bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Hong Kong software solution distributor Commercial Software Services (CSSL), has unveiled Roadshow for Windows, a route-planning and management system.

  Roadshow, developed by United States firm Roadshow International, features digitised maps of Hong Kong and Macau and is intended for transport and distribution organisations wanting to plan more efficient routes and schedules.

  Robert Camozzo, managing director of distributor operations at Roadshow International, said the program was the only system that made decisions based on actual delivery costs.

  Roadshow can be customised to consider a number of factors such as road conditions, restricted zones, busy hours, toll fees, numbers of vehicles and stores' opening hours.

  It can then optimise an itinerary, set priorities and even cancel stops that can be rolled over to the next day.

  'To measure true transportation costs is not a simple matter of using the shortest route,' C. P. Tsui, CSSL's general systems division manager, said.

  'The cost of time, labour and lost opportunities must be considered if a deadline is not met.'   Mr Camozzo said Roadshow could help a company wishing to optimise its operations to significantly expand its network while maintaining its existing fleet size.

  Alternatively, a company looking to reduce its operating costs could cut the size of its fleet by 10 per cent and reduce its operating costs by 8-20 per cent.

   'The world is becoming more and more customer-oriented,' Mr Camozzo said. 'Whoever provides better service and can guarantee overnight delivery has a better edge to get market share.'   Roadshow can also be used in conjunction with business intelligence software, such as Cognos' Impromptu or PowerPlay, to create reports that look at performance fluctuations.

  Mr Camozzo said maintenance to re-calibrate and update the software took about 30 minutes per month.

  'One important feature of Roadshow for Windows is that it has been designed for people who are not necessarily experienced computer users,' he said.

  Although it uses a complex routing algorithm that calculates route solutions based on actual costs, Roadshow is relatively easy to use.

  It incorporates full-colour commercial maps that drivers use every day. It is simple to build routes from on-screen menus, locate customers and make changes to schedules.

  Roadshow for Windows can integrate with a company's existing software such as order-entry systems.

  The starting price for the software is US$20,000. The map components and the installation cost about $15,000. Roadshow takes six to eight weeks to implement.

  The system is being pitched at companies with 20 or more vehicles. It can be packaged for bulk applications such as home delivery.

   Mr Camozzo said Roadshow was hoping to take advantage of the surge in the home delivery market created by on-line purchasing.



Roadshow maps out route to success for transport businesses