Overview
The functionality of Dispatch Portal is to allow upcoming deliveries to be viewed in order for delivery routes to be planned ahead.
Dispatch Portal also allows its users to navigate through the Dispatch Board in order to view sales orders, job materials, and transfer orders.
Requirements
There are a few requirements needed to jumpstart Dispatch Portal on a user’s end.
1. Epicor URL - User requires a licensed EPICOR url to use the dispatch portal system
2. Azure Maps Key
How to acquire Azure Maps Key:
1. Sign in to the Azure Portal
NOTE: If the user does not have an existing Azure account:
a. Search for the Azure Portal
b. Click “Start your free account”
c. Complete the details in the sign up page
d. Click “Go to Azure Portal' once sign up is complete.
2. Search and navigate to “Azure maps accounts” .
3. Click Create.
4. Complete the details in the Create screen
a. Create a new resource group to place the maps account in to.
5. Click review + create.
6. Once created, proceed to the Azure Maps Accounts page.
7. Click on the authentication menu item.
8. Copy the “Primary Key” and paste it into the Azure Maps Key field found in the Settings section of Dispatch Portal.
3. A CAB file - this will be made available on the products portal for a user to download
4. Once the CAB file is downloaded, the user will be provided with a list of steps required to install the CAB file to their EPICOR environment
5. User will then have to perform a data model regeneration or app pool recycle on their Epicor environment
General Information
Ensure that all users that plan on operating in Dispatch Portal (i.e. Moving data, optimizing runs) are added to a new “DispatchPortalGroup” security group.
1. Create a new Group in Epicor ‘Security Group Maintenance’ called “DispatchPortalGroup”
2. Go to user account and security maintenance.
3. Enter the user to be assigned to the group.
4. Go to groups and ensure “DispatchPortalGroup” is an authorized group for the user.
Login
1. Type in the Dispatch Portal web address (https://dispatch-portal.biscit.com/) into the browser Address field, and hit ENTER.
2. Toggle the I accept switch to the right and click on Continue.
3. In the Server field, type in the license server url and click on Continue.
4. Enter the user credentials in the respective User Name and Password fields.
5. Click Login.
6. In the Company Configuration screen, choose the appropriate Company and Plant from the drop-down and click on Log In.
7. Once logged in, the user will be redirected to the Dispatch Portal Home screen, where the Dispatch Board is also located.
Vehicle Management
The Vehicle Management section of Dispatch Portal allows the user to add new vehicles and edit existing vehicles in their fleet.
Adding a new Truck
a. In the Trucks page, click on New Truck to initiate the creation of a new truck.
b. In the New Truck screen, input all the appropriate information to create the new truck.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
ID | Input ID |
Description | Input Description |
Length | Input Length |
Height | Input Height |
Tare Weight | Input Tare Weight |
c. Click on Create New Truck.
Editing a Truck
a. In the Trucks page, click on pencil icon beside a truck listing and edit the necessary information in the fields.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
Description | Input Description |
Length | Input Length |
Height | Input Height |
Tare Weight | Input Tare Weight |
c. Once done editing, click on Update.
d. An existing truck can also be deleted.
e. Click on Delete Truck to delete an existing truck.
Adding Trailers
a. In the Trailers page, click on New Trailers to initiate the creation of a new trailers.
b. In the New Trailers screen, input all the appropriate information to create the new trailers.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
ID | Input ID |
Description | Input Description |
Length | Input Length |
Height | Input Height |
Tare Weight | Input Tare Weight |
c. Click on Create New Trailers.
Editing Trailers
a. In the Trailers page, click on pencil icon beside a trailers listing and edit the necessary information in the fields.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
Description | Input Description |
Length | Input Length |
Height | Input Height |
Tare Weight | Input Tare Weight |
c. Once done editing, click on Update.
d. An existing trailer can also be deleted.
e. Click on Delete Trailer to delete an existing trailer.
Adding new Forklifts
a. In the Forklifts page, click on New Forklifts to initiate the creation of a new forklifts.
b. In the New Forklifts screen, input all the appropriate information to create the new forklifts.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
ID | Input ID |
Description | Input Description |
Weight | Input Weight |
c. Click on Create New Forklifts .
Editing existing Forklifts
a. In the Forklifts page, click on pencil icon beside a forklifts listing and edit the necessary information in the fields.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
Description | Input Description |
Weight | Input Weight |
c. Once done editing, click on Update.
d. An existing trailer can also be deleted.
e. Click on Delete Forklifts to delete an existing trailer.
Route Management
The Route Management page is where the user will be able to create New Routes and edit the said routes.
Creating a new route.
a. In the Route Management page, click on the New Route to initiate the creation of a new route.
b. In the New Route screen, input all the appropriate information to create the new route.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
Route ID | Input Route ID |
Type | Normal Route - A route that goes from the depot to the list of addresses. Switch Route - A route that will go from the depot to a specified collection point, where deliveries on a run will be delivered from. Remote Route - A collection point from the above switch route. Once the driver reaches the remote route, the deliveries on the run will originate from this point. |
Departure Time | Input Departure Time |
Driver | Driver Name |
Truck | Input Truck |
Forklift | Input Forklift |
Trailer | Input Trailer |
c. Click on Create New Route.
Editing an existing route.
a. In the Route Management page, click on the pencil icon beside an existing route to edit it.
b. In the Route screen, all the details in an existing route can be changed.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
Departure Time | Input Departure Time |
Driver | Driver Name - A list of employees in the EPICOR system |
Truck | Input Truck |
Forklift | Input Forklift |
Trailer | Input Trailer |
c. Once done editing, click on Update.
d. An existing route can also be deleted.
e. Click on Delete Route to delete an existing route.
Settings
The General Settings section allows the user to calibrate and setup Dispatch Portal to fit the business needs.
General Settings
a. In the Settings section, click on General Settings.
b. Indicate the number of days that will be shown in the calendar view that will be seen in the dashboard.
1) The value can be from 1-31.
c. Click Save.
Company & Plant
a. In the Settings section, click on Company & Plant.
b. Choose the appropriate Company and Plant from the drop-down list.
c. Click Save.
Routing
a. In the Settings section, click on Routing.
b. In the Azure Maps Key field, enter the the appropriate Azure Maps Key.
c. Click Save.
Time Factors
a. In the Settings section, click on Time Factors.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
OTS Delivery (minutes) | Input OTS Delivery (in minutes). This will add the minutes that have been entered against the delivery time for each one time ship to order delivery on a run. |
Border Times (minutes) | Input Border Times (in minutes). This will add the minutes that have been entered against the delivery time for each border crossing that is present on a run. The minutes entered here will be doubled on optimisation to account for the return trip back through the border. |
Skid Times (minutes) | Input Skid Times (in minutes). This will add the minutes that have been entered against the delivery time for each pallet on a run. A pallet will be grouped by a pack, so if there are 2 packs on a delivery, then it will be assumed that there are 2 pallets. |
Unplanned Contingencies (minutes) | Input Unplanned Contingencies (in minutes). This will add the minutes that have been entered against the delivery time for unplanned contingencies (e.g. Stopping for food, stopping for the bathroom etc.). |
Break times (minutes) | Input Break times (in minutes). This will add the minutes that have been entered against the delivery time for break times the driver is entitled to. This will account for how many break minutes per hour the driver is entitled to. |
Assumes Stop Duration (minute) | Input Assumes Stop Duration (in minute). This will add the minutes that have been entered against the delivery time for assumptions on stop duration (e.g. Stopping for fuel, customer stop times etc.). |
c. Click on Save.
Cost Factors
a. In the Settings section, click on Cost Factors.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
Vehicle Cost (dollars) | Input Vehicle Cost (in dollars). This will be an estimate of the cost of the vehicle. (Truck Tyres, Vehicle Maintenance, Cleaning etc.) |
Fuel Cost (dollars) | Input Fuel Cost (in dollars). This will be an estimate of the cost of fuel per km. |
Labor Cost (dollars) | Input Labor Cost (in dollars). This will estimate the cost of labor per hour. For example, if a run is 6 hours, it will be the inputted value times 6. |
Miscellaneous Cost(dollars) | Input Miscellaneous Cost(in dollars). This will be an estimate of miscellaneous cost per run. |
c. Click on Save.
Run Page
How to Go to Run Page.
a. Click on the Home section to view the Dispatch Board.
Runs will be visible here in a calendar view on which day a run is assigned to.
Run - a route assigned on a specific day. A run may also be spread across multiple days if needed.
b. click on a run to open the Run Page.
b. In the Run Page, user can edit the Route Details.
Editing Route Details.
a. Beside the Route Details header, click on the edit icon.
b. In the Edit Run Details screen, any of the details can be edited by selecting a new item from the respective drop-down.
A Run has a default value for all of its details once it has been created in the Settings section. In the scenario that a user has to edit details, due to a driver being unable to do the route, a vehicle can’t be used, etc. these can be edited in the Edit Run Details page.
Title | Information |
|---|---|
Driver | Edit Driver by selecting from drop-down |
Truck | Edit Truck by selecting from drop-down |
Forklift | Edit Forklift by selecting from drop-down |
Trailer | Edit Trailer by selecting from drop-down |
c. Click on Update to complete any amendments to the Route Details.
Optimising Route.
a. In the Run Page, estimates are calculated accordingly for Travel Time and Cost will be seen here when Time Factors and Cost Estimates have been set up in the Settings section.
b. Click on the Reoptimise Route button and click YES to calculate the Travel Time and Est. Cost.
Editing a Delivery/Release.
a. In the Run Page, under the Deliveries, click on the edit icon.
b. Tick the appropriate order checkbox to edit the order.
A single or multiple orders can be edited once the appropriate order checkboxes have been ticked.
c. Click on the calendar icon beside the date to choose a different delivery date.
d. Choose a new route in the drop-down.
e. Click on Update Selected Releases to complete the amendments to the selected orders.