Q. At the end of Summer Fill is it common for the Routes to be ping-ponging Drivers around?
A. This issue often arises when Drivers are not compliant during previous summer fill schedules. Check the tanks in question to see if previously scheduled. Ensuring schedule compliance is crucial for maintaining efficiency.
Q. What are Days to Empty and how does it differ from Tank Percentage?
A. For auto-scheduled tanks, the Optimizer analyzes the depletion rate for k-Factors or monitored tanks, prioritizing how many days remain until empty rather than merely scheduling between set thresholds. By considering tank size, depletion rate, and weather forecasts, delivery decision-making can be enhanced significantly and can focus on maximizing drop sizes while safe guarding potential run out risks.
Q. Is the Optimizer looking at only last years degree days for historical info or more than 1 years history?
A. Only the prior year’s degree days are considered in projecting upcoming usage.
Q. Is there a recommendation on how to explain to Drivers that they can not “outsmart” the Optimizer?
A. Given the extensive data points and the Optimizer's advanced forecasting capabilities, manually calculating the viable delivery combinations would be extremely time-consuming—if it could be done at all—compared to the milliseconds it takes the Optimizer to complete these calculations.
Q. Is there a need to increase default driver hours if adding additional routes to catch up on critical tanks?
A. There are a few options to catch up on deliveries. If there is not a spare truck available or do not want to assign one, the first and only option is simply increasing driver hours and potentially also the allowed truck runs. This allows more time for deliveries and any refills, meaning more stops per schedule. The second option is to assign an additional truck to the route without increasing driver hours, which again gives more total time for delivery. The third is to combine the first two options, assigning another truck and also increasing one or both drivers’ hours. In any case, telling the Optimizer to deliver the highest number of critical tanks rather than the most critical tanks is generally beneficial for this situation.
Q. I’ve increased the size of a bobtail. How important is it to recalculate routes?
A. It is recommend a Route Rebalance is completed for clients who haven't undergone one in recent years, especially if there are significant changes to the routes. Factors such as delivery type composition, gaining or losing customers/tanks, right-sizing tanks, bobtail adjustments, and changes to driver starting yards can all impact route balance over time. However, it’s possible a single factor may not merit an immediate rebalance on its own. A clear indicator of a need for rebalancing is a driver who either isn’t working many hours a day or is consistently working long days compared to other drivers.
Q. Is Optimizer able to figure in different truck fill locations?
A. During a seasonal analysis, Optigistics may identify potential fill locations that could enhance a route. However, it’s essential to set up the maintenance tables properly, as the Optimizer can only utilize the data we provide. The yard and all remote fill locations set up for a route will be taken into consideration during scheduling. It’s possible an assigned location may never be used to fill if it doesn’t make sense to use it (e.g. too far away from the route).
Q. Is there a recommendation for days between call-in & time of delivery?
A. The longer time frame given to the Optimizer to deliver the more efficient routes will be. If the optimizer is given 5 or more days it will improve efficiencies.