A successful Route Management System must focus on the following components:
By far, the most popular hardware platform for route accounting is the Motorola MC series. There are multiple products to choose from with varying specifications:
For the printers, O'Neil and Zebra are the most widely used battery operated printer for mobile systems.
The Zebra printers typically used are the belt mounted, 4" column thermal printers that range from $400 - $1000.
The popular O'Neil printer is the 8.5" impact printer that sells for around $1400.
There are several software vendors that provide Route Management products. On the low end, some offer a simple "Item Quantity" package with limited functionality while others offer full featured complete systems.
Pricing is also varied. Some price the software separate while others include the price into the hardware package.
Integration into the customer’s existing accounting systems is always the biggest unknown variable and can costs tens of thousands for a simplistic integration to hundreds of thousands for a complex, tightly integrated solution.
After making such a large investment in hardware, the last thing you want to see is:
"The Motorola MC9097-S has been discontinued. No direct replacement is available."
With service rates around $400 an hour, dedicated, specialized hand held mobile computers become an ever increasing expense as they age. Due to the high entry costs, the ever-present decision to replace aged hardware is commonly delayed while the maintenance expenses continue to accumulate.
Windows CE, Windows Mobile, .NET, Visual Studio, C++, VB.NET, etc. The list of platforms, languages, utilities and add-ons potentially used to create a route management package is too immense to list here. Each separate component, regardless of its publisher, has a finite life-span. Some are very long and can be expected to continue for the foreseeable future ( .NET, C++) while others have already expired (Symbol SDKs).
From a customer’s point-of-view, this does not impact the functionality of an existing product, but does play a role when a hardware replacement is required or a custom update is needed.
Delivery of software source code rarely occurs, even for the largest of customers. Reliance on the software vendor will continue through out the life cycle of the system for updates, changes and routine support. A system can become effectively "dead" when the developers move on to other companies and projects or the vendor itself folds or is assimilated into a large corporation.
Until very recently the only reasonable approach to automating route management was to use a dedicated hardware platform running a dedicated software package. These programs download current data from a host, process daily activities and communicate transaction information to a host server whenever possible. Communications are typically using wireless and cellular connections.
Smart phones have been the target of route management systems since their introduction into the market. The benefits are numerous but effective deployment has been very sparse due to a few hurdles:
The most recent phones have sufficient screen size to accommodate a robust route management system. The internal RAM/ROM and external SD capabilities have increased to handle almost any size distributor's needs.
Since the introduction of the first IPhone, hardware manufacturers have been scrambling to create useful add-on products for smart phones. Of particular interest to the route management market are the Bluetooth and barcode scanner accessories.
Other accessories that may be pertinent to a mobile workforce, like chargers and cases, are inexpensive, plentiful and widely available.
ECMAScript is the name of the standard language used in JavaScript (JScript at MicroSoft). In June 2011 version 5.1 was finalized and released. The major browsers have quickly accepted and implemented its features. With full collaboration of all major browser vendors, the stated goal was full interoperability among the browsers. This provides a single platform to target all modern computers including mobile devices. Included in 5.1 was the releases and standardization of several functions that allow seamless communications between host servers and client browsers.
With the release of Internet Explorer 10 the availability of application Cache has spread to all the major browsers. This HTML5 standard feature allows for a web accessed page (or site) to be stored locally on the device that loaded the page. This permits access to a page when a client browser is offline or unable to sustain an internet connection.
The ability to store large amounts of data locally has been pursued for many years. The first wide spread implementation of a database structure for use in a web page was called Web SQL and was only available in half the browsers. It was not fully standardized and has since been depreciated by the World Wide Web Consortium.
IndexedDb has replaced Web SQL and is currently available in most modern browsers with the notable exception being the Apple browsers. The amount of memory available for IndexedDB is only limited by the hardware and the user’s approval. The data stored is available online or offline and remains in the local device until the user deliberately removes it.
Bluetooth is a communication standard that is available on all smart phones. It enables a Smart phone to communicate to other devices that are paired with each other and within a 30ft radius.
There are multiple companies that offer Bluetooth to serial adapters that convert Bluetooth data into serial data that can be attached to a serial printer.
There are multiple companies that offer Bluetooth bar code scanners that can scan a bar code and send the result via Bluetooth. Some newer versions have a very small foot print and can be attached to a smart phone.
Applets are small functions written in Java that can access the native functions of a device like a smart phone. Applets can be used to control Bluetooth, camera, motion, signature capture and other specialized functions on the smart phone. Applets can interact with a web page via JavaScript.
With the release of Chrome for iOS in June of 2012, Chrome is now available on every major hardware platform and provides program performance consistency.
The V-Trax system is designed for any smart phone. The operational demo is optimized for a Samsung Galaxy S4:
It is possible to use smart phones a generation or two back to reap further savings. It is also possible to use older phones without securing a cellular contract and communicating via Wi-Fi whenever feasible.
Consumer level insurance is typically $10 a month with 24 hour replacement up to twice a year.
Attachable Laser Bar Code scanners are available that quickly scan an item and send the result to the smart phone via Bluetooth.
SocketMobile
OtterBox Defender phone case provides protection for repeated 6ft drops.
OtterBox
Bluetooth to serial adapters are available for printing to serial impact printers resident in the delivery vehicle.
USconverters
In-vehicle chargers can be obtained almost everywhere (including the local gas station).
The recent releases of JavaScript, HTML5 and Chrome have presented, for the first time, the ability to create a true, robust Route Management Software System for smart phones without encumbering restrictions.
V-Trax is created in pure, native JavaScript. No add-ons, shims, wrappers or third party additions. The idea is to keep all code within the bounds of ECMAScript to minimize the need for ongoing support due to code or routine depreciation, obsolescence or modifications.
Provides the ability to store large amounts of table structured data with fast storing and retrieval attributes.
Provides the ability to maintain functionality without a live internet connection.
Provides a generic medium to perform hardware specific functions like Bluetooth to printer and bi-directional Bluetooth communications to an external scanner.
Chrome interprets the V-Trax JavaScript programs at execution time and provides a common, stable predictable base across all operating systems. On current smart phone operating systems, Chrome can be swapped in and out of the background allowing users to answer the phone or text a message and instantly return to the suspended V-Trax operation. Even without an internet connection.
The design of the original T-Trax has withstood the test of time and is the basis of V-Trax. The tables and structures within V-Trax are a super-set of T-Trax. This allows current T-Trax users a seamless path to V-Trax yet permit dynamic growth.
To facilitate an easy T-Trax to V-Trax conversion, the user interface will mimic the T-Trax screens where appropriate and will contain additional data and options as permitted by the larger screen size. All buttons meet the requirement of being accessible with a gloved finger. No stylus required.
The core or bootstrap of V-Trax is a small framework that loads all required HTML, CSS, JavaScript and data for all other operations. Once loaded, an active internet connection is not required.
All functionality beyond the boot occurs on a single page that is controlled by table data loaded during boot. Pages are dynamically swapped depending on the operation chosen by the user. The dataset controlling these pages can easily expand as requirements or technology changes. They consist of HTML5, JavaScript and CSS components and can be created by any competent programmer thereby reducing any reliance on a single vendor.
The current state of V-Trax is always stored in a non-volatile table. Should the user reset or terminate the Chrome process, V-Trax will still resume where it was stopped.
Data transfers are initiated by V-Trax and will occur whenever a solid link is established and a transfer is required. Each transfer is record level based and time stamped to prevent any data loss by intermittent connections.
Apple iPhone applications must be distributed through the Apple Store.
Android applications that can only easily be distributed though the Google Play Store.
V-Trax is downloaded directly from a secure Web Server.
All interactions with the Web Host occur through an SSL layer ensuring security and privacy. It is the same encryption used for web e-commerce.
Admin accounts have full access to a virtual host on the ENC Web Server and, thereby, have access to all the V-Trax related functions on the virtual server.
The virtual server resides within a Plesk container and can be very easily moved to any other Plesk Apache web server. This eliminates reliance on ENC for web hosting services.
Each route has a unique user id and password. Logging on directly to the Web server will allow access to certain reports and settings. Accessing the server from the V-Trax application requires the user id and password prior to any transfer of data. Password entry is required daily for security.
Both Admin and V-Trax User accounts have access to the V-Trax tables conditionally to read, write, modify or delete. Various reports can be called by Users and the Admin has full mySql access to the tables.
Data transfers with accounting systems can occur via XML, JSON, mySql or delimited text files.
Utilities are available to parse VT-Host tables and create mySql commands. These are then sent via a web form for synchronization into the Web Server tables. Conversely, any modified data on the Web Server can be extracted into delimited files for inclusion into VT-Host tables. These utilities permit the simultaneous use of T-Trax and V-Trax at a single location.
Linux Apache mySql Php is the most prevalent platform for web sites. Programming services can be easily obtained to maintain and enhance the Web Server without reliance on a single vendor.