IMPORTANT: Release 1.34 contains important enhancements to the Order Entry User Interface in Back Office and the Customer Portal, and introduces Multi-Segment orders.
Here's a preview video of what's new in this release:
New features included in this release
The Order-Entry User Interface has been overhauled to contain more information and make it easier to create error-free orders
- It is now possible to create multi-segment "Master" orders containing two or more "Internal" orders
- Extra Fees for Pickup and Delivery wait times are now editable during order creation
- Recurring orders can now be inserted into a new or existing route
- There is a new Driver Profile setting to hide driver settlements on the Driver App
- It is now also possible to prevent drivers from refusing orders
- It is now possible to group pickups and deliveries of orders for multiple accounts
- It is now possible to set a default cutoff order status for self-serve order edits
- It is now possible to specify a driver and time window on an order template
- It is now possible to optimize a route in a way that that disregards the last return to warehouse (or home) segment
- Status, vehicle type and attribute icons are now shown on the Dispatch Board's driver's stop list
- Administrators can now set default order notes that CSR and Customer Portal users will see by default when they create new orders
- Administrators can now establish constraints for off-hour order bookings by CSR or customers.
- OData: Additional field
- API: In addition to multi-segment support, the API now supports route creation containing manually sequenced orders
Other New Features:
- Automatic optimization is disabled by default on unmapped routes or on routes containing more than 200 orders. Dispatcher can manually optimize these routes at any time using the manual optimizer (
) - A new "Scooter" vehicle type has been added
- It is now possible to add the driver's first and last name in a notification template
- The change to the internal notes, located on the Dispatch Board, now show in Order History
Definition
The release notes refer to different sections of the application:
Back Office: Where Customer Service Representatives (CSR) create and edit orders, create accounts, review drivers, etc.
Dispatch Board: Where Dispatchers assign orders to drivers, get notifications for invalid orders, etc.
Auto-Dispatch: This section refers to the automated order assignment setup and its process.
Administration: This section is in the Back Office but refers to sections only an administrator will use like Settings and Pricing.
Customer Portal: Where account users log in to create orders, view their order history, enter a credit card, etc.
Tracking site: Where customers enter a tracking number like the order ID or a reference number to view the status of their order.
OData: Data fields and variables saved in OData
Account API: API provided to your accounts to create, update and get orders. For documentation, please follow this link:https://api.dispatchscience.com/
Tenant API: API provided to you to create orders for your accounts, retrieve invoices and change invoice status. For documentation, please follow this link: https://api.dispatchscience.com/
Back Office and Customer Portal
Manual Order Entry Interface
The Order Entry Interface has been improved for enhanced productivity and to provide more relevant on-screen information to the user. These interface enhancements are also reflected in the Customer Portal.
SUMMARY:
Pickup and Delivery Address information data entry:
Screen changes are:
- Company name is shown first at top left
- City, State and Zip code are now displayed
- There is now a checkmark button at top left to add the Contact to the contact list address book
- There is no longer a link to Enter an address from Zip/Postal Code. Instead, this is displayed in the auto-complete dropdown when the user starts typing an address. If no address is found, a warning appears at the top of the dialog box asking the user to Enter the address from Zip/Postal Code if needed:
Pickup and Delivery Address information data display:
Screen changes are:
- The position of the various address, load/unload times, notes have been reorganized
- The large map preview has been replaced with a small icon. The user clicks on the icon to launch a much larger preview of the address on a map:
Items information data entry:
Screen changes for Item entry are:
- To change the number of units of an identical item, instead of clicking the + sign and following instructions in a separate dialog box, the user simply types in the required quantity in the associated Qty input box
- To change the size of an item for which the size is defined as editable, instead of clicking the ruler symbol and following instructions in a separate dialog box, the user simply types in the required dimensions in the associated LxWxH input box.
Items information data display:
Screen change for Item entry is:
- Instead of displaying each unit of an identical item separately, the quantity of identical items is displayed.
Note: The displayed weight is always displayed as the unit weight of each item, NOT the combined weight of all identical items.
Back Office, Dispatch Board and API
Multi-Segment Orders
In this release, Dispatch Science is introducing Multi-Segment orders. This enhancement allows users to create orders that are comprised of one "Master" order with two or more "Internal Segment" orders. Customers only see the "Master" orders. Dispatchers, however, have full visibility and dispatch capabilities over the Internal Segments.
This new feature is particularly useful for orders that transit through one or more warehouses before arriving at final destination such as in Hub & Spoke configurations or for Long Haul order segments. Because Internal Segments are treated like complete orders at dispatch, optimization is separately triggered at each step of the journey.
Note: Multi-Segment orders are different from Continuation Orders. Continuation Orders are primarily designed for packages/documents carried by the same driver through a number of stops, each defined as a separate order. For instance, legal documents that must be signed sequentially by different people at different addresses. The client can see, and track each order separately, and is billed by the order. As well, continuation orders normally occur during the same day and there is no cross-dock or warehousing activity between stops.
This enhancement allows Dispatch Science to support the needs of carriers that want to operate beyond delivering just the Last Mile without having to deal with more than one software platform. In effect, this new capability allows carriers to offer complete first to last mile chain of custody, visibility and management capabilities for their shippers, all on the same platform. At the same time, clients are only exposed to the Master Order's origin and final destination information.
Because this new capability affects Back Office, Dispatching, and the API we are describing them together.
Multi-Segment Orders in Back Office for Order Entry
Manual creation of Multi-segment orders is a two step process in Dispatch Science: First, the user creates an origin to final destination Master Order, followed by the Internal Segments.
Note: Internal Segments cannot be created after the Master Order has been dispatched.Steps to create a multi-segment order:
1) Manually create the order as shown in the Manual Order Entry section above. DO NOT DISPATCH THE ORDER
2) Select the order you just created and click the dropdown arrow beside New Order, then select Create Multi-Segment Order:
3) The Create Multi-Segment Order window will popup. Insert the segment address information (usually a warehouse or transit station), any optional Note, and click Confirm:
This will create a new delivery hub. By default, if no other hub is created, a first segment is created from origin to the hub and a second segment is automatically created from that hub to final destination. If a second Hub is needed, follow step 4.
4) If you want the order to stop at another Hub, click + Add Hub, and repeat the same process with the second Hub. Manually refresh your screen to view the newly created Segments:
As you can see, the delivery address of each previous segment corresponds to the pick-up address of the current segment. As well, you will see that each segment order number is the same as the Master Order number, but with an added .x appendix to the number. As well, you will see that a symbol has been added next to each order.
5) To review or edit a segment, click the segment order number. This is an important step because you are likely to change the Ready At time and Pick-up or Delivery windows for the segment. If you do not, the system will assume that the windows for the segments are the same as the Master:
Notice also that there is no information regarding Items contained in the segment. Items can only be managed at the Master Order level.
Multi-Segment Order Templates on the Customer Portal
Customer Portal users will only see Master Orders on their portal. Information about Internal Segments is not visible to them.
Multi-Segment Order Templates in Back Office
Multi-segments are available to be added on Order Templates for Recurring Orders. They are not enabled for CSR and Self-Service Order Templates.
The Create Template, normally available on the Order Details menu, is not available for Multi-segments
When order templates are created, segments can also be added at the same time. A new section was added in the Post /api/v1/order-templates:
"Hubs": [
{
"address": {
"addressLine1": "",
"addressLine2": "",
"company": null,
"city": "",
"postalCode": "",
"stateProvince": ""
},
"location": {
"latitude": ,
"longitude":
},
"contactInfo": {
"id": null,
"name": "",
"phoneNumber": "",
"email": "",
"language": "en"
},
"loadTimeInMinutes": ,
"notes": ""
}
]
You can also add the hub on an existing Order Template using the Post /api/v1/order-templates/{orderTemplateId}/add-hubs
Multi-Segment Orders on the Dispatch Map
To help the dispatcher, multi-segment orders are displayed as pale yellow in the filter box and an identifying-icon is displayed next to the vehicle type:
As well, since it's not possible to dispatch Master orders in a single step, when dispatchers search for a master order, only its Segments will be displayed:
Although Master orders are not visible on the dispatch map by default, they can be displayed (but never dispatched!) on the map by checking Include multi-segment orders in the Orders section of filters:
Multi-Segment Orders on the Dispatch Grid
The same behavior is shown on the dispatch grid as on the dispatch map:
Multi-Segment Orders in the API
It is now possible to create multi-segment orders via API.
In the Post /api/v1/orders, a new section was added to add hubs which will create the multi-segments as the order is created:
"Hubs": [
{
"address": {
"addressLine1": "",
"addressLine2": "",
"company": null,
"city": "",
"postalCode": "",
"stateProvince": ""
},
"location": {
"latitude": ,
"longitude":
},
"contactInfo": {
"id": null,
"name": "",
"phoneNumber": "",
"email": "",
"language": "en"
},
"loadTimeInMinutes": ,
"notes": ""
}
]
To add a hub to an existing order, you will use the /api/v1/orders/{orderId}/add-hubs and provide the OrderId where the hub should be added.
All information can be updated on the segment using the Patch /api/v1/orders/{orderId}
Order Template
Back Office
Extra Fees
It is now possible to add Extra Fees for Pickup and Delivery wait times in advance, during order creation.
To use this feature, you must have previously configured a Pickup or Delivery wait time extra fee in the Pricing > Extra Fees schedule of your customer:
How to:
1) Start creating an order. When you are at the stage of adding extra fees, click +ADD EXTRA FEE. Your list of available extra fees will display. Check Delivery Wait Time and/or Pickup Wait Time, and Save:
2) Type the expected wait time:
Recurring Orders
Definitions:
For ROUTES:
Route Plan: The selection criteria and route schedule for route containers
Route Container: A container of all the routes according to a route schedule (typically a collection of all routes for one or several customer accounts being delivered at the same time)
Route: Each individual grouping to orders that will be dispatched to a single driver
For RECURRENCES:
Recurrence Plan: Plan of all order templates, with all the information and options required to create the Recurrence Plan
Recurring Order: An Order Template that is associated with a Recurrence Plan
Order Template: An Order that cannot be dispatched, and serves only as a model to create other orders.
Orders created by the recurrence and matching a route plan criteria can now be added to the specified route on a route container according to the route plan schedule. If the route already exists in a route container, orders will be added to the existing route. If the route does not exist in the route container, the new route will be created in the container and if a driver is assigned on the recurring order, he will be assigned to the route.
Note: If a driver is already assigned to a route, the driver will not be changed.
How to:
1) If you want a recurring order to be integrated into an existing route, verify that the account and service level correspond, and specify the same name as the route.
Managing Drivers and Time Windows in Recurrence Plans:
Dispatch Science selects Drivers and Time windows in Recurrence plans according to a specific order of priorities:
1st priority: The Default Driver and time window associated to the template on the recurrence plan
2nd priority: The Driver calculated time windows from the Service Level on the order template and Ready At time associated with the Recurrence Plan
3rd priority: The Driver and time windows set on the Order Template
Location of the three Driver input boxes for priority selection:
Driver Profiles
There are two new Driver Profile settings:
1) An option to display a driver's settlement on the Driver App has been added.
2) An option to automatically set orders as Accepted on the Driver App, thereby preventing drivers from refusing orders has also been added.
Go to Drivers > Driver Profiles, click a Driver profile (or create a new one), then click Edit in the General Options section. Check or uncheck the settings as required, then click Save:
Order Profiles
There are new Order Profile settings that will allow orders from different accounts to be grouped at pick-up or delivery.
Go to Accounts > Profiles, click an order profile (or create a new one), then click Edit in the Grouping Options section. Select your Pickup and Delivery Grouping Options from the dropdowns, then check Allow to group orders from different accounts at pickup or delivery, and click Save:
In Account Profiles, Attachment Options are renamed to Self-Serve Options:
and it is now possible to establish a default cutoff time for order editing. Just select your preference in the dropdown:
Note: All accounts must use the same Account Profile.
Routes
Route Optimization
It is now possible to optimize a route that disregards the last return to warehouse (or home) segment. If this option is enabled, the route optimizer will exclude the last segment of the route in its computations.
Go to Orders > Routes, and click on a route (or create a new one). In the Route Planning section, click Edit. In the Edit Route window, uncheck End Route at Warehouse.
Dispatch Board
Driver Stop List
The driver stop list now includes more visual cues about a stop and its associated order. In particular, a lock icon appears on the first few driver stops, the vehicle type, a link to the corresponding order, and attributes are also displayed.
Administration
Account Profiles
It is now possible to insert default notes that will pre-populate the Notes section of new orders at Order Entry for CSR and/or Self-Service:
Service Level Pricing for Off-Hour order bookings
When establishing pricing for service levels, it is now possible to add constraints and extra fees on the booking of new orders according to the cutoff times that have been established.
How to:
1) Go to Pricing > Service Levels, scroll down to the Booking Constraints section and click on the Off Hour Rule drop down menu:
Details of each option are explained in the information 
popup:
OData
Settlement cycle was added in the Drivers OData table.
The following fields were added to the Drivers OData table:
-SettlementCyleId, SettlementCycleDescriptionPrimary, SettlementCycleDescriptionSecondary (Primary is the name in English and Secondary in French)
-BusinessName
-ReferenceNumber
-Gender
-StartDate
-TerminationDate
-IsEligibleForRehire
-BirthDate
-ImmigrationId
-WorkersCompensationBoard
-OtherInfo1
-OtherInfo2
-OtherInfo3
-HasUniform
-Size
-HoursOfService
-EmergencyContactName
-EmergencyContactNumber
-OtherEmergencyInfo
New OData table OrderAttachments: This table will provide the order id, image URL and note, type of attachment (OrderItem, Delivery, Pickup, etc), if attached to a workflow stepId, if it has been uploaded and the filename.
In the Orders table, the pickup and delivery signature URLs are now available.
Two new tables were added:
DispatchUserFields: Contains the DriverId and the Driver User Fields
AccountFields: Contains the AccountId and the Account User Fields
Auto-Dispatch
Settings>System>Optimizer
The grid was changed to give more information. If orders were auto-dispatched to the drivers, opening the grid row will show the drivers (as a link) and the orders dispatched to the drivers (as a link).
You can request to limit the Auto-Dispatch to certain service levels. This new settings must be setup in the database. Once setup, only the orders with the specified Service Level-s will be auto-dispatched.
To enable this feature, send an email to support@dispatchscience.com and send the list of Service Level Ids that should be enabled for Auto-Dispatch.
If no Service Levels are indicated, all service levels (except those which will be routed) will be considered for Auto