Route Optimization Software, It's about the people, not the technology

Route Optimization Software
It’s About the People,
Not the Technology
How to Succeed in Implementing
Route Optimization Software and
Mobile Workforce Technologies
SWANA VA Collections Training 2017
Kevin Callen, 703-473-7055
kevincallen@RouteOptimizationConsultants.com
1

Overview
• Pitfalls and mistakes in the implementation of
route optimization and mobile workforce
technologies
– Small scale = route optimization for one service
– Large scale = mobile workforce for entire division
• Methodology to implement these technologies.
• Why?
– As little as 30% of these technologies are 100%
successfully implemented
– Need to evaluate a better process to implement these
technologies
2

Requirements - Waste Collection
Software Technologies
• Route Optimization
– Route Distribution Planning
– Route Sequencing
• Mobile Workforce Management
– Route Update Notification
– Route/Work Order Mapping
– Dispatching
– Route Navigation
– Route Status Monitoring
– Infield Data Collection
– Route Performance Reporting
– Historical Route Analytics
– Logistical Feasibility Analysis
3

Background About Presenter
• Founder and former CTO of route optimization software company, C2Logix
• Consulting in implementing and developing e-commerce and mobile
workforce technologies
• Over 55 route optimization implementations all over the USA from San
Francisco to Miami, Baltimore to LA
– Recent projects: Henrico under DAA; Virginia Beach under SCS
• Developed federal government’s nationwide disaster response software for
the Strategic National Stockpile
• Lessons Learned - Both my implementations and those of every other
routing software most commonly fail to meet the majority of their
objectives.
• A failure is defined as the technology is not utilized after the initial
implementation
– Typical story
• Staff get trained and then never use it
• One staff uses it and then gets promoted with no replacement
4

Why Do They Fail?
• Throwing technology at a problem before defining the new
business process the technology is supporting
• Implementation is focused on the technology and not the people
involved
• Important to choose the appropriate technology that can solve your
problem, but more important and critical to first define how the job
should be done.
– Often the software vendor tells the customer how better to do their
job using the tech
• Software vendors will only tell you what their tech can do and you must
conform to their technology
– This is wrong, you define how better to do your job and select a
software that helps achieve that goal
• “Do not ask what you can do with technology, but ask what
technology can do for you!”
5

Large Scale Software Implementations
• Large scale ERP implementation's, such as SAP,
have entire practice areas dedicated to business
process optimization.
• Even with this focus, many ERP implementations
fail as they don't fully engage the stakeholders
and users in the implementation.
– According to SAP's business process optimization
practice:
– 30% of all implementations completely failed,
– 40% partially implemented the objectives, and
– only 30% completely implemented the objectives.
SWANA VA Collections Training 2017 Kevin Callen,
703-473-7055
6

Examples of What Can Go Wrong
• Baltimore complete redefining of collection days and routes for 200,000
households from six days per week to four days per week.
– Union representatives were provided the proposed changes, but they
resented not being involved in the process early on.
– Unproductive friction between the union representatives and city
management
• Virginia Beach first phase of a complete reroute because of the need to
use tandem axle new tandem axle trucks.
– Although supervisors were involved in early discussions to identify pain points
which were addressed in the new routes, when the new routes were
delivered, staff stormed the HR office with complaints:
• Their time on route would be longer
• They were driving new routes
• Other services (yard) that were based on the waste routes were not re-mapped
• You will never get rid of all of the dissenters, but you can reduce surprises
by involving staff at more steps along the process.
7

Business
Definition
(Vision, Mission
& Critical
Business
Objectives)
Business Process
Optimization
Business
Requirements
System
Implementation
Plan
Systems
Implementation
(procurement)
Metrics &
Enhancement
The solution is to improve your business
processes before implementing technology
How Large Scale Technologies Are
Implemented

Building Momentum
• Involve drivers, supervisors, route managers, customer
service, analysts, and IT staff in defining:
– Pain points in the current process
– What could be improved
– What new improved business process would look like
• Use a series of diagnostics and workshops
– Diagnostics include surveys such as a driver safety survey,
a computer proficiency survey, and focus interviews
– Workshops involve mapping out the current and new
business processes
9

Refined Route Development Process
Involving Stakeholders
10
Initial Team
Presentation
&
Planning
In-field
with
Crews
Driver
Safety &
Review
Sessions
Driver
Sessions to
Calibrate
Model
Reviews of
Scenarios
Driver
Input on
Map
Design
Driver
Training/
Feedback
on Draft
Routes
Access to
Software to
Modify
Routes
Does Not Involve Software Purchase and Implementation

Steps
• Business Definition (Vision, Mission & Critical Business
Objectives)
• Business Process Optimization
– “AS IS” then “TO BE” workflows
• Functional/Technical/System Requirements
– List in RFP
• System Implementation Plan
– Staff, timeline, responsibilities
• Systems Implementation
– Procurement and implementation
• Metrics & Enhancement
– Monitoring success
11

Defining Requirements
• Planned Routes – With a fixed number of stops that has a
very low percentage of changes to the stops on a daily
basis, planned routes may be updated annually or semi-
annually. Examples are automated residential waste
collection, bulky waste collection, and meter reading.
• Dynamic Routes – The stops to be serviced varies on a daily
basis and may change during the day as new work orders
are created. Examples are waste cart deliveries and line
maintenance.
• Combined Planned and Dynamic Routes – The crews have
a fixed number of stops with work order stops added in at
the beginning of the day and during the day. Examples
include water flushing, meter repairs/maintenance, and
water quality laboratory sampling.
12

Types of Vehicle Routing Algorithms
• High Density Routing - High Density Routing
refers to waste collection and meter
reading. High Density Routing is where you have
a large number of stops (more than 200) serviced
on the same route and in a contiguous boundary.
• Point-to-Point Routing - Point-to-Point Routing
refers to cart deliveries, maintenance, repairs
with generally less than 100 stops per route per
day. With Point-to-Point Routing, the boundary is
not as important as the schedule and sequence.
703-473-7055
13

Driver Safety Survey
Two objectives:
1. Get drivers involved in the process.
2. Identify requirements for safety issues in the route design.
Provide an outlet for the drivers to identify pain points on the
route
– Use this as a precursor to meeting with the drivers and managers to
mark up on a map the streets that are candidates for being serviced
by A different type of collection.
• In Virginia Beach routing implementation actually increased the number of
rear load routes.
– Managers and drivers which identified serious safety concerns about
backing down the dead-end streets especially near the beach tourist
areas where there was a lot of pedestrians kids playing etc.
– Using a rear load truck with helpers on the back to guide the driver
and backing down the street significantly reduced that safety issue.
14

Oklahoma City Waste Route Safety
and Productivity Survey, 2017
• What are the top five issues that affect your productivity? Write in a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 to rank them from
top down. If they are not an issue, do not provide a number.
– ________ Breakdowns
– ________ Improperly placed carts, requiring the driver to get out of the cab
– ________ Waste outside the cart, requiring the driver to get out of the cab
– ________ Extra carts (more than 1 cart at a house)
– ________ Townhomes, garden apartment or other stops that require getting out of the cab
– ________ Traffic
– ________ On street parking
– ________ Narrow or hard to maneuver streets
– ________ Dead end streets requiring backing down and also driving in forward and backing out
– ________ Call backs to get carts that were not set out or reported as “missed”
– ________ Handicap or backdoor service customers
– ________ Townhomes, garden apartment or other stops that require getting out of the cab
– ________ Writing citations or notices to customers
– ________ Talking to customers, answering their questions
– ________ Accidents
– ________ No helpers available (semi-automated only)
– ________ Poor, inaccurate or confusing route maps
– ________ Poor, slow equipment (slow/frequent cycling, poor compaction)
– ________ Police stopping, overweight checks
– ________ Other (please
describe)_______________________________________________________________________
703-473-7055
15

Oklahoma City Waste Route Safety
and Productivity Survey, 2017
• What are the top 3 issues that affect your safety? Write in a 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 to rank them
from top down. If they are not an issue, do not provide a number.
________ Traffic
________ Onstreet parking, narrow or hard to maneuver streets
________ Dead end streets requiring backing down and also driving in forward and
backing out
________ Too many u-turns
________ Pedestrians or students near schools
________ Other (please describe)_______________________________________
• What streets are on your route that are not safe to be serviced by a fully automated truck?
These may be dead end streets, streets with significant onstreet parking, one-way streets,
alleys or narrow streets, etc. Please use a highlighter and mark these streets on your route
maps.
• What recommendations do you have to improve the safety or productivity of your routes?
• What do you like or dislike about your current route maps and customer reports? What
recommendations do you have to improve the route maps and customer reports?
703-473-7055
16

Computer Proficiency
• Route optimization software is very difficult to master.
• It involves manipulating large amounts of data and understanding how
parameters will impact the results.
• The most common mistake by software vendors is providing multi-day training
at one time or two times without any involvement before and after the training.
• The most common the mistake by management is assigning route supervisors
and IT staff that do not have adequate and dedicated time to use the software
on a daily basis.
– Takes six months to master the software.
– Some GIS staff could shorten that to two months but it still takes time and
experience to gain the confidence in the results of the software.
• It's not about how to push buttons it's about being confident that the model
and it's results are accurate.
• The computer proficiency survey helps to identify the comfort zone and
capabilities of staff and using different levels of software geared towards
routing and mobile workforce technologies.
17

Computer Proficiency Survey
1. How would you rate your computer skills? Both online and offline.
2. How often do you use Microsoft Excel?
3. How proficient are you with using Microsoft Excel?
4. How often do you use ESRI ArcGIS?
5. How proficient are you with using ESRI ArcGIS?
6. How fast do you learn new computer programs?
7. Do you typically need training to learn new computer programs or are
you comfortable with self-teaching and just reading the manual?
8. Do you use a Smartphone to find places on a map, such as Google Maps?
9. What are the last two computer programs you learned for work?
10. What computer program (online or desktop) do you use the most?
11. Do you know any programming languages, e.g., Visual basic, HTML, SQL?
If yes, please list.
18

Assessing the Results
• For the driver safety survey, follow up the survey by allocating time
that the drivers can meet with you to review their answers and take a
map and market up with all the streets that cannot be automated.
• For the computer proficiency survey, identify the champions, the staff
that will comfortably manage learning the software and would have
the desire to use it on a daily basis.
– They must have a minimum proficiency in XL and preferably experience
in GIS with a knowledge of waste operations.
– If you do not have staff that have a mid-level computer proficiency you
are likely to have an implementation problem.
• Hire a staff person analyst to be your champion in Main implementer.
– Other option is to hire a consultant
– Define requirements for a less complicated solution, which may be
combo of outsourced to consultant and internal software
implementation.
19

Computer Proficiency Results
• 52% of field service staff deem themselves as basic computer users
• Several staff are computer savvy and knowledgeable and most staff have
the ability to learn mobile applications.
– 32% use Excel daily and 22% consider themselves as expert users.
– 18% use ESRI ArcGIS daily or weekly with 4 respondents stated they were advanced users
• The need for training is highlighted in that 40% stated that they learned
software slowly
• 74% of users currently use SmartPhones to find places on a map
– They can learn most of the practical mobile applications that would be needed
for our solution areas.
• Staff have adequate computer skills to implement any of the systems
20

Va. Beach Bulky Waste Requirements
• Ability to route up to 1000 stops with 8 trucks.
• Ability to only utilize the optimum number of trucks each day (and not require the user to define or
reduce the number of trucks).
• Ability to create a logical and optimized customer sequence for up to 150 stops in a route.
• Ability to disallow more than one truck from servicing the same street segment and side of street.
This does not need to be an actual parameter in the software and could just be demonstrated in the
routes produced by the software.
• Ability to select the optimal disposal facility amongst a selection of up to 5 locations.
• Ability to define the disposal facility(ies) that will be used by an individual truck (e.g., white goods only
got to landfill).
• Ability to use historical average speeds on an hourly basis by road segment (between two
intersections) and side of street.
• Ability to generate routes for 1000 stops within 30 minutes.
• Ability to export the sequenced routes to a GPS navigation device or Android app.
• Ability to modify customer route assignments, including stop sequence, via the map.
• Ability to modify customer route assignments, including stop sequence, via the list of stops.
• Ability for the routes to be printed for the crews as reports and maps.
• Ability to establish a customized import process that does not require programming.
• Ability to import customers and automatically geocode the customers using the imported XY
coordinate (in State Plane projection) and geocode those addresses that do not have XY coordinates.
21

OKC Route Planning Requirements
22
 System must be accessible to UOS and have a simplified workflow
for UOS to be able to make changes to routes.
 UOS must have a way to generate and print standard route maps
after routes have been updated.
 SAP changes to routes must update in GIS and vice versa.
 System must be capable of routing 220,000 stops at one time in up
to 200 routes.
 Routes can have up to 5 depots and 5 disposal facilities.
 Routes are generated based on minimizing time, cost, or distance.
 System must utilize a flat file import of stops with XY coordinates
and automatically generate routes in a batch process.
 System must be capable of batch process routing as a web service.
 In one process, system must be capable of routing 60 days of stops
to define the day to be serviced and the route to be assigned.

OKC Route Planning Requirements
 System must have the following parameters that are used in the algorithm:
o Minimum and maximum length-of-day for each route
o Specific beginning and ending times for each route
o Minimum and maximum weight or volume for each route
o Minimum and maximum number of transfer station/landfill trips for each route
o Predefined or optimized beginning and ending facilities and transfer stations/landfills for each
route
o Wait times at the transfer station/landfill for each route (in addition to the facility times listed
below)
o Individual vehicle preparation times at the beginning and end of day (in addition to the facility
times listed below)
o Break times for each route
o Wait times at the depot
o Wait and dump times at transfer and landfill facilities
o Day(s) of week collection
o Number of carts or cans
o Service time for each cart or can
o Weight or volume for each cart or can
o Revenue generated by cart or customer
o Size of vehicle required to service the customer (access considerations)
 System must have the ability to require routes to stay within zones or boundaries via drawing an
area on the map and saving that area for future routing.
703-473-7055
23

OKC Route Sequencing Requirements
• System must be able to distribute up to 1,000 work orders up to into 40
routes and sequence the order that they will be serviced as an
automated batch process via a CSV file export from SAP.
• System must be capable of sequencing up to 1300 stops in grid type
street layout as good as can be done manually.
• System must be capable of sequencing that requires two passes on each
street.
• System must be allow for the user to redraw the route sequence or path
on a map.
• System must be able to limit the time a stop is serviced by setting
multiple time windows specific to individual collection days.
• System must have the ability to optionally require the path routing
algorithm to specify a left-hand (or right-hand) turns into dead-ends and
cul-de-sacs.
• System must have the ability to automatically produce individual travel
directions by route.
24

Systems Diagramming OKC Field Service
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25

New Field Service Systems
703-473-7055
26

Focus Interviews
• You're not buying a technology, you are optimizing a
business process
• Focus interviews - identify areas of pain and areas for
improvement in a structured manner.
• Anonymous – Staff often not comfortable for management
to see criticism, but it is important for stakeholders staff to
understand that their input and knowledge of the business
is very important to this implementation.
• These are a best practice in large scale implementations.
– May be overkill for just implementing route optimization
software, for mobile workforce the extent of issues and
stakeholders affected increases
27

Focus Interview Results
• “Failure of SAP – all but impossible to change routes urban/rural”
• “We need to rebalance Route (North and South Areas)”
• “Difficult process to split into multiple routes. Don’t have access to change routes.
Can’t see how the routes have been done.”
• “Ad-Hoc process to find mis-assigned routes.”
• “There is a gain to be had here.”
• “The routes are very unbalanced, we don’t have the right tools and
data.”
• “Meter reading (routes) are grossly inefficient.”
• “Route Re-sequencing – It’s a mess. There is no accountability.”
• “We don’t get much consistent information.”
• “We need route tracking and benchmarks.”
“I can’t manage when I don’t know what they have done.”
28

Business Process Optimization
• Thorough examination of the “AS IS” business
processes and a definition of the “TO BE”
business process that utilizes technology
– Must be done with the staff that do the work
– Software vendors typically do not include business
process optimization as part of their
implementation. It would just add cost and make
them less competitive.
29

As Is Process Mapping
Objectives
– Describe the process as it works today from start
to end in a high touch, low-tech exercise
– Identify strengths and opportunities
– Capture the complexity and disconnects of
operational issues
– Quantify elements of timing, volume, resource
requirement
703-473-7055
30

Mapping Your “AS IS” Business Process
1. Interview the stakeholders and develop a
flowchart of every step of information
exchange along the way.
2. Then meet with stakeholders again to verify
that the map is correct and provide a
proposed to be a process and get their
feedback and modifications.
31

Review As Is with Staff
• Business
process
flowcharts
reviewed with
key staff.
32

Examples of Process Optimization
• Solid Waste Cart Delivery and Repair in OKC
703-473-7055
33

Bulky Waste Collection As-Is in OKC
34

Business Process Mapping Workshop
• Map the As Is Virginia Beach bulky waste
collection
• Draw on Paper
– Boxes for actions
– Diamonds for decisions
35

Virginia Beach Bulky Collection
• Call Request
– Waste Management receives calls requesting collection.
– Customer service staff enter the customers address into
the Work Orders Database, a custom-developed Access
database application.
• The address does a look up against the CSMaster database and
populates the work order with the customer’s route coordinator
and collection day.
• One material is entered for each work order, including appliances
without Freon (white goods), refrigerator freezer AC (white goods),
appliance furniture box, attic garage cleanout, door, fencing,
furniture, grill, kiddie pool, lawnmower, misc., move out, moving
boxes, outdoor equipment and furniture, area rug, scrap wood,
sheds, swingset, water heater.
– There are an average 344 work orders per day for bulky and 22 per day
for white goods collection (see below).
36

• Work Order Report
– At 5:00PM each day, customer service staff print a report
from the Work Orders Database.
• The report lists the work orders and sorts them by route
coordinator, subdivision name, street name and house number.
• Work Order Assignment to Crews
– Work order report is picked up at the main office at 6:00
AM by the two supervisors
– Supervisors divide up the work orders to the crews.
• The two-person crews are typically given 100 work orders.
• The number of trucks dispatched per day ranges from between 4
to 8 trucks.
– Crews get list of work orders with no map
37

• Collection
– Crews collect the materials.
• White goods are collected separately from bulky items.
• Approximately 40 bulky items are collected before a dump is required.
• Exception Reporting
– Route coordinators leave a tag for the citizen explaining why it was not
collected.
– Work orders that had a problem being collected are noted with
problem codes and entered back into the Work Orders Database, if the
issue is not resolved. Problem codes include the following:
• Not out.
• Out of regulation.
• Not at street.
• Blocked by vehicle.
• Other.
703-473-7055
38

Bulky Collection As Is Process
703-473-7055
39
Customer
calls for pick-
up
CSR enter
request in
Work Order
Database
Work order
report is
picked up
6:00 AM
Work order
report
printed
5:00PM
Supervisors
divide up the
work orders
to the crews
Crews get list
of work
orders with
no map
Crews collect
Route
coordinators
leave tag for
the citizen if
not collected
CSR enters
status in
Work Orders
Database
Collecte
d?
Route
coordinators gives
CSR update of
work order status
No
Yes
Crews call
route
coordinat
or
No
Crews give list of
completed to
Route
coordinators
Crews plan
sequence

Bulky Collection To Be Process
703-473-7055
40
Customer
calls for pick-
up
CSR enter
request in
Mobile
Workforce
Mgmt
Work orders
routed
automatically
Supervisors
review
routes and
dispatch
Crews get list
with map on
mobile
device
Crews collect
Route
coordinators
leave tag for
the citizen if
not collected
Collecte
d?
No

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