In transportation and distribution the keys to efficiency are knowing where your assets i.e. people, vehicles and their loads (whether passengers or goods) are at all times.

 

To that end Descartes Systems Group has set in gear its Mobile Resource Management (MRM) 2.0 initiative that combines real-time planning with wireless mobile technology to manage resources in motion. Working with its leading customers, the company has launched advanced technology with functionality that spans from optimized planning to dispatch and automated vehicle location (AVL), integrated with mobile technology that addresses a wide array of global positioning satellite (GPS)-enabled requirements. The integrated solutions are used to manage private and dedicated fleets, sales forces, merchandisers and other types of mobile workers.

 

The Descartes Resources in Motion Management Systems (RiMMS) initiative recognizes the convergence of route planning and MRM technologies into a single technology stack and market that it calls "MRM 2.0". MRM 2.0 uses real time planning and wireless mobile technology as if they were designed to work as one from the beginning. The optimized planning and wireless mobile technology within Descartes MRM 2.0 solutions are built on event-based architectures that allow for the bi-directional propagation of messages as they occur, from planning through the mobile applications. This architecture provides new, real-time capabilities that allow for more dynamic and effective control of resources in motion.

 

"The traditional market view has been that route planning and MRM were two separate technologies and markets, with neither technology set designed with the other set in mind," said Chris Jones, Executive Vice President, Solutions and Services at Descartes. "This created two significant problems for customers. First, the architecture of the two technologies sets only allowed for simple, non-real-time integration because route planning solutions were batch-based and MRM solution interfaces used historically-oriented performance data. Second, integration of the technologies was left to the customer, resulting in potentially costly, time-consuming and fragile implementations that had limited value."

 

In support of customers' desires to have pre-integrated solutions, especially where there is diversity of communications and wireless mobile technologies, Descartes' United by Design alliance program helps to address the MRM 2.0 initiative. The United by Design alliance program brings together software, hardware and wireless network partners together in a unified solution for customers. Using Descartes' wireless Global Logistics Network (wGLN) and open standard callable interfaces (open SCIs), historically disparate solution providers can work together to deliver value to customers.

 

In addition to its MRM 2.0 initiative, Descartes announced the availability of three MRM 2.0 solutions designed as part of the initiative. Here are the solutions' highlights:

 

--Route Planner is a web-native MRM 2.0 solution designed to scale for large enterprises or complex routing problems. The enterprise architecture of Route Planner allows it to be deployed across the organization in a single instance, standardizing operations and providing comprehensive operational visibility. The advanced incremental optimization capabilities of Route Planner are ideally suited for real-time planning decisions, such as delivery appointment scheduling and in-route deviations. Route Planner has planning, dispatch and AVL functionality that was designed to work with real-time updates from mobile devices in the field and maintain master data in a single repository, as opposed to multiple disparate systems.

--Sales & Merchandiser Management and Route Planner On-demand are web-native planning, dispatching and tracking solutions designed to scale for small- to large-enterprises that have more basic routing and resource tracking problems. Sales and Merchandiser Management On-demand is a closed-loop system that permits planning, tracking and approving sales and merchandiser activity and authorize payment. Route Planner On-demand is an end-to-end solution that combines route optimization, dispatching, AVL and GPS mobile technology. The two solutions can be implemented independently or together to synchronize sales and merchandiser activity with delivery operations.

--Descartes Area Planner uniquely addresses the variability in volume, demand and customer locations faced by couriers, and small package and less-than-truckload (LTL) operators. The variable network approach of Descartes Area Planner helps more accurately reflect the demand, pickup and delivery density and capacity. Using advanced simulation techniques and evaluation of historical and predicted demand, the solution can determine the proper number of vehicles needed and the requirements to support time-critical services. The mobile-enabled tracking allows Descartes Area Planner to record and evaluate the actual performance of drivers and areas to ensure that operational strategies deliver the greatest value

 

"We believe that the days of simply bolting together disparate route planning and MRM technologies are over," said Art Mesher, Descartes' CEO. "We've worked with our customers to focus on a new strategy for, and generation of, MRM solutions to provide them with the command and control they need to manage their mobile resources in real-time."