 Leading field marketing agency FDS reports significant improvements in the speed and convenience of allocating calls to its field sales executives following the implementation of a new scheduling solution from MapMechanics. Efficiencies have also been made in the executives’ travel time and mileage between calls.
FDS supplies third-party sales force teams to a wide range of clients in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, telecoms, IT and home entertainment, handling a variety of tasks such as field sales, merchandising, leafleting and compliance support.
These teams make regular visits to retail and other outlets nationwide. The frequency and duration of visits can vary widely according to the customer, location or time of year; and the cycle also has to make allowance for other requirements such as team meetings and new product launches.
The company decided it needed a new system that would to accommodate all these complex requirements, and at the same time would reduce planning time and improve the flexibility of the process.
MapMechanics has come up with a composite package which incorporates three of its top-selling products – GeoConcept, OptiSite and TruckStops – and has introduced a bespoke new software solution, Frequency Scheduler, to manage the underlying scheduling process and present users with a clean, user-friendly interface.
The first stage in the planning process is to take a database of all the call points (retail stores, for instance) covered on behalf of a given client, along with all the agents available to handle the visits. OptiSite, a network planning tool, is then used in conjunction with GeoConcept, the powerful mapping and geographic information system, to allocate the agents optimally to territories. This is a one-off task, repeated per customer account or to reflect changes in operational requirements.
Then the new Frequency Scheduler system comes into effect. This harnesses the batch mode capability of TruckStops, the routing and scheduling system, feeding call requirements into the TruckStops system automatically and producing optimised routes and schedules. The system takes account of any special requirements for each call – for instance the frequency, duration and location of visits – and also make allowance for the fact that one day in twenty-eight is reserved for team meetings.
Behind the processing is a genetic algorithm developed by MapMechanics. This is a special optimisation technique which in effect learns from the experience of repeated iterations of the task, progressively refining the end result.
“We’re particularly pleased that our people haven’t had to learn all the intricacies of the TruckStops system,” says FDS strategic director Alison Cutler. “They’re presented with easy navigation through user-friendly screens.”
She adds: “It’s also impressive that although TruckStops is known better as a logistics industry tool, it has adapted well to our needs.”
Initially, the company’s territories are being allocated on an annual basis, and calls are being scheduled in advance over a period of twelve weeks, although FDS points out that the system is capable or reflecting different requirements if they should emerge in future.
“It’s is much more flexible than anything we’ve had before, and more closely tailored to our own particular requirements,” Alison Cutler says.
So far the system has been applied to a number of major accounts, and Alison Cutler says it has already produced significant savings in travel between locations. “We need to be mindful of the fuel costs and the time implications of travelling from one call to the next, and this system has given us more control than we’ve ever had before.”
She pays tribute to the support provided by MapMechanics throughout the implementation process. “They provided templates tailored to our own specific operation, and have written a useful and clear manual on the system, and if we need online support, perhaps if we have a new map user, they have a system for going through the various screens online with us in real time.”
FDS has field staff on call nationwide in its tactical team, plus several contact sales teams for major clients and a substantial office-based staff. The company works in a range of industries including food, drinks and fast-moving consumer durables. It is based at Whitstable in Kent.
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