TOC
CH1: Compass Basics
CH2: School Management
CH3: Student Management
CH4: Creating Stops
CH5: Vehicle Management
CH6: Generating Runs
Once Compass has solved the Run, a Results dialog and a Map displaying the corresponding Run automatically appear on the screen.
The Results Screen
A. RESULTS TABLE
Within the dialog, a Results Table discloses data pertaining to the generated Run, including Run ID, Vehicle Number, Vehicle Profile, Effective Date, Duration of Run, Distance of Run, Start and End Times at Depots and number of Stops projected for the Run.
B. REPORTS
A Report Selection tool is located above as a drop-down menu. This allows the user to review different aspects of the Run when the appropriate Report type is selected. Among the available Report types you can find:
- Route Comparisons.
- Route Stops.
- Route Directions.
- Route Assignments.
- Stop Assign Status.
- Student Routes.
- Route Directions with Passengers.
- Route Stops with Passengers.
- Route Stops with User Times.
- Route Directions with User Times.
- Route Directions with Passengers and User Times.
If you want to create one of this Reports:
- Select the Run in the Results table.
- Select the preferred Report type from the Reports drop-down menu.
- Click the Run button on the left of the Reports drop-down menu.
The Results Table also displays two icons (Stops List and Run Directions) and a color bar (Line Symbology Tool) preceding the actual data:
C. THE STOPS LIST
By clicking the first icon (on the left) users can access the Stops List of the Run. To understand its content, let’s analyze three different sections:
The upper section holds different functionalities that allow the user to:
- Visualize and replace automatically generated ID to meet customers’ conventions.
- Visualize and re-assign Vehicle Profiles.
- Visualize and re-assign Run Types.
- Apply Statistics.
- Enter Effective and End Dates.
- Enter Driver Sign-in and Sign-out times.
- Specify Active weekdays.
- Add optional Notes.
The middle section of the window shows several buttons that allow the user to Modify Arrival Times in various ways:
- Shift: Time shift can be applied to all the applicable stops. Number of minutes can be negative for a negative time shift.
- Expand: Additional time can be added cumulatively to every stop interval. This has the effect of expanding (or contracting) the travel time between stops. The number of minutes can be negative to contract the travel time.
- Scale: Every travel interval between stops can be changed proportionally to its original length. Positive values will increase the run and negative values will reduce it.
- Reset: Initial values can be restored.
This section shows a table with the actual Stop List. Here, users will find:
- Sequence number of the Stop (including Depots and Schools).
- Stop ID. By clicking on it, a new existing Stop Window will disclose detailed information of the Stop.
- Action taking place at the Stop.
- Description or Address.
- Distance, arrival times set by the system and by the user, curb approach specifications, time windows, etc.
Any required changes should be saved by clicking on the Apply Changes button at the bottom of the Stop List window.
Stops can be disclosed on the map by clicking on the magnifier icon locate before the Stops ID.
D. RUN DIRECTIONS
By clicking on the second icon (on the right), users can get detailed Run Directions.
The Run Directions window discriminates each Run included in the same Route and specifies:
- Report Date and Time.
- Run ID.
- Assigned Vehicle.
- Effective Date.
- Stop Descriptions and IDs.
- Directions from every Stop of the Run including distance.
- Number of Students to be picked up and dropped off at every Stop.
- School Bell Time and Time Window.
E. LINE SYMBOLOGY
By clicking on the color bar, users can access the Line Symbology tool. This tool allows the application of specific colors, style and width to each generated Run so that they can be easily viewed on the Map. To do so:
- Pick the Colors by clicking on the palette or set by entering the exact color code in the color text box.
- Select the preferred Width from the available drop-down menu.
- Once the line parameters are chosen, click on the Apply button located on the left.
F. OTHER ACTIONS
Once the Run has been checked, other buttons allow additional tasks within the Result Menu (see figure below). Users can:
- Click Save Results to save the generated Run if it is satisfactory.
- Click Clear All Runs to remove Results from the Results Table.
- Click Move to Workspace to edit the Runs in the Workspace.
- Enter the preferred Effective Date to be assigned to the Runs in the text box, or select it from the corresponding drop-down menu, and click Apply.
The Map
For an easier understanding, let’s assume that a user wants to generate an AM Run that only includes a Depot, a School and three Stops:
- The start location of the Run should be the selected Depot and the end of the Run should be the School.
- The other three Stops are also selected (they turn yellow on the Map) and added to the Workspace.
Once it is solved by the system (after clicking on the Route button within the Workspace), the Map will show a Run that starts at the Depot, stops at the other three Stops along the way to pick up the assigned Students, and ends at the School where those Students are dropped off:
- The Depot and the School are marked as P and F respectively on the Map.
- Sequenced numbers are assigned to each Stop so that the directions of the Run are easy to follow.
