There was an old thread on this and I was wondering if anyone was still around that knew about it. I just started this job and they want me to do routing here in Iowa. I have figured a few things out. I am looking for ways to better adjust the optimizer so there will be less time spent adjusting the route when optimizer finishes. Here they had all the techs listed in one city per region, I changed it to be better spread across each region, that helped alot. Also Siebel has a place to put email addresses for techs, is Siebel capable of emailing the individual routes to each of the techs? Any help, tips, or tricks would be greatly appriciated.
Siebel Routing
- Thread starter wizrdeye
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I have been on the other end of those routes...........not fun & not efficient for tech or customer. This may help.
The term route is a cable company idea. The customers are connected by poles and wire. The tech just follows the cable route. DTV is different.
Consider the area in terms of obstacles like rivers and highways. Are there places close to other places but blocked? Does city traffic make movement impossible at certain times?
Pre calling......should be done by the tech. An answering machine that gives six customers the same ETA is worthless.
I have had "routes" with four hours of driving built into them........and the exact duration for each job cannot be known. Departure time from the office cannot be predicted either but, for sure, if the tech is waiting for WOs and or equipment at 11:00AM some AM jobs will be missed.
Routing the tech remotely....faxing their jobs the night before and making it possible to collect equipment at all times might help. Having everyone in line at sun up doesn't work.
Positioning the tech so he is at a customer door at 8AM could be a goal. Let the dispatchers dispatch as the day goes on.
Just some insights.
Joe
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I've been on both sides of the fence on this one...
I'd recommend building most of the techs out in Siebel with start and end locations nearby where they respectively live. Build out a few technicians to work in key areas (major cities, borders of service regions) and try to utilize your contractor force (if any) for there as well. This may be harder to do out in your area because I'd assume there is a lot more highway driving involved, and my experience routing is in a tightly packed area also known as New Jersey... lol. From what I've seen, Siebel can take a few weeks to work out its kinks, and it may still have hiccups along the way as well. The system isn't perfect but if it was, we still probably wouldn't use it... lol. I'm not sure if Siebel has a way of automatically emailing the routes to the technicians or not. And if your site has technicians that are utilizing handheld units, you can probably get your remote techs to call in on a daily basis as well as asking the technicians to acknowledge thier route before showing in the morning.
I'd recommend building most of the techs out in Siebel with start and end locations nearby where they respectively live. Build out a few technicians to work in key areas (major cities, borders of service regions) and try to utilize your contractor force (if any) for there as well. This may be harder to do out in your area because I'd assume there is a lot more highway driving involved, and my experience routing is in a tightly packed area also known as New Jersey... lol. From what I've seen, Siebel can take a few weeks to work out its kinks, and it may still have hiccups along the way as well. The system isn't perfect but if it was, we still probably wouldn't use it... lol. I'm not sure if Siebel has a way of automatically emailing the routes to the technicians or not. And if your site has technicians that are utilizing handheld units, you can probably get your remote techs to call in on a daily basis as well as asking the technicians to acknowledge thier route before showing in the morning.
We tried Siebel and got rid of it because it wouldn't route any techs...kept saying there was too much drive time for our area. We pointed this out to management, and instead of fixing it, they got rid of it.
I've always hated siebel routing. As a contractor, driving killed much of our profits. I was always trying to have mine adjusted, but it seemed to always put me away from my area. I understand at times someone has to do those remote routes, but it was ridiculous when im being routed an hour north of me consistently but bringing in techs an hour east (where the bulk of the techs are from) of me to cover my area. Finally i was getting decent distance routes, but then I was only given crap jobs. I had enough and had to bail. After crunching numbers, I was barely breaking even.
Yup,
As I would leave here for a one hour run I would pass DTV vans coming to my street for a 4 hole installation...........from where their yard was they had been driving over an hour & paying a $2.50 toll.
Smoke & mirrors.
Joe
I couldn't agree with you more. one day I drive 17 to 25 mile to the first job then 17 to next then 10 to the next . the next day opposite direction same amount of drive time for what cancellation,door tag,work order corrections. It's very rare for me to be routed within my zip code or address I live.It's on the borders of our area north east south and west.Siebel is killing me and any company with 75 to 100 techs and severals areas assigned is set up for failure. the wear and tear on the trucks and the gas bill has got to be out sight, and my arm hurts waving at other techs passing me for me to run his area and him to run mine.Somebody educate me on siebel because if UPS or FED-EX used this system there would be mid air crashes,and packages stacked in one spot looking like a land field. if Siebel runs lets say 4:30 pm what time can my hand held exspect to see my route for the next day. I like to call my customer the night before to confirm.Thats not happening.Sometime around 11:00 pm or later they are realeased.my next question is when it assigns techs work is it by completion rate inventory on your truck by your last name if it's A your first to get job assigned and if it"s W you get whats left over.If your supervisor builds you in the system does he deside where on the list you fall or does it go by your zip code.By the way handhelds are nice to have and yes I acknowledge my route at 6:00 am, place myself on site pre-call my customers activate and close each job after complete and put myself enroute to next. PLEASE HELP ME OUT I need input on how to build myself out in siebel in order to return to my area to which pays the bucks and I can at least wave to my family when I go by. I do know supervisers are messing with routes in siebel sometimes they have to siebel is not perfect.Is information available on-line to read a number to call, I would be very greatful to anyone who can help
wow 17 - 25 miles must be nice, guess he's never worked inhouse for E then where you can get 5 - 100+ miles between jobs.
Here is an approach to the drive time thing. The tech takes the first twenty five miles as part of the job (or first half hour) then the company adds a dollar a mile or sixty dollars for the next hour to the check.
Had that deal with a phone company for awhile. A lower bidder offered free ride time and got the work. When he drops put I'll call them back.
Anyhow, that is my idea. The company pays more money.
Hhat do you think?
Joe
Had that deal with a phone company for awhile. A lower bidder offered free ride time and got the work. When he drops put I'll call them back.
Anyhow, that is my idea. The company pays more money.
Hhat do you think?
Joe
Well I think if they did do that it would force management to look a lot closer at how the routers are actually routing or have more than 1 handling 80 techs. When you start submitting invoices for 1000's of miles a week.. someone will notice and ask why.
One would think,
However the system is designed so that regardless of what happened at the installer / customer level the big guys are two contractor levels away from responsibility.
The same dirt bags are returned to action.
Joe
Yeah, fleet maintenance is noticing already...every time we take a vehicle in for some work, they make the mechanics triple check the mileage because they don't think a 2008 van should have over 54,000 miles on it.
This was covered years ago by former contractors. As the jobs arrived with two hour drive times they just voted with their feet. That is why we are former contractors.
Joe
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