Software provider Omnibus has announced that several of its customers are now testing the latest version of its CrewPLAN system, designed to automate the production of efficient crew schedules.
CrewPLAN uses research-based algorithms, and its developers are putting the finishing touches on a range of enhancements to make the software more ‘dynamic, flexible and powerful.’
It now uses a much more powerful methodology to make scheduling more dynamic, the company says. Enhanced functionality has been added to better tackle large and complex problems using a newly-developed iterative process.
New features include the ability for the user to be highly specific about the results that they want to achieve.
Constraints can now be included to specify the types and average length of duties operators want to achieve, within set parameters, giving much more flexibility.
There is also now an enhanced penalty feature to minimise but not totally eliminate undesirable features, such as changeovers during peak times.
Graham Atkins, Network & Schedules Planner for Yellow Buses in Bournemouth, is working with Omnibus to test the enhanced version of CrewPLAN.
He says that it has already saved him and his company many hours: “The bottom line is that it all comes down to cost savings. CrewPLAN is a very powerful package, which allows me to crew up all the bus workings in whichever way I want.
I can add in various different parameters and run multiple scenarios to present both to the unions and to the finance department.
“Now at least 90% of the duties get approved immediately, which is a huge improvement. It’s a little bit of magic!”
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