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Automatic call-out of staff for winter road maintenance
(from "News about streets and traffic" by the Swedish Association of Cities, 1998:55, 23 July 1998)
The cities of Umeå, Västerås and Örebro have during the snow season 1997/98 tested an automatic system for call-out of personnel and vehicles for snow removal and ice control. The tests have been evaluated by Svenska Kommunförbundet (the Swedish Association of Cities) together with representatives for the three cities. The evaluation is accounted for in a separate paper by Catarina Thuresson of the Swedish Association of Cities, and summarized below.
Faster and safer winter operations
It takes a long time to manually call 60-70 people and tell them it’s time to go out and clear the roads. While calling people, one often also has to explain and maybe even defend the decision, plus solve one problem or another concerning
equipment, etc. With an automatic system you don’t have to do all that. The three cities that tested the system has achieved time gains of between 35 and 100 minutes at each call-out occasion. This in turn means that snow removal and ice control can get
started sooner and safer, while the supervisors at the same time are better able to plan the continued work. They also become reachable for incoming calls.
Another benefit is the increased accuracy and reliability achieved because all drivers get the same message. The risk for misunderstandings and calls to wrong numbers is reduced. It is simpler to keep phone lists up-to-date and the supervisors
don’t need to hesitate to do a call-out on the grounds that the procedure itself is time-consuming.
Low cost
During the past season a basic 4-line RapidReach system cost £ 3,900. Installation, training and implementation cost £ 700 per day, plus travel expenses, and usually only requires 1-2 days. There may also be additional costs for PC equipment and phone lines, unless you can use existing equipment. All of these costs can be considered one-time costs. There is also an annual cost of £ 780 (20% of purchase price) for support and maintenance, in which free software upgrades are included.
Important with information and education
Most people who have tried the system are very pleased. All three cities emphasize however the importance of information and education in plenty of time before taking the system in use. This allows even those who are not used to computers to feel secure in their use of it and able to use all of the features in the system. It is also easier to get used to a recorded voice message replacing the more personal live contact, if you see the possibilities with and the good results of automatic call-outs
Reporting of winter operations
During the spring of ’98 the City of Umeå also piloted a system to report on assignments via touchtone phone. The system Call&Report allows a much quicker follow-up of winter operations and facilitates routines and administration, such as invoicing and payments to subcontractors.
The systems RapidReach and Call&Report
The systems that were tested has been developed by the company Enera International AB in Gothenburg.
The system for automatic call-outs, RapidReach, is based on the fact that messages are recorded in advance and stored in the computer. The program’s database keeps track of people and phone numbers, and who is to be called when. A built-in scheduling facility lets you plan in advance who should be called at any given date and time. The people that are called out by the computer must enter a response code that they have received the message and can accept the assignment. The supervisor can follow the call-out on his screen at any time during the process, as it is updated in real-time.
The system for reporting of winter operations, Call&Report, is based on the drivers calling in to a computer when they start an assignment and when they finish it. The drivers key in certain basic data on their phone, by entering one or two-digit codes. You can also enter information about material (for example cubic feet of sand).
Enera International AB also markets a system for planning of plow, salt and sand routes, called WinterPlan. It is used by the National Road Administration.
Questions
Questions about these cities’ experiences with automatic call-outs can be answered by:
Torbjörn Sandberg, Umeå, +46-90-161380
Valter Tillgren, Västerås, +46-21-161646
Håkan Zaring, Örebro, +46-19-211523
Kenth Johansson, Örebro, +46-19-211824
Torbjörn Sandberg can also answer questions on the reporting system Call & Report.
Attachment
Evaluation report (excerpt).
Results of automating call-outs
The main benefit of automating call-out procedures is increased quality in the winter maintenance operations. Snow removal and ice control can get starter faster and more reliably, while supervisors at the same time are given better conditions to plan the work.
The time gain with the system is significant. The exact gain varies from call-out to call-out since it depends on how long the message is, how quickly people pick up their phone, how easily they are reached at their first number, etc. The time gains
achieved by the three cities vary between 35 to 100 minutes per call-out.
Reduction of call-out times
Örebro: 20 minutes to call 60-70 people. Before it took two people one hour.
Västerås: 20 minutes to call a maximum of 70 people. Before it took two people one hour.
Umeå: 30-35 minutes to call 60 people. Before it took two people one hour.
Reduction of staff
In both Umeå and Västerås the call-out automation has made it possible to reduce the number of supervisors from two to one. The same would have been possible also in Örebro, but this department elected to keep both, for reasons of security. The supervisors together make the decisions to start a call-out and which scenario to start.
Other effects
The faster call-outs has led to streets being serviced sooner, which has great significance both economically and for traffic safety.
The systems don’t call wrong numbers and eliminates the clutter of paper phone lists which may be difficult to keep updated.
The supervisors’ work environment has improved significantly. During the personal contact earlier, the supervisor often had to solve problems with equipment and field whining and complaints from the drivers he called. This used to delay the whole call-out and thereby also the start of operations. Today the supervisor starts the automatic call-out and when it is finished he contacts drivers, either by phone or by going to their district. This way the contact between supervisor and drivers is not lost.
The risk that the supervisor starts hesitating on his decision based on complaints and comments received by those called first, is eliminated.
The system doesn’t dial the wrong number, which often occurred before with manual call-outs, particularily towards the end. This not only caused annoyance but also delayed the call-out further.
It's easier to keep track of current phone numbers. Before there were phone lists everywhere, many of them outdated.
The risk of the supervisor getting tired of giving instructions is eliminated. Everybody gets the same message. The message gives clear instructions on what needs to be done, reducing the risk for misunderstandings.
The operations are started sooner, which means for example that plowing can be finished before rush hour traffic starts. This saves money in the long run plus improves passability and road safety.
The supervisor on duty doesn’t hesitate to do a call-out because of the work involved to make the calls manually.
It's easier for the supervisor on duty to hand over to daytime staff, even in the midst of a scenario.
The time gained can be spend doing for example road observations and planning of other activities. The supervisor can for example begin by doing a call-out for prioritized roads and then do some road checks before deciding on further action. The supervisor is also available for incoming calls.
The one negative comment reported from one of the cities, Örebro, was that the messages sounded serious and inpersonal. To alleviate this problem they will rerecord all of their messages in a friendlier, female voice for this season.
Conclusion
All three cities were very positive to the system and feels that it has brought big improvements. This is true for both supervisors and drivers. Even the people who initially were against the automation project have for the most part changed opinion
and are today satisfied.
All three cities emphasize the importance of thorough information. Collect all drivers and supervisors in plenty of time before first use. Have a vendor representative present, if possible, to explain and answer questions. Let the supervisors
test the system and answer their questions.
Copyright © 1998 Enera International AB. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1998 Cascade International Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or mark holders.
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