Talcasoft Avance is the latest product in our long lineage of Transport Management Systems. Jobs, customers, drivers, rates and other details from Talcasoft TMS Plus can be transferred automatically and painlessly in to Avance to take immediate advantage of its new features and enhancements. A streamlined installation process makes Avance even easier to deploy to new systems.
Talcasoft Avance is a fully integrated software system designed for the transport industry. With it, fleet managers and operators can book and allocate jobs faster, produce invoices and financial reports with more detail, and even dispatch jobs without ever touching a radio or mobile telephone.
Avance is designed to bring the normally disparate modules of a transport management system into one single unified system. Rather than using separate applications for each job role; accounts, bookings, or allocation for example, Avance brings these functions together. Following information trails is as easy as clicking a link. For example, the job details of a line item on an invoice can be brought up instantly without switching applications.
Avance now organises multiple forms using the Workspaces bar. Workspaces are areas that hold links to frequently used forms, open forms, and recently saved or changed forms.
The workspaces bar shows options that are applicable to the user that has signed in. For example, a user marked as a bookings only person will see only links relating to booking: leaving more space to display recently taken bookings and other bookings related information.
Workspaces appear based on the roles of a user; staff can limit their workspaces to show only the parts of Avance they need to use.
Clicking on an open form link brings the form back to the front of the screen. Multiple forms—for booking, allocation and most other tasks—can be kept open at once to handle office interruptions.
Details sliders allow workspaces to be expanded to show more detail and less recently edited forms.
Avance is designed to handle new and complex transport processes without sacrificing ease of use for common operations. A rules-based rate system, plug-ins system and completely redesigned job model are hidden behind clearer, simpler data entry forms.
Jobs are treated as a container for any number of consignments, and consignments can involve any number of legs and transfers. Service packages allow services to be determined automatically or with assistance from the operator for complex multi-leg jobs. Third-party legs can be allocated once they become ready to allocate and are tracked like any other leg.
The first stop for a job in Avance is the booking screen. Quotes can be prepared and jobs can be booked with ease. The screen has been optimised for speed: operators never even need to use the mouse.
Jobs are created or quoted by entering the customer identifier or name. The cost of freight, number of kilometers, type of service, and breakdowns of pricing are shown on the one screen. Also, the screen includes:
The left hand side of the booking screen is reserved for details taken from call-in customers. Two references can be attached to each job; one from the customer, which can be printed on invoices, and an internal reference. Item counts, types and a description can be attached. More advanced jobs can include individually tracked items.
Avance automatically generates quotations for, and prices jobs based on service, service level, distance, time, weight, number of items and other criteria. A range of automatic surcharges can also be applied to a job. Jobs can also be manually discounted, have specific charges added manually or removed, or have automatic charges tweaked.
The right hand side of the booking screen shows details about the booking, quick reference details on the customer, and gives access to the service selector and consignment list. Individual automatic charges can be modified, removed or discounted, and manual charges can be added. Full manual charging is also available from the booking screen.
Administrators can setup and modify drivers, customers, rates, operator logins, operator access levels and other security settings from within the Avance user interface.
The Job Allocation Screen allows operators to dispatch jobs quickly, easily and--with mobile terminals--directly to drivers. Jobs can be:
The new allocation system can handle multiple allocation screens with multiple channels on each. Allocators can put all of the channels on one screen on a quiet day, or split them up when allocation queues are longer.
Allocating jobs is now as easy as dragging cells around in a spreadsheet: just select one or more jobs, and drag them in to the driver or sub-contractor. Jobs can be dragged between drivers to reallocate, without first needing to be deallocated, or dragged back in to the jobs list to leave them deallocated.
Jobs to be allocated are shown on the left hand side of the allocation screen. Job details are shown directly under each job line when the job line is selected.
Drivers or third parties capable of handling jobs are shown on the right hand side of the allocation screen. Graphical summaries and counts of unread messages and problems are also shown.
With the accounting functions built into Avance, invoices can be processed as soon as jobs are finished. Operators can then fax or email the invoices to customers in minutes. Driver payments are automatically calculated from each job and are stored for regular pay runs.
Avance includes a comprehensive reporting system covering all aspects of operations and accounting. The reporting system is built with a flexible reporting engine; reports can be modified to suit specific company requirements or to fit a corporate style. Every report can be exported to PDF, HTML, Excel, E-Mail or as batched Facsimilies. Some of the reports available are:
Talcasoft has done extensive work with a number of mobile computer suppliers to provide a problem and maintenance free mobile computer solution: Blue Pocket. To keep your fleet running:
Blue Pocket is available on a number of devices from the Intermec, Symbol, O2 and i-Mate. With additional engineering, Blue Pocket can be certified for use with most Pocket PC mobile computers with GPRS or CDMA support.
On models of mobile computers with bar-code scanners, the bar-code scanner can be used to quickly open consignments, and create new jobs automatically during permanent runs.
A docket showing the details and cost of a job can be printed on delivery using an optional docket printer integrated with the Intermec mobile computer.
When the day gets busy, errors and omissions in job requests are the last thing you need. Using mobile computers and the Blue Pocket application, job information can be exchanged quickly and precisely--leading to improvements in operator and driver performance.
A mobile computer solution from Talcasoft and Blue Data provides:
With Blue Pocket, proof of delivery and proof of pickup information is propagated within seconds to customer service operators, and to customers. Each completed job includes an accurate pickup time, delivery time, and the name and signature of the person that released the consignment for pick up, and the person that accepted the delivery. Instant proof of delivery notifications and daily reports--with signatures--can be sent to customers via e-mail, downloaded from a website, faxed, or printed for posting.
Names, signatures, and parcel information can also be collected for multiple drops and permanent runs; even if a customer is paying an hourly rate under a single job number.
Move common customer queries from your call centre to the web, with Avance online booking. Every customer can be provided with a username and password, allowing them to log on to your Avance website to:
Integration with customer information systems and sub-contractors is supported out of the box. Live information can be transmitted back to customers via the internet or the Talcasoft Gateway. Jobs can be dispatched to sub-contractors as if they were drivers; all of the details from the booking are made available to the sub-contractor; error-free and instantaneously.
Talcasoft Meridian integrates with Avance to provide accurate, real-time location tracking of vehicles and other assets. Each vehicle is fitted with a compact vehicle tracking module, which communicates with the Talcasoft Gateway using the GPRS network. Vehicle position updates can be recorded as often as 10 seconds, providing turn-by-turn and street-bystreet detail of vehicle activities.
Vehicle tracking information can be displayed either on detailed state-wide or national maps, or printed in summary reports for quick analysis or record-keeping.
Link plus is the communications hub for Talcasoft products. It links Avance and Meridian servers to the Talcasoft Gateway to collect information from mobile computers and vehicle tracking devices--and can also provide business to business communications.
For a demonstration or more information on any of our products, please contact our sales staff on (02) 9682 7400.
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