borders might not be needed. Upper/Lower Line Options let you select specific color combinations for the borders (the two colors are used to created the 3-D effect. If people like the borders but would like to see them toned down, select options that diminish the 3-D effect: 60 EXP Configuration

61 Note how the border on the order line more subdued than on plant lines. The Order Line Grid Divider places a vertical line between the different fields in the line: The lines prevent the fields from running together. The black lines shown above may be too distracting. The other options are grey, bright grey, and white. Max Order Code Size specifies the size of the Order Code, ensuring that proper space is reserved. A separate field allows for a different Max Agg Order Code Size. When resizing the width of the Customer Code/Address columns, users will not be able to resize the Customer Code any wider than the Max Customer Name Size value. The maximum size that can be displayed is 190 characters. For systems employing an Order/Product Tracking display, the Product Code Size field tells Tracking how much space to reserve for that column. A separate field allows for a different Agg Product Code Size. If the Order Code Size is larger than 4, users may want to select the Concrete Orders to Load Expanded checkbox. Selecting this box will increase the width of the order token in the Orders to Load column. The extra width ensures that the various pieces of information will not overlap on the screen. EXP Configuration 61

62 10. The Truck Style options are similar to the Order Line Style options. 11. The Max Truck Code specifies the largest concrete truck code to be fully displayed. 12. The Max Agg Truck Code specifies the largest aggregate truck code to be fully displayed. Note: Truck codes of 10 characters are not supported in Standard-based themes. 13. The Background Style provides some additional display options: If the Windows Status Bar is selected, update messages and the date/time will be displayed at the bottom of the Tracking window. If it is unchecked, the information is displayed at the top of the Tracking screen. The Truck Line Wire options lets you place a guideline behind each truck token: You can adjust the color of the guide as well as the style of the guide (solid line, dots, dashes, etc.). The Truck Status Divider options let you place a vertical guide separating the delivery status columns on the Truck Line. The divider makes it easier to change the status of a truck at the very bottom of the load display. 14. The Font options provide a quick means of adjusting the font size for different regions. When changing a font setting, the screen updates immediately, instead of not becoming active until COMMANDseries is restarted. In addition, you can specify different fonts for the Tracking and Scheduling screens. Any COMMANDseries or Windows fixed-width font is supported. Note: As with previous versions of the Scheduling screen, non-commandseries fonts will result in irregular display of graph elements. The Data Grid refers to screens such as the Shows Loads screen and Schedule List, that are accessed from the Scheduling screen. 15. Select the Save button at the bottom of the Themes Administrator screen to save the new/edited theme. 62 EXP Configuration

63 To delete a theme: 1. Retrieve the theme in the Theme Administrator. 2. Select Delete. 3. A confirmation box displays. Select Yes. 4. The confirmation box closes and the theme is deleted. Note:The three default themes cannot be deleted. XML Options During installation, an XML file, cmdtracexe_config.xml, is copied to the \Clients folder. This file includes two configuration variables. The default values for these variables should be sufficient for most systems. In future versions of Tracking, users will be able to modify these values directly from Tracking. For now, the XML file must be manually edited (XML files can be edited in any text or HTML editor, or even in Microsoft Word). Any changes will take effect the next time Tracking is started. These configuration values affect all Tracking users (for Citrix systems, the file must be deployed in all client folders). The XML file is initially set as a read-only file. Remove the read-only attribute before attempting to edit the file. Version Select This tag specifies the version of COMMANDseries being run, allowing the system to access the correct database drivers. Set to value to 1 for V5, or 2 for CS08. <force_database_driver>2</force_database_driver> The COMMANDseries install program will set this flag for the version being installed. Use Plant Privileges This option will filter orders/trucks based on the user s plant privileges: <read_usnm>false</read_usnm> The default value is False. Days Ahead to Show Loads Earlier versions of T&S could only look ahead up to 28 days. To extend that limit further, edit the tag <days_out_to_load_orders>28</days_out_to_load_orders> changing 28 to the desired value. Show FOB with All Orders On the standard Tracking screen, FOB orders were not displayed with the regular orders. Users pressed J to toggle between FOB and Delivery orders. EXP Configuration 63

64 That functionality is still in place; however, the option now exists to include FOB orders with the other orders. Find the tag <show_fob_with_all_orders>false</show_fob_with_all_orders> and change False to True. Managing Optimization Plant Suggestions The optimizer occasionally suggests a plant change. However, since the algorithm to suggest a plant change can be very balanced, each plan could suggest the opposite change. As a result, the user can become bombarded with repetitive plant suggestions. The tag <ignore_suggestions_after_accept_minutes>30</ ignore_suggestions_after_accept_minutes> will force Tracking, after processing one plant suggestion, to ignore all incoming plant suggestions for the specified time period. The default value is 2 minutes, but Command Alkon suggests starting at a higher value and adjusting accordingly. Setting the value to high can have adverse affects, as it can prevent plant suggestions based on plant unavailability from being processed. Allow User Theme Fonts By default, themes have font sizes associated with them. As a result, in environments in which users do not have access to theme administration, users cannot adjust the font size. The tag <allow_user_theme_fonts>true</allow_user_theme_fonts> will enable Tracking to use the user s T&S font size setting (from the User Preferences screen) with all available themes. The default value is False. If this option is enabled and a font selected from the Options menu, the user-selected font will be used for all available themes. It is not possible to assign different fonts to individual themes. Theme This tag establishes the default theme for Tracking: <theme>exp Standard</theme> The default value is EXP Standard. Allow Theme Selection This tag enables themes in Tracking. If the tag is set to False, <allow_theme_selection>false</allow_theme_selection> users will be unable to change themes; everyone will use the default theme, Standard (virtually identical to the older T&S screen). Users will still be able to change the font size via user preferences. The default for this tag is True. 64 EXP Configuration

65 Managing Aggregate Trucks By default, Tracking displays any aggregate truck that meets any of the following criteria: has a signaling unit has been flagged for auto-signaling has a last ticket date that falls within the range of the current date and the days back to allow dispatch The number of database calls made during these checks can, in rare situations, result in slow performance on exceptionally large systems. There are several XML switches that can be used to control the manner in which Tracking handles aggregate trucks: Don t Load Aggregate Trucks If a system does not want to track aggregate trucks in Tracking, the program can be set not to load such trucks on startup. The tag <dont_load_aggregate_trucks>false</dont_load_aggregate_trucks> controls the option. Change False to True and aggregate trucks will not be loaded. If this tag is set to False, additional tags (listed below) are available to provide additional filtering options for loading aggregate trucks. Loading Current Aggregate Trucks One way to manage the number of aggregate trucks that are loaded on Tracking startup is to load only trucks that have been used recently. Each truck record has a Truck Update Date field that records the last time the system used that truck. Two tags enable Tracking to use this field to filter out trucks that have not been used recently: <use_truck_update_date_for_initial_download>false </use_truck_update_date_for_initial_download> This tag simply activates the filtering function. The default is False. If the tag is set to True, then the system will use the tag <agg_truck_number_of_days_back>2</agg_truck_number_of_days_back> To determine the date range to use to determine if a truck has been recently used. The default is 2. Use of this filtering method precludes the use of any of the remaining filtering methods listed in this section. Loading Aggregate Trucks w/ Signaling Units <load_signal_unit_code_trucks>true</ load_signal_unit_code_trucks> This tag will instruct Tracking to load all aggregate trucks that have an entry in the Signal Unit Code field (SIGNL_UNIT_CODE.truc). The default value is True. Loading Aggregate Trucks w/ Auto-Signaling <load_auto_signal_trucks>true</load_auto_signal_trucks> EXP Configuration 65

66 This tag will instruct Tracking to load all aggregate trucks that are flagged as having an Autosignaling unit (AUTO_SIGNAL_FLAG.truc set to TRUE). Displaying Trucks Based on Last Status Change Date In order for aggregate shippers to plan, they need to know when trucks come into the yard (loading). Existing logic for the Plant Loading Display monitors the last order date (and days to dispatch) to determine if a truck should appear in the yard when it is loading or in yard. In some auto-ticketing environments, customers would be better served if the system keyed off of the last status date (and days to dispatch) and in yard/loading status. To accommodate this need, a new configuration flag has been added: <check_last_status_date>false</check_last_status_date> If this flag is set to False (default), the Plant Loading Display will display in-yard, dispatched trucks based on their last order date. If the flag is set to True, trucks will be displayed based on their last status date. In addition, this option displays aggregate trucks for which statuses have been updated within the system's Days Back to Dispatch range. For example, if Days Back to Dispatch is 0, then any truck with a status modified in the current day will be displayed; if Days Back to Dispatch is 1, then any truck with a status modified today or yesterday will display. Tracking in Other Languages Tracking has native support for the same language set as COMMANDseries, except for the order line header, which must be configured in the XML configuration file for the intended language. <!--Language --> <!-- <internal_header_text_flag>false</internal_header_text_flag> <lang_heading language="spanish"> <txt>ped(bja) * Cliente * * Dirección * Hora Vje Int Des Pedido Despac Pl</txt> <txt>ped * Cliente * *_Dirección * Product* Hora Vje Int Des Pedido Despac Pl</txt> <txt>ped * Cliente * Product* Hora Vje Int Des Pedido Despac Pl</txt> <txt>ped * Dirección * Product* Hora Vje Int Des Pedido Despac Pl</txt> <txt>ped(bja) * Cliente * Hora Vje Int Des Pedido Despac Pl</txt> <txt>ped(bja) * Dirección * Hora Vje Int Des Pedido Despac Pl</txt> </lang_heading> <exp_lang>spanish</exp_lang> --> These tags function as follows: <internal_header_text_flag>true</internal_header_text_flag> This tag enables the use of the standard, hard-coded (internal) column headers on the Tracking screen. The default value is True. If the tag is set to False, the system for user-defined column headers in enabled. <exp_lang>[language]</exp_lang> 66 EXP Configuration

67 If this tag is given a value, the related language text tags are indexed and used appropriately. <lang_heading language="spanish"> This tag serves as the heading for a group of text tags to be associated with a given language. The language name (as given in quotation marks) must match exactly with the language named in the <exp_lang> tag. These tags establish templates for Tracking column headers, based on various starting points. Advanced Configuration Options Reviewing Configuration Changes During troubleshooting, it may be necessary to review your current configuration settings. Rather than having to locate the configuration file, open it, and sift through the tags, Tracking provides an easier option. To review configuration settings: 1. Open the Program Information screen {Help > About}. About Tracking & Scheduling 2. Select the Configuration button. EXP Configuration 67

68 Configuration Changes screen Journaling This screen lists all XML configuration tags, displaying both the current and default values. Journaling is an advanced form of data logging. When enabled, Journaling writes set of XML files to the \cmdserie\import folder for each T&S session. The log files contains a variety of information, and are named using the convention:[windows user name]_[date]_[starttime]_[descriptor].xml For example, jdoe_ _1015_csconfig.xml There are five different XML files associates with journaling: Csconfig stores configuration information. This information is used to build a model of the Tracking screen for journal playback. Database_log stores messages sent and received from the database. Memory_stats stores memory usage records. Network_log stores messages sent and received through COMMANDnetwork. Query_times stores information on how fast database queries were processed. These logs capture much more detailed and organized information than previous T&S log routines. To facilitate troubleshooting for certain issues, users may be asked to generate a set of log files and send them to Command Alkon for review. Implementing journaling involves two steps: 68 EXP Configuration

69 Installing the journaling program on the COMMANDseries server. Configuring a workstation Installation To install the journaling program 1. Logon to COMMANDseries as a user with admin privileges. 2. Start Tracking. 3. Within the Tracking menu, select File > Create Toolbar EXE. A dialog box will display. Enabling journaling on the system 4. Check Enable Output Journal and select OK. Tracking will create a new program, cmdtracexe_toolbar.exe, in the appropriate BIN folder. This program will be automatically configured to save all log files to the cmdserie/ import folder. Configuration The next step is to configure a workstation to access the journaling program. This procedure must be done on any workstation intended to run journaling. To enable a workstation for journaling: 1. Log on to COMMANDseries on the workstation to be configured, using an account that has access to the Preferences screen (SYSPREF). 2. Open the Preferences screen {Misc > Preferences}. 3. Select the Toolbar tab. Locate the Program Manager Options area. EXP Configuration 69

70 Preferences-Toolbar tab 4. Enter EXP Journaling in the Description field. 5. Detail on the Command Line field to open a Windows Open screen. 70 EXP Configuration

71 Navigate to the appropriate BIN folder and double-click on cmdtracexe_toolbar.exe. 6. Leave the Working Directory field blank. 7. Accept the Preferences screen. You will be prompted to restart COMMANDseries. When COMMANDseries restarts, there will be an additional button in the COMMANDseries toolbar which indicates that Journaling has been enabled for the workstation. EXP Journaling button Activating Journaling Journaling should only be used when necessary. Journaling does not put much strain on the server, but the XML log files can take up a considerable amount of space. Starting Tracking w/o Journaling To start Tracking without journaling, start Tracking through the COMMANDseries menu or, if available, through the standard T&S toolbar button. EXP Configuration 71

72 Starting Tracking with Journaling To start Tracking with Journaling, select the Journaling button created earlier. Windows ToolTip, if active, can help locate the button in a crowded toolbar. When the Journaling button is selected, users will be prompted to enter their COMMANDseries User Name and Password. User must login separately to Journaling After these have been entered, Tracking will load. Tracking with Journaling The (journal) at the end of the title bar will indicate that Journaling is in effect for the session. Managing Journal Files Because the journal files record everything that happens on the Tracking screen, journal files can rapidly accumulate in the COMMANDseries \import folder. The following XML tags can be used to purge old journal files: <purge_journal_files>true</purge_journal_files> This tag turns journal purging on or off. The default value is False. <journal_files_to_delete>..\import</journal_files_to_delete> This tag specifies the location of the journal files. The default is..\import, which is the default target for journal files. This tag supports both relative (from the CMDSERIE folder) and absolute paths. <days_to_save_journals>14</days_to_save_journals> 72 EXP Configuration

73 When Tracking starts, it will process the path tag to determine the location of the journal files. It will then delete all journal files older than the current date minus the value of this tag. The default value for this tag is 14. Miscellaneous This section contains various minor configuration issues and/or options. Office Tracking Screen Some dispatch offices have a large flat-panel display mounted on the wall, displaying the tracking screen. While each workstation may run T&S for a single plant, the large display can be configured to display all plants. In addition, the Tracking screen can be run without having to first start COMMANDseries. To configure a Tracking screen monitor display, make a copy of the COMMANDconcrete shortcut and edit the Target line to replace the /A=CC switch with /A=TT. The TT switch will launch the Tracking screen. COMMANDnetwork must be running om the workstation. The default user (with regard to T&S configuration) will be SYSTEM. If you want to use a different user for the monitor, you will need to make some minor modifications. To start Tracking with a specific user configuration: 1. Make a copy of the cmdserie\clients folder. Give it whatever name you like: for example, cmdserie\monitor. 2. In the new folder, open the cmdtracexe_config.xml file, and add the line <user_name>[user]</user_name> with [USER] being the desired username. 3. To establish the specific screen displayed, open the cmdtracexe_config.xml file, and add the line <initial_config_no>[config]</initial_config_no> with [config] being the desired configuration. The default screen will be the first configuration record for the specified user. Once Tracking has started, the screens can still be changed normally. 4. Edit the shortcut for the tracking monitor so that the Start In field points to the new Clients folder. If the second clients folder is not used, then everyone starting the Tracking screen will be logged on with the same user name. EXP Configuration 73

74 Special Features This section contains enhancements that have been made to the Tracking and Scheduling system. The following are included in this appendix: Show Late Loads as Overdue Truck Rostering Show Late Loads as Overdue Displaying late, unshipped loads as overdue on the Tracking and Scheduling screen lets dispatchers observe a current, real-time picture of vehicle and plant capacity requirements throughout the day. Having this information readily available lets the dispatcher make more accurate decisions regarding whether or not more trucks are required to fill current demand, as well as whether some loads can be transferred to less busy plants to balance out demand. Once Tracking is scheduled with this new feature, the Pre-Load Adjustment and Fleet Adjustment graphs will be replaced by a vertical line that will mark the current time. Loads that have not been loaded on time display on the future (right-hand) side of the line. They will move higher than the originally desired truck demand. As the dispatch office begins to respond to the lateness displayed in the schedule, the lines in front of and behind the capacity line will begin to look like an unbroken line. The below graph demonstrates how late loads cause a rise in demand for trucks. 74 Special Features

75 Configuration A new option, Late Load Demand Graph, has been added to the Scheduling Setup screen (EDTTSHD2). Select this option to enable the Capacity Line Display on the Tracking and Scheduling screen. When Late Load Demand Graph is selected, the Preload Demand Graph and Fleet Adjustment Graph options are disabled. The license option DS (Dynamic Scheduling) must be added to the License editor to enable this feature. Workflow The below screenshot demonstrates what the Capacity Line enhancement will look like on the Tracking and Scheduling screen: Special Features 75

76 The red vertical line always displays and moves dynamically with the current time. All orders that have not yet been filled (and are therefore late) display on the right side of the Capacity Line. Schedulers can easily address late loads at a glance. Double-clicking on the truck quantities in the green line displays the orders for the current time period. If a load is late, the minutes it is late display in the new Lateness column on the Load Schedule screen, which can be accessed by right-clicking on a late load and then selecting Show Loads from the menu. In the below example, the first three loads are late by 48, 28, and 8 minutes, respectfully. The last load is not late. Truck Rostering COMMANDseries now allows dispatchers to enter truck availability information. The system will use this information to keep the scheduling screen updated. This enhancement provides the following features: CS allows the dispatcher to enter periods of truck unavailability (Start & End) for a given date or date range. Scheduling screens are updated to display the impact that truck unavailability will have upon current and future days. Before a driver punches in, his schedule punch in and punch out will be estimated. 76 Special Features

77 Punch In occurs when: Trimble Signaling = Engine On Dispatcher moves truck into service in Tracking / Scheduling When drivers are clocked into CS, the system estimates the impact that unavailability due to break time will have upon the fleet capacity. This information is displayed in the Scheduling screens on the new Truck Unavailability Fleet Line. Scheduling screens are updated when a truck/driver is punched into or out of service. Truck Unavailability The Truck Unavailability screen is used to keep track of trucks that are unavailable for certain periods of time. Trucks can be unavailable for a variety of reasons: drivers on break, trucks broken down, etc. The screen has been updated to let the user filter trucks by date, plant code, truck code, and reason code. Previously, users could only view unavailable trucks by truck type. Information entered on the Truck Unavailability screen will display as a dip in the new blue schedule line during time periods in which the truck has been specified as being unavailable on the Truck Unavailability screen. In the example below, notice the highlighted changes in the # row below the graph. These changes correspond to the drops in truck availability that were entered on the Truck Unavailability screen. Special Features 77

78 The time table below the above graph is taken from the updated Change Plant Info tab on the Tracking and Scheduling Operations screen. To enter truck unavailability information: 1. Open the Truck Unavailability screen {Files > Plant & Delivery Information > Truck Unavailability}. Truck Unavailability screen (EDTTRKV) 2. Enter the appropriate information in the following fields: Date - Required field. Enter the date range for truck unavailability. Plant Code - Optional field. If a plant code is entered, only trucks from that plant will display. The user s default assigned plant will be pulled if left blank. Truck Code - Optional field. If a truck code is entered, only trucks with that truck code will display. Reason Code - Optional field. If a reason code is entered, only trucks with that reason code will display. 3. <Tab> to display entry fields for each truck matching the information entered. If there are no records to process, blank fields will display for entry. 4. Once all information has been added or updated, accept the screen. Truck Capacity A new screen, Truck Capacity (EDTTCAP) has been created so dispatchers can enter the availability of trucks by specific truck types. Truck Capacity (EDTTCAP) To update truck capacity: 1. Access the Truck Capacity screen in one of two ways: {Files > Plant & Delivery > Truck Capacity} 78 Special Features

79 {Dispatch > Tracking & Scheduling Operations > Change Plant Info tab > Truck Capacity button} 2. Enter the following information in the header fields: Plant - Required field. If the user has access to only one plant, that plant will automatically display in this field. Date - Required fields. Enter the dates for associated truck capacity. Truck Type - Optional field. Enter # (wildcard) to display all truck types. If a single truck type is entered in this field, only trucks with that truck type assigned to them will display. 3. <Tab> to display entry fields for each truck. All fields are required for entry, except for the # Available field. The dates and times to be entered are for times when the truck type is available for use. 4. Accept the screen. Only truck types that are specified as either Front or Back on the Truck Type Setup screen will display on the Tracking and Scheduling screen. In the below example, only trucks M6 and M8 will display on the Tracking and Scheduling screen. Truck Unavailability and Capacity in Tracking and Scheduling Once dispatchers have entered truck unavailability and truck type capacity, they can then move to EXP to view at a glance how the availability and unavailability of trucks will affect loads for the current day. To view current truck settings: 1. Access the Tracking and Scheduling Operations screen, and then select Change Plant Info. Special Features 79

80 2. Enter the appropriate order date and plant code in the associated fields and then press <Tab>. The Change Plant Info tab will expand as below: The number of currently available trucks for the plant displays in the Truck Capacity field The number of currently unavailable trucks for the plant displays in the Unavailable field. Trucks that are available for certain time periods throughout the day display at the bottom of the screen and correspond to the time periods listed. The # row lists the total number of truck types that were specified as available (on the Truck Capacity screen) for that plant. 3. To change the time intervals that display on the tab, select an option from the Time Interval drop-down box. Options are 15 Minutes, 30 Minutes, and 60 Minutes. The bottom of the screen will dynamically update with the time interval selected. The 15 Minute option is not available when 00:00-24:00 is selected for the Time Period. 4. To change the time period that displays on the tab, select one of the four available options from the Time Period list. The bottom of the screen will dynamically update with the time period selected. 5. Accept the screen. View Dynamic Truck Capacity Once the Truck Capacity screen has been updated, schedulers can view their plant s truck capacity real-time on the Tracking and Scheduling screen. Records from the Truck Capacity screen table (TCAP) will be used to dynamically calculate the plant s capacity throughout the day. A blue line represents truck availability. Below is an example of what the Tracking and Scheduling screen looks like when a plant is operating at full capacity without any trucks unavailable. The blue line remains even and unbroken throughout the day. Notice that the # row contains 10 trucks throughout the day. 80 Special Features

81 Below is an example of what the Tracking and Scheduling screen looks like when a plant has several trucks unavailable (due to driver breaks) during the same time period. The blue line dips downward during times of truck unavailability. Notice the highlighted changes in the # row. These changes correspond to the drops in truck availability. Special Features 81

82 82 Special Features

83 Index S Scheduling Screens 36 T Tracking & Scheduling Operations 8 Tracking & Scheduling Configuration 46 Tracking and Scheduling Operations Change Conditions 13 Change Order Status 10 Change Plant Info 13 Change Task 11 Change Truck Information 9 Change Truck Status 9 Display Loads 16 Display Trip Profile 11 Display Trucks 16 Driver Overtime 12 Punch In/Out a Driver 15 Punch In/Out a Truck 14 Reset Trucks 15 Tracking and Scheduling Screens Operations Past Midnight 23 Order Line Double-Click Functionality 24 Right-click Functionality 25 Screen Layout 19 Screen Overview 18 Ticketing FOB Orders 23 Tracking and Scheduling Setup 46 Plant Setup 52, 55 Product Line Setup 53, 57 Scheduling Setup Index

84 Tracking Setup 51 Truck Type Setup 56 Typing Tickets Drag and Drop Functionality 22 Index 281