Vehicle Routing Software Survey

The information in the survey that follows was provided by the vendors in response to a
questionnaire developed by Randolph W. Hall. The survey should not be considered as
comprehensive, but rather as a representation of available vehicle routing packages.
Questionnaires were sent to vendors drawn from previous survey participants, the OR/MS
Today database and other sources. It includes the products of those vendors who responded
by the deadline. If you know of a vehicle routing package that is not in this survey, please
contact Patton McGinley at (770) 431-0867, ext. 214 or e-mail them to
patton@lionhrtpub.com. They will be included in an online version.

Be sure to read the accompanying article.

UPDATES:
9/24/10 — added ORTEC Transport and Distribution
from ORTEC

The survey is divided into 15 separate pages. Following is an index of the pages and the
information they contain:

Page 1
 Vendor
 Year Introduced
 Platforms Supported: Windows, Linux, Unix, Mac/Mac OS, Application as
Service, Parallel Machines, Other (specify)

Page 2
 Maximum size of problem solvable by the system: Number of Stops,
Number of Vehicles, Number of Terminals

Page 3
 Maximum size of problem solvable by the system (continued):
Recommended Hardware, Processor Speed, Memory, Hard Disk Space

Page 4
 Performance: Computation time to solve problem with 50 routes, 1,000 stops,
two-hour hard-time windows (specify platform for calculations and any other
assumptions); What types of algorithms are employed (open-ended)?; Are
approximations used to reduce computation time?

Page 5
 Routing Functions: Node Routing, Arc Routing, Real-time re-routing, Real-time
Stop Scheduling, Daily Routing, Route Planning & Analysis, Incorporates Real-time
Traffic Information, Collects Historical Travel Time Information

Page 6
 Price Information: Single Site License (50 routes), Does license fee include
map for one region?, What brand of map is provided?, Installation support cost
($/hour), Typical support hours needed for installation (50 routes)

Page 7
  GIS Capabilities: Displays routes & stops on maps, Can edit routes with drag &
drop, Geocodes stops from addresses

Page 8
 Solution Algorithm: Does system accept Soft Time Windows?, If so, how are
Soft Time Windows Specified?

Page 9
 Product is available as part of a suite that provides: On-board electronic
display, Wireless messaging to driver, Real-time vehicle tracking, Bar-code scanner,
Supply chain management software (e.g. inventory mangement), Customer order
processing, Computer aided dispatch for police, fire or emergency vehicles

Page 10
 Features: Assigns individual drivers, Turn-by-turn route instructions, Automatic
forecasts of delivery, Load manifests, Loading plan for truckload, Weather forecast
information displayed to dispatcher, ETA automatically sent to the customer if there
is a delay

Page 11
 Types of fleets that currently use the product: Local pick-up and delivery,
Long-haul less-than truckload, Long-haul truckload, Courier, Buses, Taxis, Service
fleets, Emergency services (police, fire, etc.)

Page 12
 Other special features
 Recent innovations in system

Page 13
 Has your routing software been integrated with either cell phone or PDA
technology? Describe the application:
 Have you developed other software innovations, such as use of social
networking for information sharing? Describe:

Page 14
 How has economic downturn affected market
 New features that address sustainability/green requirements

Page 15
 Number of companies using software
 Most significant installations

Page 16
 What is the largest change in the industry over the last two years?
 What do you expect to be the biggest change in the next two years?

Vendor List

The survey appeared in the February 2010 issue of OR/MS Today. To order a copy of this
issue, contact Customer Service at 770-431-0867, ext. 224 or send e-mail to:
csr@lionhrtpub.com.Vehicle Routing Software Survey
Table 1

Platforms Supported
Year Mac Application Other
Product Vendor Introduced Windows Linux Unix OS as Service Parallel (Specify)
Accellos One Prophesy 1999 y       y    
Optimize Transportation
Solutions, an
Accellos Company
Direct Route Appian Logistics 1996 y            
Software, Inc.
DISC MJC2 1990 y y y   y    
DRTraCK Appian Logistics 2003 y       y Web Service Web Service
Software, Inc.
IBM ILOG IBM   y         No  
Transportation
Analyst
JOpt.AAS DNA Evolutions - 2009         y   SOAP
Distributed WebService
Natural Algorithms
GmbH
JOpt.SDK DNA Evolutions - 2005 y y y y y    
Distributed
Natural Algorithms
GmbH
MOBi MJC2 1998 y y y   y    
Mobile Asset FreshStart 2009 y       y Yes  
Route Logistics
Optimization
Optrak Optrak 1988 y            
Distribution
Software Ltd
ORTEC Transport ORTEC 2004 y       y    
and Distribution
Paragon Routing Paragon Software 1997 y            
and Scheduling Systems, Inc.
Optimizer
PlanOp Jeppesen, a 1998 y            
Boeing Company
QMms - Quant QuantMethods 2009         y    
Methods for
Management
Science
REACT MJC2 1993 y y y   y    
Roadnet UPS Logistics 2006 y y y   y Web app -  
Anywhere Technologies multiple
processors
used
Roadnet UPS Logistics 1983 y y y     Multiple Citrix,
Transportation Technolgies CPUs used Terminal
Suite Services
Route Planning Descartes 2004 y       y unlimited  
Suite Systems Group
StreetSync Basic RouteSolutions 2008 y       y    
StreetSync RouteSolutions 2005 y            
Desktop
TruckStops MicroAnalytics 1984 y            
TruckStops (UK) Mapmechanics 1991 y           Server or PC
WebSTARS 5.2 SAITECH, Inc. 1995 y       y   optimzier
available on
Unix

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 2

Maximum size of problem solvable by the system

Product Number of Stops Number of Vehicles Number of Terminals
Accellos One Optimize Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Direct Route 12,000 10,000 1,000
DISC unlimited unlimited unlimited
DRTraCK Based on routes from Direct Based on routes from Direct Based on routes from Direct
Route Route Route

IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst NA NA NA

JOpt.AAS unlimited unlimited unlimited
JOpt.SDK unlimited unlimited unlimited
MOBi unlimited unlimited unlimited
Mobile Asset Route Optimization 100,000 10,000 10,000
Optrak No fixed limits No fixed limits n/a
ORTEC Transport and Distribution not limited not limited not limited
Paragon Routing and Scheduling 20,000 3,000 2,000
Optimizer

PlanOp Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited

QMms - Quant Methods for Limited by browser memory Limited by browser memory Limited by browser memory
Management Science

REACT unlimited unlimited unlimited

Roadnet Anywhere Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Roadnet Transportation Suite Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
Route Planning Suite unlimited unlimited unlimited
StreetSync Basic 250 Unlimited Unlimited
StreetSync Desktop Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
TruckStops Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
TruckStops (UK) Unlimited Unlimited Unlimited
WebSTARS 5.2 unlimited unlimited 20

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 3
 Maximum size of problem solvable by the system (continued)
Recommended Processor Speed Memory Hard Disk Space
Product Hardware
Accellos One Optimize Windows XP, Server 1.8GHz + 1GB + 100 MB +
Direct Route current level OC/server 2.8 1GB 60GB

DISC Windows or Unix based 3GHz 2GB 100GB

machines

DRTraCK Web service Web Service Web Service We Service

IBM ILOG Transportation Dual or Quad Core 4GB 100GB  
Analyst processor 

JOpt.AAS Intel or AMD 3 GHz 4 GByte or more 200 MB

JOpt.SDK Intel or AMD 3 GHz 4 GByte or more 200 MB
MOBi Windows or Unix based 3GHz 2GB 100GB
machines

Mobile Asset Route 2 Ghz Intel Processor 2 Gb 5 Gb  

Optimization

Optrak Standard PC 2Ghz (dual core or 4gb 15gb

more)

ORTEC Transport and dependents on the dependents on the dependents on the dependents on the
Distribution number above number above number above number above

Paragon Routing and PC / Windows Server Fast Intel Core, e.g. Minimum 512 MB 2 GB
Scheduling Optimizer 3.6 GHZ

PlanOp Intel Core2 Duo CPU 4 GB RAM 100 GB Hard Disk

@ 3 GHz

QMms - Quant Methods for Browser (Windows,  

Management Science Mac, etc)

REACT Windows or Unix based 3GHz 2GB 100GB

machines

Roadnet Anywhere PC with Internet

Access

Roadnet Transportation Depends on Depends on Depends on Depends on

Suite implementation type implementation type implementation type implementation type

Route Planning Suite Windows compliant Configuration Configuration Configuration

servers dependent dependent dependent

StreetSync Basic Intel PC / Windows 1Ghz or faster 512 MB or greater At least 100 MB
StreetSync Desktop Intel PC / Windows 2 GHz or faster 512 MB or greater At least 2 GB
TruckStops PC. Server optional 1.4 or higher 256 kb 1 GB
TruckStops (UK) PC, Server Optional 1.4 or higher 256 KB 1 GB
WebSTARS 5.2 Windows server, PC 3.0 Ghz 2GB 80 GB

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 4

Performance
What types of algorithms are Are approximations used to
Product Computation time employed (open-ended)? reduce computation time?
Accellos One Optimize 4-5 minutes Proprietary No
Direct Route <5 minutes Prorietary Prorietary
DISC A few seconds Multi-layered optimisation No
approach
DRTraCK Based on routes from Based on routes from Direct Route Based on routes from Direct
Direct Route Route
IBM ILOG Transportation problem specific contact IBM No
Analyst
JOpt.AAS 5 Minutes on a 3 GHz construction and improvement convergency criteria on
CPU algthm costfuction
JOpt.SDK 5 Minutes on a 3 GHz construction and improvement convergency criteria on
CPU algthm costfuction
MOBi A few seconds Multi-layered optimisation No
approach
Mobile Asset Route < 1min on current PC AI/Expert Systems/Constraint No
Optimization configuration
Optrak 5 - 10 minutes, Heuristics, relaxation, genetic. Only for rush-hour time bands
Win/Intel Core2 Duo
ORTEC Transport and 5 minutes Construction + neighbourhood Yes, heuristics
Distribution search
Paragon Routing and Around 2 minutes Range of cost saved &
Scheduling Optimizer improvement
PlanOp Minutes Column Generation and Local Yes, various options and
Search parameters
QMms - Quant Methods for Untested LP; branch & bound
Management Science
REACT A few seconds Multi-layered optimisation No
approach
Roadnet Anywhere <30 Seconds Heuristic algorithms are employed No assumptions made
Roadnet Transportation <30 Seconds Heuristic algorithms are employed No assumptions made
Suite
Route Planning Suite Configuration and Configuration and customer Configuration and customer
customer dependen dependen dependen
StreetSync Basic < 15 Minutes Proprietary Proprietary
StreetSync Desktop < 15 Minutes Proprietary Proprietary
TruckStops User settable, 1-5 Proprietary Heuristics no
minutes
TruckStops (UK) User settable, Min 1-5 Proprietary Heuristics No
minutes
WebSTARS 5.2 1 min on Windows PC local search, integer programming tuning parameters for local
with 2.8Ghz search

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 5

Routing Functions
Incorporates Collects
Real- Real-time Route Real-time historical
Node Arc time re- Stop Daily Planning Traffic travel time
Product Routing Routing Routing Scheduling Routing & Analysis Information information
Accellos One y y y   y y    
Optimize
Direct Route y y y y y y y y
DISC y y y y y y y y
DRTraCK y y y y y y y y
IBM ILOG y y     y y    
Transportation
Analyst

JOpt.AAS y y   y y y    
JOpt.SDK y y   y y y    
MOBi y y y y y y y y
Mobile Asset y y y y y y y  
Route
Optimization

Optrak y y y   y y    
ORTEC Transport y   y y y y   y
and Distribution
Paragon Routing y y   y y y   y
and Scheduling
Optimizer

PlanOp y       y y    
QMms - Quant y         y    
Methods for
Management
Science

REACT y y y y y y y y
Roadnet y y y y y y y y
Anywhere
Roadnet y y y y y y y y
Transportation
Suite

Route Planning y y y y y y y y
Suite
StreetSync Basic y       y y    
StreetSync y       y y    
Desktop
TruckStops y y y y y y    
TruckStops (UK) y y y y y y    
WebSTARS 5.2 y y y   y y y y

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 7

Price Information
Typical support
Single Site Does license fee Installation hours needed for
License (50 include map for What brand of support cost installation (50
Product Routes) one region? map is provided? ($/hour) routes)
Accellos One Contact for
y BING Included 2 Days
Optimize pricing
Direct Route $23,500 y Teleatlas/Navtech Annually billed Flat implementation
and training fe
DISC POA   Compatible with POA POA
many map products
DRTraCK minimal site y Navtech/teleatlas None None
 branding fee
IBM ILOG contact IBM y IBM ILOG contact IBM contact IBM
Transportation
Analyst
JOpt.AAS monthly fee     375ˆÑ setup 4 hours
cost
JOpt.SDK 5000 ˆÑ     free less than 1 hour
MOBi POA   Compatible with POA POA
many map products
Mobile Asset Route Varies     $200/hr Varies: 24-100hrs
Optimization
Optrak Price on y Varies according to Price on Varies according to
application country/problem application routing problem
ORTEC Transport $50K y NAVTEQ, AND, any $1000 / hour 240 hours
and Distribution other
Paragon Routing $35,000 for 100 y NAVTEQ $755 or $930 80 hours
and Scheduling vehicles per day
Optimizer
PlanOp Price on   MapInfo and ESRI Price on Depends on user
Application files supported Application requirements
QMms - Quant $19.95     n/a  
Methods for
Management
Science
REACT POA   Compatible with POA POA
many map products
Roadnet Anywhere Please contact for y TelaAtlas North Included 20
pricing America
Roadnet Please contact for   Multiple vendors $120 80
Transportation Suite pricing used globally
Route Planning n/a   varies n/a dependent on customer
Suite
StreetSync Basic $99 per month y NAVTEQ $125 hr, if Unnecessary
requested
StreetSync Desktop < $10,000 - Call y NAVTEQ $125 hr, if Unnecessary
for info requested
TruckStops $9500   Mappoint. PC*Miler Included in Varies 24-48 hours
as add-on. Support cost
TruckStops (UK) Please contact Geoconcept Please contact Varies greatly,
Mapmechanics Mapmechanics please contact
WebSTARS 5.2 call y Chicago Map $ 100 4 hours

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 6

GIS Capabilities
Displays routes & stops Can edit routes with Geocodes stops from
Product on maps drag & drop addresses
Accellos One Optimize y y y
Direct Route y y y
DISC y y y
DRTraCK y y y
IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst y y y

JOpt.AAS      

JOpt.SDK      

MOBi y y y

Mobile Asset Route Optimization      

Optrak y y y

ORTEC Transport and Distribution y y y

Paragon Routing and Scheduling y y y

Optimizer

PlanOp y   y
QMms - Quant Methods for      
Management Science

REACT y y y
Roadnet Anywhere y y y
Roadnet Transportation Suite y y y
Route Planning Suite y y y
StreetSync Basic y y y
StreetSync Desktop y y y
TruckStops y y y
TruckStops (UK) y y y
WebSTARS 5.2 y   y

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 8

Solution Algorithm
Does System Accept Soft Time If so, how are Soft Time Windows
Product Windows? Specified?
Accellos One Optimize y Time Range

Direct Route y application of +/- buffers and/or h

DISC y Configurable rules

DRTraCK y from Direct Route

IBM ILOG Transportation Analyst y penalties applied for early/late

JOpt.AAS y soft time windows are default

JOpt.SDK y timewindows are fuzzy per default

MOBi y Configurable rules

Mobile Asset Route Optimization y Target time with allowable window

Optrak    

ORTEC Transport and Distribution y x min flexib; quadratic cost function

Paragon Routing and Scheduling y Specify "flex" time per window

Optimizer

PlanOp    

QMms - Quant Methods for Management    

Science

REACT y Configurable rules

Roadnet Anywhere y Time window factors

Roadnet Transportation Suite y Time window factors

Route Planning Suite y soft time windows

StreetSync Basic    

StreetSync Desktop    

TruckStops    

TruckStops (UK)    

WebSTARS 5.2 y allowable delay time

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 9

Product is available as part of a suite that provides

Supply chain Computer aided
management dispatch for
On-board Wireless Real-time Bar- software (e.g., Customer police, fire or
electronic messaging vehicle code inventory order emergency
Product display to driver tracking scanner management) processing vehicles
Accellos One y y y   y y  
Optimize
Direct Route   y y        
DISC y   y y y y y
DRTraCK y y y        
IBM ILOG       y      
Transportation
Analyst
JOpt.AAS              
JOpt.SDK              
MOBi y y y y y y y
Mobile Asset y y y y y y  
Route
Optimization
Optrak y y y        
ORTEC Transport y y y   y y  
and Distribution
Paragon Routing y y          
and Scheduling
Optimizer
PlanOp              
QMms - Quant              
Methods for
Management
Science
REACT y   y y y y y
Roadnet y y y        
Anywhere
Roadnet y y y y      
Transportation
Suite
Route Planning y y y   y y y
Suite
StreetSync Basic y y y        
StreetSync y y y        
Desktop
TruckStops              
TruckStops (UK) y y y     y  
WebSTARS 5.2     y y y    

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 10

Features
Weather ETA
Assigns Turn-by-turn Automatic Loading forecast automatically
individual route forecasts of Load plan for information sent to the
Product drivers instructions delivery manifests truckload displayed customer
Accellos One y y   y y   y
Optimize
Direct Route y y y y y   y
DISC y y y y y   y
DRTraCK y y y y y   y
IBM ILOG              
Transportation
Analyst

JOpt.AAS y            
JOpt.SDK y            
MOBi y y y y y   y
Mobile Asset y   y     y  
Route
Optimization
Optrak y y   y y   y
ORTEC Transport y y y y y   y
and Distribution
Paragon Routing y y   y     y
and Scheduling
Optimizer

PlanOp y y   y      
QMms - Quant y            
Methods for
Management
Science

REACT y y y y y   y
Roadnet y y y y y    
Anywhere
Roadnet y y y y y   y
Transportation
Suite
Route Planning y y y y y y y
Suite
StreetSync Basic y y y y y    
StreetSync y y y y y    
Desktop
TruckStops y y y y y    
TruckStops (UK) y y   y y    
WebSTARS 5.2 y y     y   y

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 11

Types of fleets that currently use this product

Local pick- Emergency
up and Long-haul less Long-haul Service services (police,
Product delivery than truckload truckload Courier Buses Taxis fleets fire, etc.)
Accellos One Optimize y y y y y   y  
Direct Route y y y y y   y  
DISC y y y y y y y  
DRTraCK y y y y y   y  
IBM ILOG y y y          
Transportation Analyst

JOpt.AAS y y y y y y y  
JOpt.SDK y y y y y y y  
MOBi y y y y     y  
Mobile Asset Route y              
Optimization

Optrak y y y          
ORTEC Transport and y y y y y y y y
Distribution

Paragon Routing and y y y       y  

Scheduling Optimizer

PlanOp y y y y        
QMms - Quant                
Methods for
Management Science

REACT y y y y y y y  
Roadnet Anywhere y y y y     y  
Roadnet y y y y     y  
Transportation Suite

Route Planning Suite y y y y y y y y

StreetSync Basic y y y       y  
StreetSync Desktop y y y y     y  
TruckStops y y y y     y  
TruckStops (UK) y y y       y  
WebSTARS 5.2 y y y y y   y  

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 12

Product Other special features Recent innovations in system

Accellos One Optimize Integration with Maptuit real-time, New proprietary integration module; for quick,
commercial, turn-by-turn driving directions common integrat
Direct Route   Full integration with multiple on-board devices of
all types
DISC Integrated warehouse planning and driver shift Container scheduling and trunking models
optimisation. added.
DRTraCK linked to Direct Route Multiple OBD types in same fleet
IBM ILOG Transportation    
Analyst
JOpt.AAS SOAP WebService JOpt.AAS is a SOAP WebService which allows for
integration wi
JOpt.SDK ¬€genetic algorithm supported by domain domain specific algorithm cope with special
specific contruction algorithms requirements such as human transportation
MOBi Mobile workforce optimisation. Strategic territory assignment
Mobile Asset Route FreshStart offering is an engine designed to be FreshStart route & dispatch opt API to be
Optimization integrated with dispatch platforms available to third party dispatch platforms
Optrak Multi-compartmented tankers Optrak Realisation includes analysis, reporting,
alerting tools and vehicle tracking
ORTEC Transport and   multi user, multi site software
Distribution
Paragon Routing and Single/multi-site/integrated fleets pl Link with truck tracking = actual movements
Scheduling Optimizer tracked against th
PlanOp Customisable route costing, advanced product Integration of Open Source mapping tools
combination constraints and more providing high-quality, low-cost map support
QMms - Quant Methods for QMms is a tool to teach the concepts of n/a
Management Science routing
REACT Integrated dispatching and real-time Real-time yard management.
scheduling solution.
Roadnet Anywhere
Roadnet Transportation Suite Includes strategic planning, daily ro
Route Planning Suite
StreetSync Basic
StreetSync Desktop
TruckStops
TruckStops (UK)
WebSTARS 5.2
Web-based easy to use daily routing and GPS
tracking application
Integration of purchase transportation,
enterprise class web native architecture, abi
Web-based subscription routing system. One-
click import and export.
Integrated customer database. One-click
import and export.
Extensive special equipment coding
 
 
Web-enabled application with integration of
historical traffic and commercial roads
Integration of historical traffic, commerical road
restrictions, CO2 emission calc
Synchronization of deliveries with sales and
merchandising oper
Integration with commercial Garmin
andTomTom devices.
Integration with commercial Garmin
andTomTom devices.
 
Speeds by Time of Day and Vehicle Type
integration of onlien GIS, available as SaaS

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 14

Have you developed other software

Has your routing software been innovations, such as use of social
integrated with either cell phone or PDA networking for information sharing?
Product technology? Describe the application: Describe:
Accellos One Optimize Yes. Cell phones, black boxes, various MDTs. Full suite of Supply Chain Execution software
and solutions
Direct Route Yes, through DRTrack for both route  
information and tracking
DISC Yes. Please see our MOBi toolset.  
DRTraCK Yes - delivery and service  
IBM ILOG Transportation No No
Analyst
JOpt.AAS   no
JOpt.SDK    
MOBi POD and mobile data capture tools are  
integrated.
Mobile Asset Route Integration with PDA devices for real-time P&D  
Optimization confirmation and enroute GPS updates
Optrak Supports signature capture, real-time billing, n/a
for waste collection, forestry, etc
ORTEC Transport and yes no
Distribution
Paragon Routing and Paragon can be linked with satellite navigation Paragon multi-tripping function optimizes
Scheduling Optimizer & proof of delivery technology resources in double-dispatched operations
PlanOp    
QMms - Quant Methods No No
for Management Science
REACT Yes. Please see our MOBi toolset.  
Roadnet Anywhere Yes - enables paperless office, GPS tracking,  
proactive service failures
Roadnet Transportation Yes - enables paperless office, GPS tracking, Release of multiple web-based reporting tools
Suite proactive service failures for daily and historical analysis
Route Planning Suite Integration with GPS enabled cell phones, networked applications
windows mobile enabled d
StreetSync Basic Integration with Garmin and TomTom devices.  
Advanced integration with TomTomWork.
StreetSync Desktop Integration with Garmin and TomTom devices.  
Advanced integration with TomTomWork.
TruckStops    
TruckStops (UK)    
WebSTARS 5.2 Cell phones with GPS can be integrated  

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 13

Number of Companies
Product Using Software Most Significant Installations
Accellos One Optimize 1001+ Boston Beer, Gold Medal Bakery, Piggly Wiggly
Direct Route 1001+ Multiple fortune 100/8 of top 10 Logi
DISC 1001+ Our systems are used by many high profile organisations and
household names.

DRTraCK 101-500 Multiple national retail chains

IBM ILOG Transportation 1-100 contact IBM
Analyst

JOpt.AAS 1001+ New York Department of Health, Roland Berger Transport

Consulting, Kinetix Wireless (Canada), Akquinet (Poland), BOC
Gases

JOpt.SDK 1001+ New York Department of Health, Roland Berger Transport

Consulting, Kinetix Wireless (Canada), Akquinet (Poland), BOC
Gases

MOBi 101-500 Our systems are used by many high profile organisations and
household names.

Mobile Asset Route 1-100  

Optimization

Optrak 1-100 Menzies Distribution, Reynolds Logisti

ORTEC Transport and 101-500 Tesco, Ahold, Hermes Logistics, Offergeld, Toll, De Rijke
Distribution

Paragon Routing and 101-500 Airgas; McLane Company; CEVA; Exel Logistics; Toyota Material
Scheduling Optimizer Handling; National Food Corporation; Red Ball Oxygen; Ryder

PlanOp 1-100 Australia Post, Purolator Courier, Sc

QMms - Quant Methods for 1-100  
Management Science

REACT 101-500 Our systems are used by many high profile organisations and
household names.

Roadnet Anywhere 101-500 Otis Spunkmeyer, Goodness Greeness, Lion Plumbing, Oxygen
One

Roadnet Transportation Suite 1001+ Anheuser-Busch, Office Depot, Sysco, Mohawk Industries, Apria
Healthcare
Route Planning Suite   n/a
StreetSync Basic 101-500 Walco International Inc, Arca Incorpo
StreetSync Desktop 101-500 Navteq, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Cintas, Duncan Telcom
TruckStops 1001+  
TruckStops (UK) 1001+  
WebSTARS 5.2 1-100 Nihon oil with 70 sites

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Table 15

What is the largest change in the What do you expect to be the biggest change in the
Product industry over the last two years? next two years?
Accellos One  
Optimize
Direct Route Drive toward reduced miles Return of driver shortages
DISC    
DRTraCK Focus on reduced overall costs return to focus on driver shortages
IBM ILOG    
Transportation
Analyst
JOpt.AAS please refer to JOpt.SDK please refer to JOpt.SDK
JOpt.SDK Companies are looking for solutions that Integration capabilities of third party optimization features
can be integrated into their existing will become more and more important to ISVs that are
system landscape. Ideally this can be done already offering branch specific software suites without
by a programming interface that gives their own optimization algorithms.
enough flexibility to adopt the solution to
specific problem domains
MOBi    
Mobile Asset Availability of ITS systems and associated Ability to leverage the recently available real-time data to
Route rich real-time data that can be leveraged respond optimally and in real-time to changing demand,
Optimization to improve and automate decision process supply, and traffic/road conditions. Enhanced visibility up
in real-time. Emerging green initiatives and down the supply chain enables greater consideration of
have added another dimension to cost vehicle positioning. Economic rebound stimulates
cutting and process/quality control companies to leverage enhanced visibility and control
benefits of route optimization software. offered by ITS enabled route optimization to develop new
demand/response routing business models.
Optrak Customers are looking for real-time There will be a continued focus on exploiting real-time
management information and real-time management and reporting to enable a more flexible and
reporting. agile transport operation.
ORTEC Transport The industry is slowly moving from static The biggest change will be a horizontal collaboration,
and Distribution to dynamic to execution and from inventory management and routing.
decentral local optimization to a more
centralized approach.
Paragon Routing Integration of routing and scheduling The integration of resource allocation into the routing and
and Scheduling software with GPS vehicle tracking scheduling process for a plan that takes account of driver,
Optimizer technology, allowing tractor and trailer availability. Advanced resource-managed
planning of this kind compiles data abo
PlanOp    
QMms - Quant    
Methods for
Management
Science
REACT    
Roadnet More fleets are becoming incredibly Continued integration with web services, higher demands
Anywhere sophisiticated -- from the very small to the for real-time information as routes are being created and
 large, all want to introduce more executed, enterprise visibility and alignment with larger
technology to make them more efficient corporate initiatives such as green iniatives.
and increase productivity.
Roadnet Convergence of technologies and openess Telematics will become a must have for many fleets
Transportation of multiple systems to work together. This incorporating the best of productivity, fleet health, risk
Suite enables all business processes to be management and compliance.
examined and understand how one part of
the process affects the other - e.g. sales
on distribution.
Route Planning Integration of mobile solutions with real- The consolidation of the routing market and disappearance
Suite time route planning. of smaller routing vendors.
StreetSync Basic    
StreetSync    
Desktop
TruckStops   More integration with web.
TruckStops (UK)    
WebSTARS 5.2 on-time delivery, information sharing SaaS becomes more common

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

Vendor Directory

Appian Logistics Software, Inc.

10317 Greenbriar Place, Suite 100
Oklahoma City, OK 73159 USA
Phone: 866-288-0789
Fax: 405-692-1698
Email: hag@appianlogistics.com
www.appianlogistics.com

Descartes Systems Group

120 Randall Drive
Waterloo, Ontario N2V 1C6 Canada
Phone: 519-746-8110
Fax: 1-519-747-0082
Email: info@descartes.com
www.descartes.com

DNA Evolutions - Distributed

Natural Algorithms GmbH
Bei der Laug 56
Ulm, Germany 89081
Phone: 004973166885
Email: info@dna-evolutions.com
www.dna-evolutions.com
www.joptaas.net

FreshStart Logistics
1700 7th Avenue, Suite 2100
Seattle, WA 98101 USA
Phone: 206-465-5767
Fax: 206-357-8401
Email: info@freshstartlogistics.com
www.freshstartlogistics.com

IBM
1 New Orchard Road
Armonk, New York 10504 USA
Phone: 914-499-1900
www.ibm.com
Jeppesen, a Boeing Company
55 Inverness Drive East
Englewood, CO 80112-5498 USA
Phone: 303-799-9090
Email: sales.rlt@jeppesen.com
www.jeppesen.com

Mapmechanics
Canal Court, 155 High St.
Brentford TW8 8JA UK
Phone: +44 (0) 20 8568 7000
Fax: +44 (0) 20 8568 7400
Email: info@mapmechanics.com
www.mapmechanics.com

MicroAnalytics
2009 14th St N, Suite 302
Arlington, VA 22201 USA
Phone: 703-841-0414
Fax: 703-527-1693
Email: mhooban@bestroutes.com
www.bestroutes.com

MJC2
33 Wellington Business Park
Crowthorne
Berkshire RG45 6LS UK
Phone: +44 1344 760000
Email: info@mjc2.com
www.mjc2.com/Frameset_products_distribution.htm
www.mjc2.com/Frameset_products_wireless.htm
www.mjc2.com/Frameset_products_realtime.htm

Optrak Distribution Software Ltd

Orland House, Mead Lane
Hertford SG13 7AT England
Phone: 01992517100
Fax: 0207 117 3347
Email: vrs-sales@optrak.co.uk
www.optrak.co.uk

ORTEC
Groningenweg 6k
Gouda
Zuid Holland
2803PV
The Netherlands
Phone: +31 182 540 500
Fax: +31 182 540 540
E-mail: info@ortec.com
www.ortec.com/vrd

Paragon Software Systems, Inc.

14001 N Dallas Parkway, Suite 1200
Dallas, TX 75240 USA
Phone: 972-934-6755
Email: sales@paragonrouting.com
us.paragonrouting.com

Prophesy Transportation Solutions, an Accellos Company

204-C West Newberry Road
Bloomfield, CT 06002 USA
Phone: 800-776-6706
Fax: 860-243-2619
Email: washburn@mile.com
www.mile.com
QuantMethods
9644 Oak Meadow Lane, Suite 100
Pilot Point, TX 76258 USA
Phone: 940-231-1949
Email: sales@quantmethods.com
www.quantmethods.com

RouteSolutions
3740 Boyd Ave, Suite 127
San Diego, CA 92111 USA
Phone: 858-541-2738
Fax: 800-293-2815
Email: info@routesolutions.com
www.routesolutions.com

SAITECH, Inc.
PO Box 431
Holmdel, NJ 07733 USA
Phone: 908-513-9815
Fax: 732-444-5911
Email: logi@saitech-inc.com
www.saitech-inc.com

UPS Logistics Technolgies

849 Fairmount Avenue, Suite 400
Baltimore, MD 21286 USA
Phone: 410-847-1900
Fax: 410-847-6246
Email: roadnet@ups.com
www.upslogisticstech.com

Vehicle Routing Software Survey

On the Road to Connectivity

Creative integration of computer, communication and location technologies help a
wide range of industries thrive in difficult times.
By Janice Partyka and Randolph Hall

Since our 2008 routing software survey, the world has suffered through a financial collapse
unlike any since the 1920s. Sinking home values, overseas wars, terrorism, threats of global
warming and turmoil in health care have capped a decade that many would prefer to forget. As
we look forward, the global financial disaster has taught us one thing: simply moving money
from account to account does not produce prosperity. Instead, our well-being depends on
building economic activities that deliver goods and services to real people, when and where they
need them.

Routing software companies are offering creative ways to integrate computer, communication
and location technologies with algorithms and software, helping a wide range of industries thrive
in a period of recovery. These technologies enable routing software companies to provide
sophisticated connectivity and productivity tools to an increasingly mobile workforce and widely
distributed customers.

Technological Foundations

When this series of routing articles began more than a decade ago, cell phones were for the rich,
map databases were still being developed and GPS-enabled navigation was beyond the average
consumer. Routing software worked well, but it wasn't flexible and relied on an imperfect
platform, making it difficult for the drivers to access information on the road, and sometimes
creating a mismatch between the route that drivers were directed to follow and what they knew
to be the best course.

According to Cyndi Brandt of UPS Logistics Technologies, "new data sources have recently
become available, including a more complete commercial roads database, and true historical
traffic data based on real travel times." Chris Jones of Descartes Systems Group also notes an
"explosion of map data attributes and capabilities." In the next year or two, we will have
predictive travel speeds for road segments down to 15-minute intervals. "Currently, drivers say
the software doesn't know everything that they know about the routes. It is sometimes true now,
but won't be that way in the future," says Jones.

Likewise, we are now seeing stronger connectivity between routing software's traditional
functions — that of assigning stops to drivers and placing them in an optimal sequence — with
on-the-road navigation. A computer-generated printout listing turn-by-turn directions is
becoming more of an anachronism these days, when so many drivers can receive voice
commands and dynamic map displays from their phones or navigation devices. As Jones of
Descartes notes, "Customers and prospects are really looking for combined solutions" that both
route and navigate. "The big growth market is in the portable market," he continues. "You see
fleets that would have never gotten GPS technology now using it with a mobile phone."

According to Julian Stephens of MJC2, "Smart phones are changing the industry in a big way
because they allow real-time data capture, which in turn enables real-time re-optimization of the
operation. This is of particular interest to us because our dynamic scheduling algorithms can
make use of these data to increase operational efficiency of mobile workforces." With this type
of on-the-road connectivity, MJC2 and other routing software companies are investing in their
real-time routing features and algorithms.

Software as a Service

According to Greg Wieitholter of Route Solutions, "Desktop-based routing is going away."

Instead, "people want Web-based solutions, so all parts of the organization can have visibility."
This is now often accomplished through the Software as a Service (SaaS) model, whereby the
software vendor generates solutions and manages data from their own servers. Alternatively,
MJC2, for instance, has found that "many customers prefer to host the software themselves as
this gives them more control and flexibility."
SaaS is changing the financial model of some software companies. As Chris Jones of Descartes
notes, "SaaS is the way the industry has headed. It means that customers 'pay as they go.' It
reduces the initial payment of the customer and removes a barrier to entry." UPS has a SaaS
offering aimed at smaller fleets, which treat the software costs like utility charges rather than an
up-front capitalization.

For the software companies themselves, their cash flows are changing from the initial large
balloon payment and lower maintenance fees that come from purchase of licenses to more
continuous income flows. For some, the switch is a difficult financial transition that requires cash
reserves. However, many routing companies have found ongoing support financially challenging
under the license model.

The Business of Routing

Many of the routing companies predict that consolidation in the industry is likely to accelerate
and that companies "run by mathematicians" will be unsuccessful. Customers are looking for
stability and distribution system expertise more than the latest algorithms. Nevertheless, one of
the challenges that all of these companies will face is the ability to process data to re-optimize
routes in real-time. With map data getting richer and real-time traffic adding road segment data
in small time intervals, the processing requirements will grow substantially. The underlying
architecture of these offerings and how the processing is distributed will be a critical factor in
how well each product fares.

Expansion into New Industries

Routing software is being used in an increasingly diverse set of industries, both in traditional
truck pick-up and delivery as well as in mobile services, such as repair crews. Among Descarte's
customers, "Sleepy's Mattress Stores" uses routing software to schedule deliveries on the spot at
point-of-sale, within one-hour time windows. At Appian Logistics Software, it is being used to
synchronize trucks and plumbers so that icemakers can be installed soon after a refrigerator is
rolled in the door. Route Solutions' customers are using routing software to schedule multitudes
of merchandisers and installers, who travel among retail outlets to install product displays and
signage.

One clear trend is that the companies that use routing software increasingly want to offer
services that set them apart from their competition, and these services demand both faster
solution times and improved communication — frequently generating new solutions on the spot.
However, given the tough economy, cost remains an important driver. While desirable to route
the same drivers to the same customers each and every day, that level of consistency can be
inefficient. As Hugh Gigante of Appian notes, "If we tell a customer that it costs them $100 a
day to keep the same drivers servicing the same customers, most fleets will decide it isn't worth
the cost." Instead, routes can be continuously re-optimized so that every vehicle is used to its
max. "Defining features now are anything that reduces windshield time, saves gas and decreases
wear and tear on trucks," concludes Gigante. And trucks need to be full.
Basic Software Features

The routing software surveyed in this article provide a common set of basic capabilities:

 geocoding addresses, i.e., locating the latitude and longitude by matching the address
against data contained in a digital map database;

 determining the best paths through street networks between pairs of geocoded points;

 solving vehicle routing problems, entailing an assignment of stops to routes and

terminals, sequencing stops and routing vehicles between pairs of stops; and

 displaying the results in both graphical and tabular forms in such a way that dispatchers
can guide the solution process and communicate results to drivers, loaders and other
personnel.

Applications differ somewhat according to their target market, special features and integration
capabilities, as discussed in the following section.

This Year's Survey

Sixteen software vendors (12 North American and four from Europe) participated in this year's
survey, representing 22 products. Our questionnaire was divided into sections covering platform,
algorithmic capabilities, interfaces and features, applications, system integration and background
information. All responses are self-reported and unverified.

Platform. Windows remains the dominant platform for routing software and is available for
nearly all software packages, with only one company offering a Mac version of their software,
and another three in Linux and Unix. Fourteen products are available in SaaS, two of which are
only available in SaaS. From a hardware perspective, vendors generally recommend a high-end
PC operating in the 3 GHz range, combined with 1 to 4 Gb of memory and up to 100 Gb in hard
disk space (much less if SaaS is used). These figures have not changed much in the last four
years, again showing that powerful routing software has become easier to run on one's desktop
computer. In SaaS applications, computing requirements are even smaller than in the past.

Algorithmic capabilities. The algorithms underlying routing products are generally proprietary,
though typically involve a combination of integer programming methods and heuristics.
QuantMethods and Jeppesen were more specific, respectively stating that linear
programming/branch-and-bound and column generation were used. FreshStart Logistics, new to
this year's survey, indicated that their algorithms are based on artificial intelligence and expert
system approaches, rather than traditional mathematical programming. DNA Evolutions'
response of "construction and improvement" is likely representative of the general class of
heuristic methods used by most routing vendors.

Vendors generally claim unlimited problem size for their software, but from a practical
perspective, computation time, memory size and disk space bound product performance, so it is
important to test software on actual problems. In this regard, most vendors claim computation
times in the one-to-five-minute range for an average-sized problem, described as the time to
solve a problem with 50 routes, 1,000 stops and two-hour hard-time windows. (Keep in mind
that computation times are provided by the vendors and have not been verified.) These times are
similar to two years ago.

Fast computation times are particularly important in real-time applications, such as when
deliveries are scheduled while the customer is on the phone or when stops are inserted and
scheduled while vehicles are in the field. Researchers in vehicle routing are well aware that
route-length approximations can be very effective at producing good solutions in a short amount
of time. This year, vendors were tight lipped about use of approximations.

Node routing is the capability to assign and sequence discrete stops, and arc routing is the
capability to assign and sequence street segments. The former is needed most often, and occurs
when the driver visits 100 or fewer locations per day. We believe it is available on all products.
Arc routing is more specialized and occurs when vehicles visit every (or most) address on block
segments, as in meter reading, mail delivery and garbage pickup. Most of the vendors claim they
can do both of these, along with real-time routing, daily routing and route planning. However, a
single routing package is unlikely to be adept at all of these functions, and it is important to
select a vendor that has experience in the planned application.

More than half of the products offer some capability for real-time routing, which could come in
the form of real-time re-routing of vehicles or real-time stop scheduling. Six vendors (Appian,
Descartes, FreshStart Logistics, MJC2, SAITECH and UPS Logistics) have the ability to
incorporate real-time traffic, which is now more widely available in major cities. This can enable
a fleet to reschedule in response to customer requirements, vehicle delays or traffic conditions.

Most vendors claim the ability to solve routing problems with soft time windows. However,
when asked for specifics, some simply indicate that they represent a range of time or maximum
allowed delay rather than a true soft window approach. On the other hand, IBM ILOG permits
early and late penalties, DNA Evolution windows are "fuzzy by default" and MJC2 uses
"configurable rules."

Interfaces and features. As a starting point, basic features offered by most include an ability to
display routes and stops on maps and edit these routes with the "drag-and-drop" feature (i.e.,
click on a stop and move it to whichever route you desire). This enables the dispatcher to modify
the algorithm-produced routes and is needed in practice to satisfy customer constraints. To make
these features work, products need digital maps, such as the commercial products from
NAVTEQ (based in the United States) and Tele Atlas (based in Europe). Maps, which are not
inexpensive, are often sold separately and are chosen by customers according to their
requirements.

Integration. Real-time communication with drivers, as well as tracking their locations, has
become particularly important, and most products offer these features. This usually is provided
with vehicle-mounted devices or mobile phones. Interfaces with other software systems — such
as order-entry and inventory management — is also important for retailers and distributors.
Other important features include forecasts for delivery requirements, generation of load
manifests and load planning.

Applications. Whereas vendors generally claim that their products are designed to serve a broad
range of applications, most specialize in an industry sector. Specialization is largely driven by
interface requirements — both in terms of presenting information in a manner that is useful to
the target user and in terms of interfacing with business software systems and hardware devices.
Police, taxi and emergency vehicle dispatch, for instance, each demand special requirements that
differ from the traditional market of private fleets. They fall in the realm of niche markets, even
though in theory they are just variations of vehicle routing.

Vendors that are more experienced in an industry will be better prepared to consult on software
installation and more likely to have relevant features, leading to a higher likelihood of success.
The optimization code might also be different to account for the particular network structure, for
instance the hub-and-spoke design of less-than-truckload (LTL) networks.

In our survey, most of the respondents have specialized in private truck fleets, serving such
markets as food and beverage (e.g., Anheuser Busch, Coca Cola and Gold Medal Bakery).
Jeppesen's PlanOp is being used by for-hire fleets, such as Australia Post and Purolator Courier.

Routing installations tend to require a large degree of customization, as reflected in software

prices, which often runs in the tens of thousands of dollars. As an alternative, SaaS provides
routing services for a monthly fee, perhaps as low as $99 per month. Beyond these software
costs, some level of consulting is likely needed to ensure full integration into a fleet's
information systems, typically priced in the neighborhood of $125 per hour. In terms of pure
size, many companies now claim more than 1,000 installations each.

General information. The accompanying directory provides contact information and product
names for the vendors. Pricing is available for some vendors (in many cases, prices are
negotiable and depend on fleet size). Expect to pay $10,000 or more for the software alone.
Higher-priced products generally offer more customized service, a larger array of features and
interface capabilities, and specialized experience in a particular industry. Price structures do
vary, so be sure to compare the full installed cost before making a choice, including license fees,
installation and maintenance costs, hardware and digital maps.

Selecting a Product

Before purchasing a product, fleet managers should first assess the degree to which routing
solutions and data must be integrated across multiple sites and decide whether they would like
adopt the SaaS model or host their own software. It also important to ask questions such as: How
big of a problem will be solved, measured in vehicles, stops and terminals? How frequently will
the solution be updated, and how quickly must the software generate a solution? Can stops be
scheduled on the spot, or will they be generated in batches? Who will use the software, how is
the information best presented to the user, and are the users distributed among many locations?
Who will install and maintain the software? With which software systems must the routing
system interact? Vendors should demonstrate that they are experienced serving other fleets with
similar requirements, and they should provide references so that you can verify claims.

Janice Partyka (jpartyka@jgpservices.net) is principal of JGP Services, a marketing

consulting practice that focuses on mobile technologies and applications. Randolph Hall
(rwhall@usc.edu) is vice provost for Research Advancement at the University of Southern
California.