“Trying to administer five or six systems – payroll, mileage logging, customer contact, legacy spreadsheet-based systems – is incredibly time-consuming. One single point of contact would make it more streamlined,”
Graeme Leslie, General Manager for Scotland East at McGill’s Bus Service
There is too much duplication of work in the control room, where controllers are required to input identical data into multiple systems to manage schedules, optimise routes and allocate resources. Additionally, they must relay information to drivers, engineers and maintenance teams through different platforms.
Some of these processes still rely heavily on pencil and paper. For instance, when a driver calls in sick, the information may be initially written down, then transferred to a spreadsheet before finally being input into a depot allocation system. This duplication of effort consumes controllers’ valuable time and can lead to suboptimal decisions if all necessary information is not readily available.
“Planning the daily service delivery needs the involvement of both engineering and operations. It would be simpler if there was an integrated central system for fleet and driver allocation, which would be live with relevant details on vehicle availability, inspection and the right bus for the right route.” – Jason Hackett, General Manager for Scotland West at McGill’s Bus Service
It is difficult to plan effectively and manage changing conditions when monitoring different applications on multiple screens. But with a consolidated view of all the relevant systems, controllers are much better placed to choose the best course of action for the day ahead.
Having a central place to input operational data reduces the possibility of error and makes it more likely that accurate data is captured. Also, if control room teams can easily input performance data and report incidents, it becomes easier to analyse that data, interpret the findings and gain the insight to inform future plans.
Having one screen where controllers can record a bus incident, send service updates out via social media and update the DfT bus open data system cuts down on rekeying data when time is of the essence. Furthermore, digital tools linked to different software systems can improve communications between the control room and other teams across the operation, keeping all teams informed and involved.
Our ebook explores the concept of a single control room platform which brings systems together onto one screen, providing the insight to run a reliable, efficient and profitable bus operation.
A single control room platform would allow controllers to see problems as they arise and take pre-emptive action before they cause delays, keeping the buses on the road and getting passengers to their destination on time.
Better visibility of vehicle and driver information would enable improved on-the-spot decisions, so routes can be re-allocated quickly with a clear understanding of the cost and the impact of those real-time decisions. By bringing together data from multiple systems, operators will have the vision they need to learn from the past in order to shape a sustainable, profitable bus service for the future.
