Effectively managing pooled resources is paramount for any medium to large paratransit transportation service provider as they are
faced with ever increasing demand, strict obligations, and tight resources. These resources cover a range of drivers with widely differing levels
of experience and competency to vehicles with considerable differences in capacity, agility, and performance.
Accounting for these differences—for example a driver with extensive experience and familiarity with their assigned area and vehicle as compared to a new hire, or the passenger capacity and travel speed difference between a Prius sedan and large wheelchair accessible Transit van—can offer an immense advantage in planning and undertaking daily operations and while simultaneously increasing customer satisfaction and productivity indexes.
While overall, deviations in performance between vehicles and drivers may seem insignificant, when multiplied over thousands of daily trips—these deviations combine to result in significant efficiency loss throughout the course of a single day. By not accounting for these differences, a “One-Size-Fits-All” treatment of a provider’s resources inevitably leads to failed routes, increased overhead, unpredictable performance, and significant efficiency loss throughout the course of a day.
5M’s expansive resource planning tools are designed to fully resolve issues of performance deviations between any number and type of available resources. This interactive resource management leaves nothing to assumption—by defining the performance of each asset individually, each route is tailored for specific vehicle and fleet types, driver skill levels, and customer service obligations. By combining these performance variables, this optimization of route and asset type produces precise and observable results in overall route performance. Results otherwise unfeasible with the “One-Size-Fits-All” resource tracking that other software solutions provide.
5M is designed to serve medium-to-large sized transit agencies or transportation brokers. This diagram shows how enterprise resources may be composed of several transportation service providers and operators, spread across multiple locations. Service providers can range between large or small, dedicated or non -dedicated, mixed fleets, or independently contracted drivers. In all cases, each provider may independently operate multiple and/or mixed fleets, each with its own mix of vehicle types and drivers--each of those with their own individual performance attributes.
5M allows managers and dispatchers to set customized attributes for each driver—expected travel speeds and service times can be set based on drivers’ experience, competency, and familiarity with the area and customer base as well on available historical data.
Tracking the performance parameters set for each fleet, each vehicle, and each driver allows 5M to tailor final routes for the provider’s specific resources and assets. This precise resource planning allows providers to achieve the highest levels of efficiency, resulting in higher levels of customer service, greater driver satisfaction, and a more effective utilization of resources. Resource management through 5M is a classic case of a win-win.
