Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

The information in the survey that follows was provided by the vendors in response to a questionnaire developed by Randolph W. Hall. The survey should not be considered as comprehensive, but rather as a representation of available vehicle routing packages. Questionnaires were sent to vendors drawn from previous survey participants, the OR/MS Today database and other sources. It includes the products of those vendors who responded by the deadline. If you know of a vehicle routing package that is not in this survey, please contact Patton McGinley at (770) 431-0867, ext. 214 or e-mail them to [email protected]. They will be included in an online version. Be sure to read the accompanying article.
UPDATES: 9/24/10 ² added ORTEC Transport and Distribution from ORTEC

The survey is divided into 15 separate pages. Following is an index of the pages and the information they contain: Page 1 y Vendor y Year Introduced y Platforms Supported: Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac/Mac OS, Application as Service, Parallel Machines, Other (specify) Page 2 y Maximum size of problem solvable by the system: Number of Stops, Number of Vehicles, Number of Terminals Page 3 y Maximum size of problem solvable by the system (continued): Recommended Hardware, Processor Speed, Memory, Hard Disk Space Page 4 y Performance: Computation time to solve problem with 50 routes, 1,000 stops, two-hour hard-time windows (specify platform for calculations and any other assumptions); What types of algorithms are employed (open-ended)?; Are approximations used to reduce computation time? Page 5 y Routing Functions: Node Routing, Arc Routing, Real-time re-routing, Real-time Stop Scheduling, Daily Routing, Route Planning & Analysis, Incorporates Real-time Traffic Information, Collects Historical Travel Time Information Page 6 y Price Information: Single Site License (50 routes), Does license fee include map for one region?, What brand of map is provided?, Installation support cost ($/hour), Typical support hours needed for installation (50 routes) Page 7

y GIS Capabilities: Displays routes & stops on maps, Can edit routes with drag & drop, Geocodes stops from addresses Page 8 y Solution Algorithm: Does system accept Soft Time Windows?, If so, how are Soft Time Windows Specified? Page 9 y Product is available as part of a suite that provides: On-board electronic display, Wireless messaging to driver, Real-time vehicle tracking, Bar-code scanner, Supply chain management software (e.g. inventory mangement), Customer order processing, Computer aided dispatch for police, fire or emergency vehicles Page 10 y Features: Assigns individual drivers, Turn-by-turn route instructions, Automatic forecasts of delivery, Load manifests, Loading plan for truckload, Weather forecast information displayed to dispatcher, ETA automatically sent to the customer if there is a delay Page 11 y Types of fleets that currently use the product: Local pick-up and delivery, Long-haul less-than truckload, Long-haul truckload, Courier, Buses, Taxis, Service fleets, Emergency services (police, fire, etc.) Page 12 y Other special features y Recent innovations in system Page 13 y Has your routing software been integrated with either cell phone or PDA technology? Describe the application: y Have you developed other software innovations, such as use of social networking for information sharing? Describe: Page 14 y How has economic downturn affected market y New features that address sustainability/green requirements Page 15 y Number of companies using software y Most significant installations Page 16 y What is the largest change in the industry over the last two years? y What do you expect to be the biggest change in the next two years? Vendor List

The survey appeared in the February 2010 issue of OR/MS Today. To order a copy of this issue, contact Customer Service at 770-431-0867, ext. 224 or send e-mail to:

[email protected] Routing Software Survey

Table 1

Platforms Supported Product Accellos One Optimize Vendor Year Mac Application Introduced Windows Linux Unix OS as Service Parallel y y Other (Specify)

Prophesy 1999 Transportation Solutions, an Accellos Company Appian Logistics Software, Inc. MJC2 Appian Logistics Software, Inc. IBM 1996 1990 2003

Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS

y y y y y y y y Web Service Web Service No

DNA Evolutions - 2009 Distributed Natural Algorithms GmbH DNA Evolutions - 2005 Distributed Natural Algorithms GmbH MJC2 FreshStart Logistics Optrak Distribution Software Ltd 1998 2009 y y y y

y

SOAP WebService

JOpt.SDK

y

MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak

y y

y

y

y y Yes

1988

y

ORTEC Transport ORTEC and Distribution

2004

y y

y

Paragon Routing Paragon Software 1997 and Scheduling Systems, Inc. Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Jeppesen, a Boeing Company QuantMethods 1998 2009

y y

MJC2 UPS Logistics Technologies

1993 2006

y y

y y

y y

y y Web app multiple processors used Multiple CPUs used y y unlimited Citrix, Terminal Services

Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Desktop TruckStops

UPS Logistics Technolgies Descartes Systems Group RouteSolutions MicroAnalytics

1983

y

y

y

2004 2008 2005 1984

y y y y

StreetSync Basic RouteSolutions

TruckStops (UK) Mapmechanics WebSTARS 5.2 SAITECH, Inc.

1991 1995

y y y

Server or PC optimzier available on Unix

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 2

Maximum size of problem solvable by the system Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK Number of Stops Unlimited 12,000 unlimited Number of Vehicles Unlimited 10,000 unlimited Number of Terminals Unlimited 1,000 unlimited

Based on routes from Direct Based on routes from Direct Based on routes from Direct Route Route Route NA unlimited unlimited unlimited 100,000 No fixed limits not limited 20,000 NA unlimited unlimited unlimited 10,000 No fixed limits not limited 3,000 NA unlimited unlimited unlimited 10,000 n/a not limited 2,000

IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2

Unlimited

Unlimited

Unlimited

Limited by browser memory Limited by browser memory Limited by browser memory

unlimited Unlimited Unlimited unlimited 250 Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited unlimited

unlimited Unlimited Unlimited unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited unlimited

unlimited Unlimited Unlimited unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited 20

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 3

Maximum size of problem solvable by the system (continued) Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route Recommended Hardware Windows XP, Server Processor Speed 1.8GHz + Memory 1GB + 1GB Hard Disk Space 100 MB + 60GB

current level OC/server 2.8

DISC

Windows or Unix based 3GHz machines Web service Dual or Quad Core processor Intel or AMD Intel or AMD Web Service 4GB

2GB

100GB

DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi

Web Service 100GB

We Service

3 GHz 3 GHz

4 GByte or more 4 GByte or more 2GB

200 MB 200 MB 100GB

Windows or Unix based 3GHz machines 2 Ghz Intel Processor 2 Gb

Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak

5 Gb

Standard PC

2Ghz (dual core or more) dependents on the number above Fast Intel Core, e.g. 3.6 GHZ Intel Core2 Duo CPU @ 3 GHz

4gb

15gb

ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp

dependents on the number above PC / Windows Server

dependents on the number above Minimum 512 MB

dependents on the number above 2 GB

4 GB RAM

100 GB Hard Disk

QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT

Browser (Windows, Mac, etc) Windows or Unix based 3GHz machines PC with Internet Access Depends on implementation type Windows compliant servers Intel PC / Windows Intel PC / Windows PC. Server optional PC, Server Optional Windows server, PC Depends on implementation type Configuration dependent 1Ghz or faster 2 GHz or faster 1.4 or higher 1.4 or higher 3.0 Ghz Depends on implementation type Configuration dependent 512 MB or greater 512 MB or greater 256 kb 256 KB 2GB Depends on implementation type Configuration dependent At least 100 MB At least 2 GB 1 GB 1 GB 80 GB 2GB 100GB

Roadnet Anywhere

Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite

StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 4

Performance Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp Computation time 4-5 minutes <5 minutes A few seconds Based on routes from Direct Route problem specific 5 Minutes on a 3 GHz CPU 5 Minutes on a 3 GHz CPU A few seconds < 1min on current PC configuration 5 - 10 minutes, Win/Intel Core2 Duo 5 minutes Around 2 minutes Minutes What types of algorithms are employed (open-ended)? Proprietary Prorietary Multi-layered optimisation approach Are approximations used to reduce computation time? No Prorietary No

Based on routes from Direct Route Based on routes from Direct Route contact IBM construction and improvement algthm construction and improvement algthm Multi-layered optimisation approach AI/Expert Systems/Constraint Heuristics, relaxation, genetic. Construction + neighbourhood search Range of cost saved & improvement Column Generation and Local Search LP; branch & bound Multi-layered optimisation approach Heuristic algorithms are employed Heuristic algorithms are employed Configuration and customer dependen Proprietary Proprietary Proprietary Heuristics Proprietary Heuristics No No assumptions made No assumptions made Configuration and customer dependen Proprietary Proprietary no No Yes, various options and parameters No convergency criteria on costfuction convergency criteria on costfuction No No Only for rush-hour time bands Yes, heuristics

QMms - Quant Methods for Untested Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 A few seconds <30 Seconds <30 Seconds Configuration and customer dependen < 15 Minutes < 15 Minutes User settable, 1-5 minutes User settable, Min 1-5 minutes 1 min on Windows PC with 2.8Ghz

local search, integer programming tuning parameters for local search

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 5

Routing Functions Realtime reNode Arc Routing Routing Routing y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y Incorporates Real-time Real-time Route Stop Planning Traffic Daily Scheduling Routing & Analysis Information y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y Collects historical travel time information

Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2

y y y y

y y y y y y

y y y y

y y y y

y y y y y y y

y y y

y

y y y y

y y y

y y y y y

y

y y

y

y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y y y y

y

y

y

y y y

y y y y y y

y

y

y y y

y y y

y y

y y y

y

y

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 7

Price Information Single Site License (50 Routes) Contact for pricing $23,500 POA minimal site branding fee contact IBM y y Does license fee include map What brand of for one region? map is provided? y y BING Teleatlas/Navtech Installation support cost ($/hour) Included Annually billed Typical support hours needed for installation (50 routes) 2 Days Flat implementation and training fe POA None contact IBM

Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic

Compatible with POA many map products Navtech/teleatlas IBM ILOG None contact IBM

monthly fee 5000 ÖÑ POA Varies Price on application $50K $35,000 for 100 vehicles Price on Application $19.95 y y y Varies according to country/problem NAVTEQ, AND, any other NAVTEQ

375ÖÑ setup cost free Compatible with POA many map products $200/hr Price on application $1000 / hour $755 or $930 per day Price on Application n/a

4 hours less than 1 hour POA Varies: 24-100hrs Varies according to routing problem 240 hours 80 hours

MapInfo and ESRI files supported

Depends on user requirements

POA Please contact for y pricing Please contact for pricing n/a $99 per month y y

Compatible with POA many map products TelaAtlas North America Multiple vendors used globally varies NAVTEQ NAVTEQ Mappoint. PC*Miler as add-on. Geoconcept y Please contact Mapmechanics Chicago Map Included $120

POA 20 80

n/a $125 hr, if requested $125 hr, if requested Included in Support cost Varies greatly, please contact $ 100

dependent on customer Unnecessary Unnecessary Varies 24-48 hours

StreetSync Desktop < $10,000 - Call for info TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 $9500 Please contact Mapmechanics call

4 hours

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 6

GIS Capabilities Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y y Displays routes & stops on maps y y y y y Can edit routes with drag & drop y y y y y Geocodes stops from addresses y y y y y

y

y

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 8

Solution Algorithm Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science y y x min flexib; quadratic cost function Specify "flex" time per window Does System Accept Soft Time Windows? y y y y y y y y y If so, how are Soft Time Windows Specified? Time Range application of +/- buffers and/or h Configurable rules from Direct Route penalties applied for early/late soft time windows are default timewindows are fuzzy per default Configurable rules Target time with allowable window

REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2

y y y y

Configurable rules Time window factors Time window factors soft time windows

y

allowable delay time

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 9

Product is available as part of a suite that provides Supply chain management Real-time Barsoftware (e.g., vehicle code inventory tracking scanner management) y y y y y y y y y y y Computer aided dispatch for police, fire or emergency vehicles

Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak

On-board electronic display y

Wireless messaging to driver y y

Customer order processing y

y y

y y

y y

y y

y y

y y

y y

y

y

y y y

y y y y

ORTEC Transport y and Distribution Paragon Routing y and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite y y y

y y y y y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y y y

y y y

y

y

y

StreetSync Basic y StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 y y

y

y y y y

y

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 10

Features Assigns individual drivers y y y y Turn-by-turn route instructions y y y y y y y Automatic Loading forecasts of Load plan for manifests truckload delivery y y y y y y y y Weather forecast information displayed ETA automatically sent to the customer y y y y

Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2

y y y y y y y y y y y

y y y

y y y y

y y y

y y

y y y

y y

y

y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y

y

y y y y y y

y y y y y y

y y y y

y y y y y

y y y y y y

y

y

y

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 11

Types of fleets that currently use this product Local pickup and delivery Long-haul less Long-haul than truckload truckload y y y y y y y y y y Service Courier Buses Taxis fleets y y y y y y y y y y y y y Emergency services (police, fire, etc.)

Product

Accellos One Optimize y Direct Route DISC DRTraCK y y y

IBM ILOG y Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 y y y y y y y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y y

y y

y y y

y y

y y

y y y y y y y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y

y y y

y y y

y y y

y

y

y y y

y y y y y y

y y y y y y

y y y y y y

y

y

y

y y

y

y y

y y y

y

y

y

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 12

Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere

Other special features Integration with Maptuit real-time, commercial, turn-by-turn driving directions

Recent innovations in system New proprietary integration module; for quick, common integrat Full integration with multiple on-board devices of all types

Integrated warehouse planning and driver shift optimisation. linked to Direct Route

Container scheduling and trunking models added. Multiple OBD types in same fleet

SOAP WebService ¬¼genetic algorithm supported by domain specific contruction algorithms Mobile workforce optimisation.

JOpt.AAS is a SOAP WebService which allows for integration wi domain specific algorithm cope with special requirements such as human transportation Strategic territory assignment

FreshStart offering is an engine designed to be FreshStart route & dispatch opt API to be integrated with dispatch platforms available to third party dispatch platforms Multi-compartmented tankers Optrak Realisation includes analysis, reporting, alerting tools and vehicle tracking multi user, multi site software Single/multi-site/integrated fleets pl Link with truck tracking = actual movements tracked against th

Customisable route costing, advanced product Integration of Open Source mapping tools combination constraints and more providing high-quality, low-cost map support QMms is a tool to teach the concepts of routing Integrated dispatching and real-time scheduling solution. Web-based easy to use daily routing and GPS tracking application n/a Real-time yard management. Web-enabled application with integration of historical traffic and commercial roads Integration of historical traffic, commerical road restrictions, CO2 emission calc Synchronization of deliveries with sales and merchandising oper Integration with commercial Garmin andTomTom devices. Integration with commercial Garmin andTomTom devices.

Roadnet Transportation Suite Includes strategic planning, daily ro Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 Integration of purchase transportation, enterprise class web native architecture, abi Web-based subscription routing system. Oneclick import and export. Integrated customer database. One-click import and export. Extensive special equipment coding

Speeds by Time of Day and Vehicle Type integration of onlien GIS, available as SaaS

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 14

Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp

Has your routing software been integrated with either cell phone or PDA technology? Describe the application: Yes. Cell phones, black boxes, various MDTs. Yes, through DRTrack for both route information and tracking Yes. Please see our MOBi toolset. Yes - delivery and service No

Have you developed other software innovations, such as use of social networking for information sharing? Describe: Full suite of Supply Chain Execution software and solutions

No no

POD and mobile data capture tools are integrated. Integration with PDA devices for real-time P&D confirmation and enroute GPS updates Supports signature capture, real-time billing, for waste collection, forestry, etc yes n/a no

Paragon can be linked with satellite navigation Paragon multi-tripping function optimizes & proof of delivery technology resources in double-dispatched operations

QMms - Quant Methods No for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere Roadnet Transportation Suite Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 Cell phones with GPS can be integrated Yes. Please see our MOBi toolset. Yes - enables paperless office, GPS tracking, proactive service failures Yes - enables paperless office, GPS tracking, proactive service failures Integration with GPS enabled cell phones, windows mobile enabled d Integration with Garmin and TomTom devices. Advanced integration with TomTomWork. Integration with Garmin and TomTom devices. Advanced integration with TomTomWork.

No

Release of multiple web-based reporting tools for daily and historical analysis networked applications

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 13

Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC

Number of Companies Using Software Most Significant Installations 1001+ 1001+ 1001+ Boston Beer, Gold Medal Bakery, Piggly Wiggly Multiple fortune 100/8 of top 10 Logi Our systems are used by many high profile organisations and household names. Multiple national retail chains contact IBM

DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS

101-500 1-100

1001+

New York Department of Health, Roland Berger Transport Consulting, Kinetix Wireless (Canada), Akquinet (Poland), BOC Gases New York Department of Health, Roland Berger Transport Consulting, Kinetix Wireless (Canada), Akquinet (Poland), BOC Gases Our systems are used by many high profile organisations and household names.

JOpt.SDK

1001+

MOBi

101-500

Mobile Asset Route Optimization Optrak ORTEC Transport and Distribution Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT

1-100

1-100 101-500

Menzies Distribution, Reynolds Logisti Tesco, Ahold, Hermes Logistics, Offergeld, Toll, De Rijke

101-500

Airgas; McLane Company; CEVA; Exel Logistics; Toyota Material Handling; National Food Corporation; Red Ball Oxygen; Ryder Australia Post, Purolator Courier, Sc

1-100 1-100

101-500

Our systems are used by many high profile organisations and household names. Otis Spunkmeyer, Goodness Greeness, Lion Plumbing, Oxygen One Anheuser-Busch, Office Depot, Sysco, Mohawk Industries, Apria Healthcare n/a

Roadnet Anywhere

101-500

Roadnet Transportation Suite 1001+

Route Planning Suite StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 101-500 101-500 1001+ 1001+ 1-100

Walco International Inc, Arca Incorpo Navteq, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Cintas, Duncan Telcom

Nihon oil with 70 sites

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Table 15

Product Accellos One Optimize Direct Route DISC DRTraCK IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst JOpt.AAS JOpt.SDK

What is the largest change in the industry over the last two years?

What do you expect to be the biggest change in the next two years?

Drive toward reduced miles Focus on reduced overall costs

Return of driver shortages return to focus on driver shortages

please refer to JOpt.SDK Companies are looking for solutions that can be integrated into their existing system landscape. Ideally this can be done by a programming interface that gives enough flexibility to adopt the solution to specific problem domains Availability of ITS systems and associated rich real-time data that can be leveraged to improve and automate decision process in real-time. Emerging green initiatives have added another dimension to cost cutting and process/quality control benefits of route optimization software. Customers are looking for real-time management information and real-time reporting.

please refer to JOpt.SDK Integration capabilities of third party optimization features will become more and more important to ISVs that are already offering branch specific software suites without their own optimization algorithms.

MOBi Mobile Asset Route Optimization Ability to leverage the recently available real-time data to respond optimally and in real-time to changing demand, supply, and traffic/road conditions. Enhanced visibility up and down the supply chain enables greater consideration of vehicle positioning. Economic rebound stimulates companies to leverage enhanced visibility and control offered by ITS enabled route optimization to develop new demand/response routing business models. There will be a continued focus on exploiting real-time management and reporting to enable a more flexible and agile transport operation. The biggest change will be a horizontal collaboration, inventory management and routing.

Optrak

ORTEC Transport The industry is slowly moving from static and Distribution to dynamic to execution and from decentral local optimization to a more centralized approach. Paragon Routing and Scheduling Optimizer PlanOp QMms - Quant Methods for Management Science REACT Roadnet Anywhere More fleets are becoming incredibly sophisiticated -- from the very small to the large, all want to introduce more technology to make them more efficient and increase productivity. Integration of routing and scheduling software with GPS vehicle tracking technology, allowing

The integration of resource allocation into the routing and scheduling process for a plan that takes account of driver, tractor and trailer availability. Advanced resource-managed planning of this kind compiles data abo

Continued integration with web services, higher demands for real-time information as routes are being created and executed, enterprise visibility and alignment with larger corporate initiatives such as green iniatives.

Roadnet Transportation Suite

Convergence of technologies and openess Telematics will become a must have for many fleets of multiple systems to work together. This incorporating the best of productivity, fleet health, risk enables all business processes to be management and compliance. examined and understand how one part of the process affects the other - e.g. sales on distribution. Integration of mobile solutions with realtime route planning. The consolidation of the routing market and disappearance of smaller routing vendors.

Route Planning Suite

StreetSync Basic StreetSync Desktop TruckStops TruckStops (UK) WebSTARS 5.2 on-time delivery, information sharing SaaS becomes more common More integration with web.

Vehicle Routing Software Survey Vendor Directory

Appian Logistics Software, Inc. 10317 Greenbriar Place, Suite 100 Oklahoma City, OK 73159 USA Phone: 866-288-0789 Fax: 405-692-1698 Email: [email protected] www.appianlogistics.com Descartes Systems Group 120 Randall Drive Waterloo, Ontario N2V 1C6 Canada Phone: 519-746-8110 Fax: 1-519-747-0082 Email: [email protected] www.descartes.com DNA Evolutions - Distributed Natural Algorithms GmbH Bei der Laug 56 Ulm, Germany 89081 Phone: 004973166885 Email: [email protected] www.dna-evolutions.com www.joptaas.net FreshStart Logistics 1700 7th Avenue, Suite 2100 Seattle, WA 98101 USA Phone: 206-465-5767 Fax: 206-357-8401 Email: [email protected] www.freshstartlogistics.com IBM 1 New Orchard Road Armonk, New York 10504 USA Phone: 914-499-1900 www.ibm.com Jeppesen, a Boeing Company 55 Inverness Drive East Englewood, CO 80112-5498 USA Phone: 303-799-9090 Email: [email protected] www.jeppesen.com Mapmechanics Canal Court, 155 High St. Brentford TW8 8JA UK

Phone: +44 (0) 20 8568 7000 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8568 7400 Email: [email protected] www.mapmechanics.com MicroAnalytics 2009 14th St N, Suite 302 Arlington, VA 22201 USA Phone: 703-841-0414 Fax: 703-527-1693 Email: [email protected] www.bestroutes.com MJC2 33 Wellington Business Park Crowthorne Berkshire RG45 6LS UK Phone: +44 1344 760000 Email: [email protected] www.mjc2.com/Frameset_products_distribution.htm www.mjc2.com/Frameset_products_wireless.htm www.mjc2.com/Frameset_products_realtime.htm Optrak Distribution Software Ltd Orland House, Mead Lane Hertford SG13 7AT England Phone: 01992517100 Fax: 0207 117 3347 Email: [email protected] www.optrak.co.uk ORTEC Groningenweg 6k Gouda Zuid Holland 2803PV The Netherlands Phone: +31 182 540 500 Fax: +31 182 540 540 E-mail: [email protected] www.ortec.com/vrd Paragon Software Systems, Inc. 14001 N Dallas Parkway, Suite 1200 Dallas, TX 75240 USA Phone: 972-934-6755 Email: [email protected] us.paragonrouting.com Prophesy Transportation Solutions, an Accellos Company 204-C West Newberry Road Bloomfield, CT 06002 USA Phone: 800-776-6706 Fax: 860-243-2619 Email: [email protected] www.mile.com QuantMethods 9644 Oak Meadow Lane, Suite 100 Pilot Point, TX 76258 USA Phone: 940-231-1949 Email: [email protected] www.quantmethods.com RouteSolutions 3740 Boyd Ave, Suite 127

San Diego, CA 92111 USA Phone: 858-541-2738 Fax: 800-293-2815 Email: [email protected] www.routesolutions.com SAITECH, Inc. PO Box 431 Holmdel, NJ 07733 USA Phone: 908-513-9815 Fax: 732-444-5911 Email: [email protected] www.saitech-inc.com UPS Logistics Technolgies 849 Fairmount Avenue, Suite 400 Baltimore, MD 21286 USA Phone: 410-847-1900 Fax: 410-847-6246 Email: [email protected] www.upslogisticstech.com

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

On the Road to Connectivity
Creative integration of computer, communication and location technologies help a wide range of industries thrive in difficult times.
By Janice Partyka and Randolph Hall

Since our 2008 routing software survey, the world has suffered through a financial collapse unlike any since the 1920s. Sinking home values, overseas wars, terrorism, threats of global warming and turmoil in health care have capped a decade that many would prefer to forget. As we look forward, the global financial disaster has taught us one thing: simply moving money from account to account does not produce prosperity. Instead, our well-being depends on building economic activities that deliver goods and services to real people, when and where they need them. Routing software companies are offering creative ways to integrate computer, communication and location technologies with algorithms and software, helping a wide range of industries thrive in a period of recovery. These technologies enable routing software companies to provide sophisticated connectivity and productivity tools to an increasingly mobile workforce and widely distributed customers. Technological Foundations

When this series of routing articles began more than a decade ago, cell phones were for the rich, map databases were still being developed and GPS-enabled navigation was beyond the average consumer. Routing software worked well, but it wasn't flexible and relied on an imperfect platform, making it difficult for the drivers to access information on the road, and sometimes creating a mismatch between the route that drivers were directed to follow and what they knew to be the best course. According to Cyndi Brandt of UPS Logistics Technologies, "new data sources have recently become available, including a more complete commercial roads database, and true historical traffic data based on real travel times." Chris Jones of Descartes Systems Group also notes an "explosion of map data attributes and capabilities." In the next year or two, we will have predictive travel speeds for road segments down to 15-minute intervals. "Currently, drivers say the software doesn't know everything that they know about the routes. It is sometimes true now, but won't be that way in the future," says Jones. Likewise, we are now seeing stronger connectivity between routing software's traditional functions ² that of assigning stops to drivers and placing them in an optimal sequence ² with on-the-road navigation. A computer-generated printout listing turn-by-turn directions is becoming more of an anachronism these days, when so many drivers can receive voice commands and dynamic map displays from their phones or navigation devices. As Jones of Descartes notes, "Customers and prospects are really looking for combined solutions" that both route and navigate. "The big growth market is in the portable market," he continues. "You see fleets that would have never gotten GPS technology now using it with a mobile phone." According to Julian Stephens of MJC2, "Smart phones are changing the industry in a big way because they allow real-time data capture, which in turn enables real-time re-optimization of the operation. This is of particular interest to us because our dynamic scheduling algorithms can make use of these data to increase operational efficiency of mobile workforces." With this type of on-the-road connectivity, MJC2 and other routing software companies are investing in their real-time routing features and algorithms. Software as a Service According to Greg Wieitholter of Route Solutions, "Desktop-based routing is going away." Instead, "people want Web-based solutions, so all parts of the organization can have visibility." This is now often accomplished through the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, whereby the software vendor generates solutions and manages data from their own servers. Alternatively, MJC2, for instance, has found that "many customers prefer to host the software themselves as this gives them more control and flexibility." SaaS is changing the financial model of some software companies. As Chris Jones of Descartes notes, "SaaS is the way the industry has headed. It means that customers 'pay as they go.' It reduces the initial payment of the customer and removes a barrier to entry." UPS has a SaaS offering aimed at smaller fleets, which treat the software costs like utility charges rather than an up-front capitalization.

For the software companies themselves, their cash flows are changing from the initial large balloon payment and lower maintenance fees that come from purchase of licenses to more continuous income flows. For some, the switch is a difficult financial transition that requires cash reserves. However, many routing companies have found ongoing support financially challenging under the license model. The Business of Routing Many of the routing companies predict that consolidation in the industry is likely to accelerate and that companies "run by mathematicians" will be unsuccessful. Customers are looking for stability and distribution system expertise more than the latest algorithms. Nevertheless, one of the challenges that all of these companies will face is the ability to process data to re-optimize routes in real-time. With map data getting richer and real-time traffic adding road segment data in small time intervals, the processing requirements will grow substantially. The underlying architecture of these offerings and how the processing is distributed will be a critical factor in how well each product fares. Expansion into New Industries Routing software is being used in an increasingly diverse set of industries, both in traditional truck pick-up and delivery as well as in mobile services, such as repair crews. Among Descarte's customers, "Sleepy's Mattress Stores" uses routing software to schedule deliveries on the spot at point-of-sale, within one-hour time windows. At Appian Logistics Software, it is being used to synchronize trucks and plumbers so that icemakers can be installed soon after a refrigerator is rolled in the door. Route Solutions' customers are using routing software to schedule multitudes of merchandisers and installers, who travel among retail outlets to install product displays and signage. One clear trend is that the companies that use routing software increasingly want to offer services that set them apart from their competition, and these services demand both faster solution times and improved communication ² frequently generating new solutions on the spot. However, given the tough economy, cost remains an important driver. While desirable to route the same drivers to the same customers each and every day, that level of consistency can be inefficient. As Hugh Gigante of Appian notes, "If we tell a customer that it costs them $100 a day to keep the same drivers servicing the same customers, most fleets will decide it isn't worth the cost." Instead, routes can be continuously re-optimized so that every vehicle is used to its max. "Defining features now are anything that reduces windshield time, saves gas and decreases wear and tear on trucks," concludes Gigante. And trucks need to be full. Basic Software Features The routing software surveyed in this article provide a common set of basic capabilities:

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geocoding addresses, i.e., locating the latitude and longitude by matching the address against data contained in a digital map database; determining the best paths through street networks between pairs of geocoded points; solving vehicle routing problems, entailing an assignment of stops to routes and terminals, sequencing stops and routing vehicles between pairs of stops; and displaying the results in both graphical and tabular forms in such a way that dispatchers can guide the solution process and communicate results to drivers, loaders and other personnel.

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Applications differ somewhat according to their target market, special features and integration capabilities, as discussed in the following section. This Year's Survey

Sixteen software vendors (12 North American and four from Europe) participated in this year's survey, representing 22 products. Our questionnaire was divided into sections covering platform, algorithmic capabilities, interfaces and features, applications, system integration and background information. All responses are self-reported and unverified. Platform. Windows remains the dominant platform for routing software and is available for nearly all software packages, with only one company offering a Mac version of their software, and another three in Linux and Unix. Fourteen products are available in SaaS, two of which are only available in SaaS. From a hardware perspective, vendors generally recommend a high-end PC operating in the 3 GHz range, combined with 1 to 4 Gb of memory and up to 100 Gb in hard disk space (much less if SaaS is used). These figures have not changed much in the last four years, again showing that powerful routing software has become easier to run on one's desktop computer. In SaaS applications, computing requirements are even smaller than in the past. Algorithmic capabilities. The algorithms underlying routing products are generally proprietary, though typically involve a combination of integer programming methods and heuristics. QuantMethods and Jeppesen were more specific, respectively stating that linear programming/branch-and-bound and column generation were used. FreshStart Logistics, new to this year's survey, indicated that their algorithms are based on artificial intelligence and expert system approaches, rather than traditional mathematical programming. DNA Evolutions' response of "construction and improvement" is likely representative of the general class of heuristic methods used by most routing vendors. Vendors generally claim unlimited problem size for their software, but from a practical

perspective, computation time, memory size and disk space bound product performance, so it is important to test software on actual problems. In this regard, most vendors claim computation times in the one-to-five-minute range for an average-sized problem, described as the time to solve a problem with 50 routes, 1,000 stops and two-hour hard-time windows. (Keep in mind that computation times are provided by the vendors and have not been verified.) These times are similar to two years ago. Fast computation times are particularly important in real-time applications, such as when deliveries are scheduled while the customer is on the phone or when stops are inserted and scheduled while vehicles are in the field. Researchers in vehicle routing are well aware that route-length approximations can be very effective at producing good solutions in a short amount of time. This year, vendors were tight lipped about use of approximations. Node routing is the capability to assign and sequence discrete stops, and arc routing is the capability to assign and sequence street segments. The former is needed most often, and occurs when the driver visits 100 or fewer locations per day. We believe it is available on all products. Arc routing is more specialized and occurs when vehicles visit every (or most) address on block segments, as in meter reading, mail delivery and garbage pickup. Most of the vendors claim they can do both of these, along with real-time routing, daily routing and route planning. However, a single routing package is unlikely to be adept at all of these functions, and it is important to select a vendor that has experience in the planned application. More than half of the products offer some capability for real-time routing, which could come in the form of real-time re-routing of vehicles or real-time stop scheduling. Six vendors (Appian, Descartes, FreshStart Logistics, MJC2, SAITECH and UPS Logistics) have the ability to incorporate real-time traffic, which is now more widely available in major cities. This can enable a fleet to reschedule in response to customer requirements, vehicle delays or traffic conditions. Most vendors claim the ability to solve routing problems with soft time windows. However, when asked for specifics, some simply indicate that they represent a range of time or maximum allowed delay rather than a true soft window approach. On the other hand, IBM ILOG permits early and late penalties, DNA Evolution windows are "fuzzy by default" and MJC2 uses "configurable rules." Interfaces and features. As a starting point, basic features offered by most include an ability to display routes and stops on maps and edit these routes with the "drag-and-drop" feature (i.e., click on a stop and move it to whichever route you desire). This enables the dispatcher to modify the algorithm-produced routes and is needed in practice to satisfy customer constraints. To make these features work, products need digital maps, such as the commercial products from NAVTEQ (based in the United States) and Tele Atlas (based in Europe). Maps, which are not

inexpensive, are often sold separately and are chosen by customers according to their requirements. Integration. Real-time communication with drivers, as well as tracking their locations, has become particularly important, and most products offer these features. This usually is provided with vehicle-mounted devices or mobile phones. Interfaces with other software systems ² such as order-entry and inventory management ² is also important for retailers and distributors. Other important features include forecasts for delivery requirements, generation of load manifests and load planning. Applications. Whereas vendors generally claim that their products are designed to serve a broad range of applications, most specialize in an industry sector. Specialization is largely driven by interface requirements ² both in terms of presenting information in a manner that is useful to the target user and in terms of interfacing with business software systems and hardware devices. Police, taxi and emergency vehicle dispatch, for instance, each demand special requirements that differ from the traditional market of private fleets. They fall in the realm of niche markets, even though in theory they are just variations of vehicle routing. Vendors that are more experienced in an industry will be better prepared to consult on software installation and more likely to have relevant features, leading to a higher likelihood of success. The optimization code might also be different to account for the particular network structure, for instance the hub-and-spoke design of less-than-truckload (LTL) networks. In our survey, most of the respondents have specialized in private truck fleets, serving such markets as food and beverage (e.g., Anheuser Busch, Coca Cola and Gold Medal Bakery). Jeppesen's PlanOp is being used by for-hire fleets, such as Australia Post and Purolator Courier. Routing installations tend to require a large degree of customization, as reflected in software prices, which often runs in the tens of thousands of dollars. As an alternative, SaaS provides routing services for a monthly fee, perhaps as low as $99 per month. Beyond these software costs, some level of consulting is likely needed to ensure full integration into a fleet's information systems, typically priced in the neighborhood of $125 per hour. In terms of pure size, many companies now claim more than 1,000 installations each. General information. The accompanying directory provides contact information and product names for the vendors. Pricing is available for some vendors (in many cases, prices are negotiable and depend on fleet size). Expect to pay $10,000 or more for the software alone. Higher-priced products generally offer more customized service, a larger array of features and interface capabilities, and specialized experience in a particular industry. Price structures do vary, so be sure to compare the full installed cost before making a choice, including license fees,

installation and maintenance costs, hardware and digital maps. Selecting a Product

Before purchasing a product, fleet managers should first assess the degree to which routing solutions and data must be integrated across multiple sites and decide whether they would like adopt the SaaS model or host their own software. It also important to ask questions such as: How big of a problem will be solved, measured in vehicles, stops and terminals? How frequently will the solution be updated, and how quickly must the software generate a solution? Can stops be scheduled on the spot, or will they be generated in batches? Who will use the software, how is the information best presented to the user, and are the users distributed among many locations? Who will install and maintain the software? With which software systems must the routing system interact? Vendors should demonstrate that they are experienced serving other fleets with similar requirements, and they should provide references so that you can verify claims.

Janice Partyka ([email protected]) is principal of JGP Services, a marketing consulting practice that focuses on mobile technologies and applications. Randolph Hall ([email protected]) is vice provost for Research Advancement at the University of Southern California.