Territory planning process

The territory planning functionality enables you to perform territory and preferred engineer simulations. The objective is to reduce travel by clustering the interchangeable work in geographical areas. The territory engine compares the required capacity for the serials, with the available capacity (the engineers or simulations engineers). The engine calculates the best possible combination of the required capacity for the serialized item and the available capacity. Optionally, an engineer can be made responsible for a territory and the optimal territories can also be calculated.

You can select the serialized items that are to be serviced (required capacity) in a certain geographical area. The engine calculates the required capacity on historical and/or already known data. To check the available capacity, the user can specify existing service engineers, as well as simulation engineers, for maximum flexibility. If the calendar and availability type of an engineer is defined, the engine calculates the available capacity. The user can use the simulation results, to modify the preferred engineer on the serialized item and/or the territory.

Note

The user can also manually change the preferred engineer and the territory of the serialized item.

Step 1. 

Determining or calculating the required capacity for a list of serials

In order to determine the required capacity, the user specifies the serialized items for which the capacity requirements must be considered. The user can select the serials that must be part of the geographical clustering calculation based on:

  • Top serial
  • Service department
  • Installation group
  • Service area. This information can be obtained from the related installation group (when applicable)
  • Serialized item groups
  • The manufacturer of the serial
  • The sold-to business partner of the serial

Based on these criteria, Infor LN compiles a list of serials. The list can be modified by the user.

The user can trigger the calculation to aggregate the available capacity data into different categories such as planned activities, service orders. After triggering the calculation, LN provides an overview wherein the capacity figures can be maintained manually including the number of visits. The user loads the known capacity requirements data into the territory plan. For Field Service, LN bases the number of visits on the number of planned activities and service orders. The number of visits determine how much travel time is used for the serial during the simulation. The user has the option to roll up the underlying capacity figures to the top serial item. In case the top serial item is the planning level, it is advised to roll up the capacity of the parts to the top serial. The required capacity is loaded into the territory plan.

Step 2. 

Determining the available capacity

The available capacity must be configured by the user:

  • Using simulation users for a rough identification of the territories
  • Using named resources for a more detailed identification of the territories. To do so, you can either use the actual calendar of the employee or multiplying the number of days with the available hours for a day.

Configuring the available capacity - The available capacity for resources and the number of territories determine the output of the engine. For the input parameter, the number of territories determine the number of geographical clusters into which the total data set is divided. The capacity available for a territory determines whether the set of serials and the related capacity requirements match, ( for example, travel as activity duration) This input parameter helps determine the optimal geographical distribution of territories, on the map.

Step 3. 

Calculating the capacity allocations

The purpose of the engine is to assign as many required capacities (serialized items) as possible to resources (available capacities, that is the (simulation) employees), taking available capacity, required capacity, and travel time into account. Use the Calculate Capacity Allocations (tsspc4200m000) session to start the territory engine.

The engine can be triggered after configuring the input data:

  • The user runs a quick simulation with the average available capacity to be divided over a fixed number of territories. After the simulation, the user can update the territory of the serialized item.
  • The simulation can also be performed with actual resources. After the simulation, the territory and the preferred engineer can be updated for the serial item.

Calculation of the territory plan:

  • Indicate the territory reference point on the map (starting location) : The reference points are indicated 'on the map' to run the initial calculation. The first calculation of distances in step 2 is based on these reference points.
  • Allocate serials to the territory: LN allocates serials to the territory according to the second best algorithm.
  • Swap logic: LN finds the longest distance between the (arbitrary) territory reference point and the serial and tries to minimize the long radius by swapping the serial with another territory reference point.
  • For a set of serials, determine the center of gravity (Optional): For reference points that are not fixed, the system determines the average longitude and latitude and shifts the reference point to the center of gravity of the territory. After a shift in the territory reference point, the system starts again with step2. This process (reiterating from step 2 – step 4) repeats until no substantial improvements are identified anymore.
  • Swap logic for the complete list of serials : For all serialized items, LN verifies if the items can be exchanged with other territories. This is a one-time activity.
Step 4. 

Using the output of the engine

The basic output of the calculation is the territory or preferred engineer identified for a serialized item. The territory plan can be used to update these attributes of the serialized item.

  • Graphical overview: The output of the engine can be viewed using maps that provide an overview of territories. The information about the serial and the required capacity for the serial, along with the activity duration and travel time, is also included. Various colors are used to indicate various territories. The user can update the preferred engineer of the serial based on the territory. The territory planning session can be used to compare territory scenarios. Scenario 1 is on the left side and Scenario 2 is on the right side of the screen. Dual coloring mechanism is used for the markers on the map. In the marker, the color on the left corresponds to the scenario on the left side and the color on the right corresponds to the scenario on the right side. You can also compare the output of the engine with the actual data. The preferred engineer and territory calculated for a scenario can be compared to the preferred engineer or territory in the serialized item master data.
  • Territory and preferred engineer without map : You can view the assigned territory and potentially, the preferred engineer data without the map in the Serialized Item 360 (tscfg2100m100) session. The user can filter and select multiple serials. The serials can be assigned to a preferred engineer using the Update Engineer and Location Address... option from the References menu.
Step 5. 

Recalculating the travel time

When the territory engine is run, you can recalculate the travel time, because the travel time used by the engine is based on the center of gravity. However, the center of gravity is typically, not the home address of the engineer. Therefore, there can be a discrepancy between the calculated and the actual travel times. For example employees are hired to complete assignments in an area that is not, by default, close to the employee's home address resulting in a deviation from the reference point and the center of gravity. This is applicable only for two calculation options:

  • Direct (as the crow flies)
  • Road-based (using a web service [call to Google or Bing API])

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