ServicePLAN+ – dynamic vehicle disposition in the service-industry

The focus of ServicePLAN+ is on the implementation of findings obtained in the previous project ServicePLAN, and the transformation of the existing service architecture into a pilot system. A significant enhancement is the integration of pedestrian sub-tours into the existing optimization model. This is especially important in urban regions, since the direct access by car to customers in a pedestrian zone or large living-complex is often very limited, or not possible at all.

Core activities and goals of ServicePLAN+ are:

• Extend the optimization model to include inter-modal sub-tours, i.e. the combination of vehicle-rides and walks in a single tour.
• Increase the quality and performance of the vehicle routing by extending, refining and accelerating the optimization-technique Adaptive Large Neighbourhood Search and by using Cloud Computing technology to accelerate the calculation of tours.
• Design and implementation of generalized interfaces to integrate the pilot-system into existing systems.
• Develop a pilot-system that supports schedulers in the planning of efficient tours and the distribution of work amongst service-technicians.
• Evaluate the pilot systems, with a focus on the optimization results.

The results should address the needs of companies in various areas who need to dispatch service technicians as part of their work. Potential customers include energy utilities, telecommunications providers, providers of technical on-site support, etc.