Talcasoft Haulage

Scheduling

The scheduling of jobs can be done directly on the order screen or specifically on the scheduling screen. The screen is designed as an intermediatry stage between making the booking and allocating jobs to the trucks. It is possible to specify the number of loads a truck is to do, if it is turn around or which truck is to be assigned to the job.

Allocations

The Job Allocation Screen allows operators to dispatch jobs quickly, easily and--with mobile terminals--directly to drivers. Jobs can be:

• Allocated within one of the channel screens that the operator can switch between.
• Split between drivers.
• De-allocated and reallocated.
• Listed for each driver to show current driver work loads.

The new allocation system can handle multiple allocation screens with multiple channels on each. Allocators can put all of the channels on one screen on a quiet day, or split them up when allocation queues are longer.

Allocating jobs is now as easy as dragging cells around in a spreadsheet: just select one or more jobs, and drag them in to the driver or sub-contractor. Jobs can be dragged between drivers to reallocate, without first needing to be deallocated, or dragged back in to the jobs list to leave them deallocated.

Jobs

Trucks

Wireless Connectivity

Talcasoft has done extensive work with a number of mobile computer suppliers to provide a problem and maintenance free mobile computer solution: Talcasoft Envoy. To keep your fleet running:

• When Envoy is installed on a mobile computer, the only application available on the computer is Envoy; no games or distractions, and no knobs and dials for drivers to fiddle with.
• Envoy was developed at Talcasoft and is designed from the ground up to work with Avance.
• Envoy automatically maintains a connection to Avance, and is ready at all times to accept new jobs.

Envoy is available on a number of devices from the Intermec, Symbol, and other devices from Windows Mobile equipment manufacturers. With additional engineering, Envoy can be certified for use with most Windows Mobile 6 or later mobile computers with GPRS.

On models of mobile computers with bar-code scanners, the bar-code scanner can be used to quickly open consignments, scan consignment note barcodes, and even scan and track individual items.

Instant Job Information

When the day gets busy, errors and omissions in job requests are the last thing you need. Using mobile computers and the Envoy application, job information can be exchanged quickly and precisely--leading to improvements in operator and driver performance.

A mobile computer solution from Talcasoft and Envoy provides:

• Instant job transmission, with no chance for human error. The job details included on the mobile computer screen are an exact copy of the details available to the operator. Special instructions and communications between driver and operator are logged for future reference.
• The Driver is not distracted by new jobs, and does not need to stop to copy down information on jobs.
• The Blue Data network can dispatch jobs to anywhere in Australia where GPRS coverage is available.

Proof of Delivery

With Envoy, proof of delivery and proof of pickup information is propagated within seconds to customer service operators, and to customers. Each completed job includes an accurate pickup time, delivery time, and the name and signature of the person that released the consignment for pick up, and the person that accepted the delivery. Instant proof of delivery notifications and daily reports--with signatures--can be sent to customers via e-mail, downloaded from a website, faxed, or printed for posting.

Names, signatures, and parcel information can also be collected for multiple drops and permanent runs; even if a customer is paying an hourly rate under a single job number.

Comprehensive Invoicing and Accounting

Haulage includes an extremely flexible invoicing model that allows for:

• Invoicing periods selectable per business unit or even per customer.
• Invoicing schedule end dates per business unit or customer.
• Previewing individual pending invoices without doing an invoice run.
• Issuing an individual invoice at any time without requiring an invoice run.
• Creating any number of invoice runs for arbitrary periods, and controlling which business units, customers or even which individual invoices are included or excluded from the run.
• Limiting access so that a user can build an invoice run but requires an administrator to do the final approval of the run before issuing it.
• Keeping multiple concurrent invoice runs in the system during their processing and approval process.

The invoice system dispatches issued invoices in to a correspondence system that automatically e-mails or queues for printing the invoices.

Even as soon as the first job in an invoice period is closed, a pending invoice can be displayed for the customer. Pending invoices can also be issued outside of an invoice run, which is perfect for cash jobs or closing customer accounts.

Comprehensive Reporting

Haulage includes a comprehensive reporting system covering all aspects of operations and accounting. The reporting system is built with a flexible reporting engine; reports can be modified to suit specific company requirements or to fit a corporate style.

Every report can be exported to PDF, HTML, Excel, CSV, RTF or E-Mail. Some of the reports available are: