Tell Us When

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Tell Us When (TUW) is about saving time - for the distributor and the customer. By offering a more reliable delivery time, customers may be prepared to accept alternative or wider delivery time windows. 78% TUW combines a web site where customers enter their availability to take deliveries through a calendar-like application - by browser or mobile phone app, and an enhanced version of the Optrak Vehicle Routing System (VRS). TUW will typically be accessed via a vendor's web site -after on-line ordering. It will be a ubiquitous in the manner of PayPal, allowing customers to log in so their data can be saved (for example repeated activity such as work times). TUW will communicate with other applications, for example, alternative VRS and e-fulfilment platforms. By using the site the customer will grant the supplier a secure, temporary and limited access to their calendar information.The VRS will link directly to the web site. It will use Real-time traffic data and vehicle tracking to provide better estimates of arrival time. A plan will be produced and sent to each vehicle via on-board computer. As deliveries progress there may be actual or forecast delays due to traffic or other factors. The customer will be notified of any changes to arrival time. If the customer can't meet the committed or revised time he will notify the system via phone or web, ideally with an alternative. The system will attempt to reschedule automatically while honouring other delivery time commitments and send the revised schedule to the driver. Rescheduling with the same vehicle on the same day is much more cost-effective for the driver and is better for the customer, so highly desirable. The VRS will be made available as a web app - particularly useful to smaller delivery operations. The customer will be encouraged to, and rewarded for, making more delivery slots available. This will give the optimisation greater scope for more efficient routes.