Dynamic Scheduling – Session 3

In this session we’ll discuss the Dynamic Scheduling Interface and all the information that can be utilized to Dynamically Schedule a route/routes.

The data shown on the DS screens is based upon the last DS run.  This will either be the nightly process or a manual run.  If you use remote data and data arrives after the nightly DS process, you may decide to manually run DS to utilize the most recent machine activity.   The number of days displayed on the Dispatch Route and Dispatch-POS views is based upon the global setting “# of Days to display on schedule”.

Dynamic Scheduling “Dispatch-Route View” (The view that first appears when you open DS)

• Toolbar:

• The different options available are represented by an icon. By hovering your mouse on top of the icon it will display its name and function.

– Show Dynamic Routes Only = this is a toggle box, when selected it only shows dynamic routes, when de-selected it shows all routes.

  -Select Date = Select the date that you want to schedule.  Dynamic Scheduling will show this date and the next 6 days.

  – Load/Refresh = Used when loading or refreshing any new changes.

 – Run Scheduling = Used to manually run Dynamic Scheduling.  By default DS will run automatically after hours as a nightly process.

-Settings = Displays VendMAX Global Settings that can then be altered accordingly.

• Records:

• Route Header/Route Details

The route view can be sorted by clicking on any column heading.  All column headings are active, including the daily summary totals.  Clicking on %D for a specific day, will view the routes based upon the percent depleted.  By default the data will sort in ascending order.  Click the column heading again to sort in descending order.

When you place your mouse on any field within the route detail section and double click, you will be transferred to the POS View for the route.   The field upon which you double clicked controls the POS displayed in the POS View.   Double clicking on the column heading does not move you to the POS view, click on the data values.

• Route Code = Code that has been entered into Vendmax when creating the route.  If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS for the route.

• Route Desc = Description that has been entered into Vendmax when creating the route. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS for the route.

• Target = This is the number entered on the Route master file in Vendmax under the setting “MAX POS Target”.  If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS for the route.

• Fixed = This is the total number of “Fixed” or statically scheduled POS’s assigned with this route.   If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS with a static schedule.

• Dynamic = This is the total number of “Dynamic” POS’s assigned with this route. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS set as dynamic.

• Total = This is the total number of POS’s assigned to this route. Fixed + Dynamic.  If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS for the route.

• Lst Run = Last Date/Time that Dynamic Scheduler was processed.  If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS for the route.

• Last R-DEX = Date/Time of the last remote dex file received for this route. .  If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS for the route.

• R-DEX POS = First section is the number of POS’s with remote dex. Second section is the number of remote dex POS’s that haven’t received a dex file in the last 12 hours.   If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS for the route.

• Day Header/Day Detail

When you place your mouse on any field within the day section and double click, you will be transferred to the POS View for the route/day.   The field upon which you double clicked controls the POS displayed in the POS View.  Double clicking on the column heading does not move you to the POS view, click on the data values.

• Fxd = Total number of “Fixed” or statically scheduled POS’s for this day. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS with a static schedule which are scheduled for the selected day.

• $$ = The average collect expected for each POS’s currently scheduled for the day.  If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS which are scheduled for the selected day.

• Ttl$$ = Total expected dollars collected for this route for this day. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS which are scheduled for the selected day.

• Dnmc = Total number of “Dynamic” POS’s scheduled for this day. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS with a dynamic schedule which are scheduled for the selected day.

• SP = The average number of sold out products for POS’s scheduled. Fixed or Dynamic. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS which are scheduled for the selected day.

• SC = The average number of sold out columns for POS’s scheduled. Fixed or Dynamic. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS which are scheduled for the selected day.

• Acpt = The number of POS’s that meet minimum threshold requirements but are not scheduled.  If you double click on this field, the POS view will display the accepted POS.

• Dfrd = The number of POS’s that were deferred to a different day.  If you double click on this field, the POS view will display the defferred POS.

• Stps = Total number of “Locations” scheduled for the day. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS which are scheduled for the selected day.

• %D = The average percentage depleted for POS’s scheduled for this day. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display all POS which are scheduled for the selected day.

• Msd = The number of POS’s that meet maximum threshold requirements but are not scheduled. If you double click on this field, the POS view will display the missed POS for the selected day.

Floating Reports

Floating Views are anchored on the right side of the Dynamic Scheduling Screen and provide access to additional information.

• Scheduled POS List

Shows the machines that are scheduled for the selected date.  This is a quick way to see the POS scheduled for specific date.  Double clicking on a POS in the floating Scheduled POS List, provides a quick jump to the selected POS on the POS View.  If the list of POS looks good, there may be no need to go into the POS View.

Auto Hide: The push pin can lock the Scheduled POS List on the screen.

• User Activity

Shows users currently working in the Dynamic Scheduler and the routes being accessed.

Dynamic Scheduling “Dispatch-POS View”

Dynamic Scheduler POS View is where you can view the list of POS that is scheduled for a specified date.  It is also where you can view the status of every dynamic machine on the route and make adjustments to the schedule.  The screen shows the current date plus the next six days.

• Toolbar:

• Route Totals Area

The route totals section show the status of the route for the selected date plus the next six days.  As scheduling changes are made, the route totals are automatically updated.  The data is same as that shown on the Route View (1^st screen in DS).   Tooltips are available as you mouse over each field.  The tip provides a description of the data shown.

Clicking on certain fields in the Route Area, will control the Points of Sales that show in the POS Area.  

On first use, the screen will display scheduled POS for the dispatch date selected only.  Changes to the default setting occur when changes to layouts are saved, including the last saved settings for Scheduled Only and Show Hidden POS buttons.

Show Hidden POS – A toggle button which will hide or display Vending Non-Revenue Points of Sale.  The default setting is based upon Global Setting – Display Non-Revenue Vending Points of Sale.

Scheduled Only – When toggled on, this setting will display only the scheduled POS for the selected dispatch date.  When toggled off, this setting will display all Points of Sale on the route.  

All Sorted by Schedule Date – When toggled on, this setting will sort the POS list based upon the schedule date.  The data will sort based upon the scheduled date, followed by the next scheduled day and so on.

All Sorted By Stop – When toggled on, this setting will sort the POS list based upon the Stop value.  it is recommended to display the Stop field in order to follow the sort sequence.

• POS Details Area

This section of the screen shows information relating to the group of POS selected.  The left side provides descriptive details pertaining to the Point of Sale.  The right side of the screen shows machine performance details for the scheduled date and the next six days.

Headers

The sequence of the column headings can be customized by right clicking on each heading and choosing a different option.  All headings in the first four columns can be rearranged with the exception of the address field. This field is fixed in location.

POS Organization

Grouping

The order in which the POS are displayed can be determined by sorting a column or using the grouping feature.  To group the Points of Sale, click on the desired column heading and drag it to the grouping area that is shown in light grey.  The Points of Sale will be grouped by selected the column.

When grouping is used, the POS list is collapsed and POS scheduling totals are viewed for each group.  The alternating colors of blue and yellow are used to make the screen easier to read.  The colors have no intrinsic meaning.  Use the ‘+’ sign to expand a group and view each POS.  Sub-grouping is available by dragging additional headings to the Grouping area.

To remove the grouping, click on the group heading and drag it back to its normal position.    

Sorting

The Points of Sale can be sorted by clicking on any column heading.  When used in conjunction with Grouping, the Points of Sale will be grouped first, and then sorted by the selected column within each group.

Columns can be sorted in ascending or descending order.   The sort arrow will indicate the direction.  The Points of Sale can be sorted using one of the daily performance headings.  When a performance heading is selected, the Points of Sale will be sorted based upon the date under which the column was selected.

POS Field Descriptions

POS Code – This is the POS Code defined in VendMax

POS Desc – The POS description defined in VM

VEQ Type – Originates from the equipment assigned to the POS.

LOC Code – The Location code under which the POS is assigned.

LOC Desc – The location description

POS ## – The total number of POS assigned to this location (vending, CF, delivery, etc).

Stop – The stop description to which the POS is associated.

Address – The address for the location.

Remote – The remote ID assigned to the equipment on the POS.

Priority – Defined as Y=High, N=Normal.  This value can be defined at the customer and location level on the Misc tab. It can also be defined on the scheduling tab of the POS.

Type – The type of schedule assigned to the POS.  Dynamic or Scheduled (static).

Filled – The percent filled from last vend visit.

Last VV – Date of last vend visit.

Last Dex – Date of last remote dex file.

Next VV – Predicted next service date.

Daily Status Measures

A/M – Indicates where the schedule for the POS originated.

Blank – POS is not scheduled

S – Static schedule from VendMax

M – Manually scheduled (a user selected the POS).

D – The Dynamic Scheduler selected the POS

X – The scheduled POS was removed for the day.

SC – Number of sold out columns

SP – Number of sold out products

SO – Status of the service order.  L=Locked, O=Open.

$$ – Expected machine revenue.

%D – Percent depleted.

Wght – Weighting factor used to determine the priority of service.

Days – Number of days since last vend visit.

Alerts, Service Calls and Notes

 A red icon next to the POS code indicates there is an open service call or alert for the POS.  Mouse over the icon for a tooltip containing the details.  An open service call or alert may be a good reason to schedule a POS for service earlier than expected.

Dynamic Scheduling notes can be viewed and modified on the Dispatch-POS view.  Mouse over the note for details.  Double click on the note hyperlink to edit the notes. The notes are initially displayed in ‘read only’ mode. To edit the notes, click the edit button.

POS: – Notes will display for the selected POS only.

LOC: – Notes will display for all POS belonging to the same location as the selected POS.

CUS: – Notes will display for all POS belonging to the same customer as the selected POS.

Adjusting Schedules

The dispatch screen allows you manually adjust the schedule for any POS.  The POS can be static or dynamic.   Right click anywhere on the POS under the selected date to add or remove the POS from the schedule.

The scheduling popup will appear allowing you to change the schedule.

Menu Options

Lock POS for this day	Will lock the POS into the schedule and prevent the auto-scheduler from changing it.
Lock all POS at this location	Will lock all the POS with the same location that are scheduled and prevent the auto-scheduler from changing them.
Open the day	Will unlock the day.
Move to +1 Day	Will unschedule the POS for the selected date and schedule it for the next day.
Move to +2 Days	Will unschedule the POS for the selected date and schedule it for the 2 days out.
Move to +3 Days	Will unschedule the POS for the selected date and schedule it for the 3 days out.
Move to Date	Will provide a calendar and allow you to choose a specific date.
Cancel Stop	Removes the POS from the schedule.
Schedule for this day	Adds the POS to the schedule.
Schedule for this day on another Route	Adds the POS to the schedule and schedules the POS to be serviced by a different route.
Move to -1 Day	Will unschedule the POS for the selected date and schedule it one day prior.
Move to -2 Days	Will unschedule the POS for the selected date and schedule it for 2 days prior.
Move to -3 Days	Will unschedule the POS for the selected date and schedule it for the 3 days prior.
Create/Update Service Order	Will generate a service order for the POS for the selected date.
Show Legend	Provides a popup describing how colors are used.
Show Toolbar	Controls whether the toolbar is viewed.

 Drilling into the POS

Double clicking anywhere on a POS row will drill into the POS and provide additional views.

The POS items tab shows the status of every product in the machine starting with the schedule date and the next six days.  This view is excellent for viewing which products have reached thresholds and when they will be sold out.  Click on the % Depl column heading for the selected date and sort the column in descending order.  This will put the sellouts at the top of the list.

ADS – Average daily sales from the last vend visit

Price – Vend price from the last vend visit.

COL – Column ID from the planogram.

DEX ID – Dex ID from the planogram.  Generally used with space to sales.

Capacity – Capacity for the column from the planogram.

Par – Par value from the planogram.

Last Inv – Ending Inventory from the last vend visit.

Last DI – Ending inventory based upon the last remote dex.

Predict I – Predicted machine inventory for the specified date.

% Depl – Predicted percent depleted for the specified date.

Order QT – Servicer Order quantity.

Sales – Predicted machine revenue.

The Dynamic Scheduling Settings tab shows the shows the dynamic parameters in place for the POS.  These setting were covered in Session #2.

The POS@Location tab provides a view of all POS that reside in the same customer location.  This can useful when making scheduling decisions concerning POS in a bank.

The Close(x) tab is used to exit the split screen and return to the full POS list.

Saving and Locking the Dispatch

Once all schedule changes have been made, they must be saved before exiting the POS view and returning to the route view.

On the toolbar, choose the green checkmark to save your changes.  Choose the red X if wish to undo all the changes you have made since the last save.

When you are satisfied with the schedule for the route, the day must be locked.  Right click on the route totals for the day and choose ‘Lock Day’.  The locking function is important as it prevents the auto-scheduler from making any new changes and it makes sure the VendMax schedule tables match.

Note:  The LOCK feature is available at 3 levels:  Route, Customer Location and POS.   All three have a similar function, which is to make the selected schedule (route, location or POS) un-touchable to the auto-scheduler.   Here is an example of how you might use locking at the location or the POS level:   

1. You run the auto-scheduler and it generates the target list of POS.   
2. You decide to add 10 more machines to the schedule.   
3. If you lock the 10 new POS and rerun the scheduler, it will regenerate a new target list that includes the 10 machines you locked.

Changes can be made to a locked route, location or POS by choosing the unlock option.   Remember to relock after your changes are finalized.

 “Next Schedule-Route View”

Dynamic Scheduler Next Schedule Route View summarizes the next schedule for each route. This view is similar to the Dispatch-Route view as you can view the expected collection amount, the number of machines to be serviced and other status details. The grid layout provides flexibility in choosing the fields to be viewed.  

The purpose of this view and the Next Schedule POS View is to look at one day’s worth of scheduling – essentially the next time when the route is scheduled.  The idea being, you trust the thresholds and parameters you have set and also trust the POS being scheduled by Dispatch. Thus when you review the DS schedule, you are focused on the data for the next day’s schedule only and do not want to see any other information. 

The next schedule day is based on the date in the date picker (generally the current date) plus the schedule Lead Time.  Be sure to add the Date field to the grid layout as this field displays the dispatch date.

The route tool bar contains many of the same fields found on the Dispatch-Route View.  A few differences must be noted.

Selected Date:  Defaults to today’s date. This date plus the lead time determines the

schedule date!

Lock Route: Will lock all routes in the view. A warning is displayed listing the

route/day to be locked.  Locked days are shaded in grey.

Unlock Route: Will unlock all routes in the view. A warning is displayed listing the

route/day to be unlocked.

Right Click Options

Right clicking on an individual route record offers several options:

Run Scheduling for Route: – The dispatch will manually run for the selected route

only.

Lock – Select this option to lock the selected route/day combination.

Unlock – Select this option to unlock the route/day.

Column Filters and Sorting

Data can be sorted by clicking on the column header. Click once for ascending, twice for descending. The Next Schedule views offer a set of options for filtering the records in the grid. Each column heading contains a filter icon, which operates similar to excel filters. 

1. Click on the filter icon for a list of options.
2. To choose more than one value, select “Custom”.  A popup will allow you to set conditions.
3. Multiple columns can be filtered at the same time.  A blue filter icon indicates a filter is active for the column.
4. Column filters are not saved between sessions.

“Next Schedule-POS View”

This view contains the list of POS that are scheduled for a specified date.  It is where you can view the status of every machine on the route and make adjustments to the schedule.  The purpose of this view is to look at one day’s worth of scheduling – essentially the next time the route is scheduled.  The idea being, you trust the thresholds and parameters you have set and also trust the POS being scheduled by Dispatch.  Thus when you review the schedule, you want to view the next schedule only and not see any additional data. 

The Points of Sale listed in this view are based on the date in the date picker (generally the current date) plus the schedule Lead Time.  Be sure to view the Next Schedule Date at the top of the screen to see the dispatch date.  This field is located to the right of Choose Fields button.

This view allows the user to view choose the fields to be displayed.  

The POS tool bar contains many of the same fields found on the Dispatch-POS View.  A few differences must be noted.

Selected Date:  Defaults to today’s date. This date plus the lead time determines the schedule date!

Lock Displayed POS: Will lock all POS in the view. A warning is displayed to ensure you mean to lock all POS.   Locked POS have a gray border around the POS code and description.

Unlock Displayed POS: Will unlock all POS in the view. A warning is displayed listing to ensure the correct unlock function is selected.