The Scheduling Board is a simple-to-use tool that allows dispatch teams to assign customer orders to resources using calendar-based views. This module is disabled by default and must be enabled by a Descartes Systems Group representative to access the Scheduling Board and its functionality.
The typical process for using the Scheduling Board is:
Resolve any ungeocoded customers.
Build routes by assigning shipments to resources.
Edit the routes as needed.
To view the scheduling board, from the main menu select Deliveries > Scheduling Board.
You will be asked to select a Dispatch Preference, if enabled and utilized as part of your solution configuration.
The Scheduling Board features the following:
Calendar Views: Data can be displayed for a selected delivery day, work week or week. The dates are displayed as columns and times are displayed as rows. The resources used for routes and the stops assigned to those resources are displayed within a date and time intersection.
Shipment Display: Shipments are displayed at the bottom of the board, and the columns displayed in the section are configurable using the Options menu.
Location Selection: The dispatcher can change the location (upper right corner) to display the data relevant to the selected location, based on user access granted.
Order Management Shortcut: A quick way to access the Add Order and Search Order functions.
Panes: The information on the board is grouped into the following panes with the ability to show or hide each pane:
Schedules
Shipments
Resources
Drag and Drop: Unrouted shipments can be dragged from the Shipments pane and dropped onto the Schedules pane. Likewise, shipments can be dragged from a schedule and dropped to the unrouted shipments.
Service Time: The service duration for stops can be changed.
Data View: The data on the board can be expanded to show more detail. Hovering over an item will give a summary of the information pertaining to the item.
Search: A searching tool is available, allowing the user to drag and drop the search results to the schedule.
Time Intervals: The time interval displayed on the schedule can be changed (e.g., 15 minutes, 30 minutes and 60 minutes).
Cloning: Shipments can be cloned using the right-click menu.
Resource Assignment: Vehicle and/or driver-to-route template assignments are displayed, and the ability to change the resource assignment is enabled.
Execution Data: Status of the stops (e.g., "Arrive", "Complete", "Miss") and field data that has been captured is visible.
Filters: Filters can be applied to change how the information is displayed.
Hold Spots: The ability to hold a spot on the board for customers can be configured on an ad hoc or recurring basis.
The Scheduling Board Menu
The scheduling board menu allows you to perform the following functions:
Navigate to the Home page
Use the Menu to configure how the board is viewed, how the tables are displayed and what options to enable for the sequencer/optimizer
Create Filters to manipulate what is displayed on the board
Refresh the board
Undo or redo the last action performed
Configure or change Dispatch Preferences
Navigate to the Map View page
Note: When the Scheduling Board is enabled, an option will appear on the main menu of the Map View page, allowing you to navigate back to the Scheduling Board page.
Search for data to be displayed on the board
Change Locations to view a different set of data
Order Management functions for adding and searching for orders. (Included in version 24.01)
Viewing the Schedules
The scheduling board is displayed in a calendar view where the date and time can be changed to focus on routes for a specific day, work week or week. Additionally, you can change the view to a specific date or today's date and scroll to future or past dates. The following image displays the options to change the view of the schedule:
To display the schedule for a day:
From the Schedules page, click the Calendar View button to display the dropdown options: Day, Work Week, and Week.
Use the scroll buttons to display the day you wish to view.
To change the initial default loaded views:
Go to Menu > View.
Select the Time Interval to change the length of time displayed as rows in the Schedules pane.
Select the Default Calendar. The week option will display 'Monday to Sunday.' A Descartes Systems Group representative configures a work week. For some customers, the work week is Monday through Friday, and for others, it is Monday through Saturday.
Select the Default View. In collapsed view, all the contents for the default calendar selected are minimized to fit on the board. In the expanded view, the contents for the default calendar selected are maximized and may require the use of the scroll bar at the bottom of the board. To switch between collapsed and expanded view, right-click on the board to open the context menu and select either Expand or Collapse depending on the current view.
Toggle the 'Show Application Messages' to display messages from the mobile application.
Click the Save button.
Geocoding Customers
If any customers with shipments scheduled during the time displayed on the Scheduling Board that are not geocoded, these customers will be listed on the Ungeocoded Customers tab from the Shipments pane.
Any stop for an ungeocoded customer will display in a pinkish-red color on the board. To geocode, right-click on the stop and select Geocode. Follow steps 2-6 given below.
If the Ungeocoded Customers tab does not appear, then all the customers with shipments for the time period displayed on the Scheduling Board are already geocoded.
Geocoding is essential to creating accurate routes by assigning a latitude and longitude based on address information. If a stop has been placed on a route but has no latitude and longitude or the latitude and longitude is incorrect, the times calculated for the routes (i.e., ETAs, ETDs, drive times) will be inaccurate.
To geocode customers using address information:
From the Shipments pane, click the Ungeocoded Customers tab.
Right-click on a customer and select Geocode.
The stop address information will be pre-populated into the respective displayed fields. However, you can enter/edit the address information and click Geocode to submit query to produce potential results.
The match results display below the Save and Cancel buttons. Select the result that best matches the location. The map can be used as a reference.
If the latitude and longitude coordinates are known already, enter the values in their respective fields.
Click Reset Fields to restore any changes that were made to the address and/or latitude/longitude.
To keep any changes, click Save.
To plot a customer's location using the map:
On the Scheduling Board from the Ungeocoded Customers tab, right-click on a customer and select Geocode.
Click on the map to plot the customer's location. You may need to zoom in and recenter the map to plot the location precisely.
The Latitude and Longitude values are automatically populated.To populate the address based on the latitude and longitude, select from the list of options provided by reverse geocoding and click Geocode.
Click the Save button.
Building Routes
Once all the customers are geocoded, the next step in the process is to build the routes by scheduling or assigning shipments to the resources. With the Scheduling Board, building routes is simple. You select an unrouted shipment from the Shipments pane, drag the shipment to the Schedules pane and drop the shipment on the resource at the time you wish to schedule the shipment.
To build a route:
Select a shipment from the Unrouted tab on the Schedules pane.
Drag the shipment to the Schedules pane and drop it on the route, date and time you want to place the shipment.
When the first stop is added to a new route, the route start time is automatically adjusted so that the planned appointment time of the newly added stop is met.
In the following example, customer stop 9677 was moved from the Unrouted tab from the Shipments pane to route RT4 on the Scheduling pane. The shipment 463849 that belongs to customer stop 9677 was moved to route RT4 as well. Additionally, route RT4 was recalculated due to this move. This information is displayed in the upper right corner of the Scheduling pane as a message notification. If any time violations exist for any stops on the route due to this move, the border for those stops would be yellow (early) or red (late).
Viewing Route Information
In the Schedules pane, stops are displayed as colored boxes on a route, and this information can be viewed several different ways. The following image describes the information that is displayed for stops on a route in the Schedules pane.
Viewing Stop Summary Information
To view summary information about a stop:
Hover the mouse over a stop to display the tooltip.
To modify the shipment information on the tooltip, go to Menu > Display > Tooltips.
To configure the display options the same for all locations and users across the organization, enable both Use Organization Defaults and Use Org/Location Defaults.
To configure the display options the same for all specified users for the selected location, disable the Use Organization Defaults and enable User Org/Location Defaults.
To configure display options for only the user currently logged in, disable both Use Organization Defaults and Use Org/Location Defaults.
Drag and drop the columns you want to display from the Available Columns to the Current Columns.
Click Save.
Viewing Stop Detail Information
To view stop details, right-click on a stop on the scheduling board and click Open.
Note: The stop detail window can also be opened by double-clicking the stop in the Schedules pane or by clicking on the stop and selecting the details icon .
This list describes the items:
Customer Name: The customer name for the stop is displayed as the title of the window.
Route: The route to which the stop is scheduled. The route can be changed by clicking the dropdown and selecting a different route from the list.
Delivery Day: The day the stop is scheduled to be delivered. This date can be changed by clicking the calendar control button.
Route Position: The position on the route for the stop. This number can be changed using the dropdown. This will move the stop to a different position on the route.
Planned Arrival: The time the route is planned to arrive at the stop.
Service Time: The time to service the stop. This time can be changed if necessary.
Time Window: The time during which the stop should be serviced.
Shipments: Lists all the shipments that are assigned to the stop.
Exceptions: The violations of the stop; time windows, vehicle constraints, etc.
Update: If any of the information was changed on the stop detail window, click Update.
Unroute: To remove the stop from the route, click Unroute.
Cancel: To undo any changes that were made, click Cancel.
Viewing Shipment Information
All shipments for the time period displayed on the Scheduling Board are listed on the All Shipments tab.
The unrouted shipments for the time period displayed on the scheduling board are listed on the Unrouted tab.
All the shipments are displayed in one list, and you can use the scroll arrows to navigate through the list on each tab. The tables that are displayed on the tabs from the Shipments pane are configurable by going to Menu > Display menu. From these options, you can add or remove the columns you want displayed in the table. You can also sort the columns in ascending or descending order by clicking on the column header.
When you select a shipment, the related customer stop is highlighted on the Scheduling Board.
To view the details and history for a shipment:
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From either the All Shipments or Unrouted tab, double-click on a shipment.
The shipment information is separated into the following sections on the Shipment Data tab:Customer Information: displays account, address and contact information
Delivery Order Information: displays order type, number, date and time information
Items: displays what and how much is on the shipment
Click the History tab. The information on this tab displays all the history for the shipment that has been logged
.
To view shipment leg information and item details:
Click > for a shipment to expand and display the shipment leg information.
Click > for a shipment leg to expand and display the item details.
Using the Image Viewer
Starting in version 24.10, enhancements to the Image Viewer streamline how images are displayed and managed in the application (e.g., route, stop, job, or item), particularly for users reviewing images captured and sent by drivers from Descartes Mobile.
On the Scheduling Board, where route columns are unavailable, the photo gallery feature is accessible at the stop level, ensuring users can easily view and manage images linked to specific stops.
Clicking the icon opens the Image Viewer, where users can interact with the images.
The Image Viewer provides tools for:
Navigate between all related images.
Zoom In/Out for closer inspection.
Rotate images left or right.
Download individual images.
Open images in a new browser tab.
Applying Filters
Applying filters allows you to manipulate how routes and stops or shipments are displayed within the Scheduling Board. For route filters, you can select the routes to display or hide on the board. For custom filters, you can configure how shipments or customers are displayed based on criteria. For example, you can configure a filter to only display pickup stops on the board when the filter is applied. Once a filter is applied, an icon () appears next to the Filter menu option to inform you that the scheduling board is displaying filtered information.
Applying Route Filters
To apply filters to routes:
Click the filter icon and select Route Filters.
Click the dropdown to display all the routes.
To deselect all the routes, click None.
To select specific routes, click the checkbox next the routes to display.
To select all the routes, click All.
Click Apply.
Only the routes that are selected will display on the Scheduling Board.
Applying Custom Filters
Custom filters can be created and applied to shipments and customers based on criteria for a certain attribute. Once applied, the filter is reflected in the Schedules and Shipments panes. For example, a filter can be created to only display customer stops that are pickups.
To add custom filters:
Click the filter icon and select Custom Filters.
Click Configure.
To add a filter, click Add Filter.
Give the filter a Name.
Select an attribute from the dropdown.
Select a condition from the dropdown.
Select the requirement from the dropdown.
To add another requirement to the filter, click
and repeat the above-mentioned steps.
Click the Save button.
To apply a custom filter:
From the Filters window, select a Filter(s) from the dropdown list.
Click Apply.
To disable a custom filter:
From the Custom Filters window, select a Filter(s) from the dropdown list that is (are) currently checked to disable it.
Click Apply.
Tip: To remove all custom filters at once, click Clear from the Custom Filters window.
Enhanced Icon Display Usability and Drag-and-Drop
Starting in version 25.07, the Icon Display feature is enhanced by adding the following functionality:
Streamlined Filter Row: The filter row makes it easier to create, view, and modify multiple icon display rules in one place, with an instant preview of icon settings.
Attribute and Value Dropdowns: Improved dropdown logic simplifies attribute and value selection.
Drag-and-Drop Rule Ordering: You can now change the order of rules by clicking and holding the new drag handle (≡ icon) and moving rules up or down the list.
The new left-side identifier (drag handle) supports clear, easy drag-and-drop in both Filters and Icon/Depot Display.Visual Indicators: When dragging, a grey rectangle marks the original position in the list for easy tracking.
Consistent Experience: These enhancements are available in Map View, Scheduling Board, and Fixed Routes.
Tip: For details on configuring Icon Display, see Configuring Icon Display in Map View.
Editing Routes
As you read in the previous section, some information can be changed from the stop detail window such as delivery date, route position and service time. The route can also be edited in the following ways:
Create Trip: Creates a new trip for the selected stop. A depot stop is created at the end of the route, and the stop selected becomes the first stop of the newly created trip.
Edit Time Window: Allows you to create a new or edit the existing time window for the stop.
Geocode: Allows you to geocode ungeocoded stops or change the geocode information (address, latitude, longitude) for a geocoded stop.
Add Break Stop: Allows the user to add a break stop to the route.
Open: Opens the stop detail window.
Route Sequencing: Allows the user to recalculate the drive time, reverse the stops on a route, reverse the trips on a route, or resequence to find an optimal order for the stops on the route.
To edit a route, right-click on a stop to display the menu.
Creating a Trip
A trip is like a route within a route. Anytime the vehicle returns to a depot within a route, it is considered a trip. When a vehicle reaches capacity for a set of shipments on a route and still has time left to service more shipments, a trip back to the depot is created to reload the vehicle with more shipments. Additionally, a trip can be created when a route is being executed and a late shipment comes in that would require the vehicle to return to the depot to pickup and deliver the shipment.
To create a trip, right-click on a stop and select Create Trip.
A depot stop is added at the end of the route followed by the stop selected to create the new trip.
Editing Time Windows
Customers use time windows to communicate when they want to receive service (e.g., delivering/picking up items or performing a service at the stop). If the stops are planned to be serviced outside of the time windows configured, exceptions will be visible on the scheduling board. Stops that are planned to arrive before the time window will appear with a yellow border. Stops that are planned to arrive after the time window will appear with a red border. Users have the ability to specify a time window for a shipment where one has not been applied during creation of shipment.
To edit time windows:
Right-click on a stop and select Edit Time Window. You can also right-click on a shipment from the Shipments pane and select Edit Time Window.
You can select a time window bucket or type in the time for Segment 1.
If the time window has another segment, select Two segments and either choose a time window bucket or type in the time for Segment 2.
If you would like the time window to be saved to the customer profile, click Set the time window to customer profile. This option changes the time window for all stops/shipments for this customer.
Click the Save button.
Adding a Break Stop
Break stops can be added into routes to emulate the time the driver needs to take breaks (e.g., lunch, sleep, fuel). Once the stop is added, the time on the route is recalculated to include the time for the newly added stop.
To add a break stop:
Right-click on a stop and select Add Break Stop.
Select the Route that should include the break stop from the dropdown. By default, the route to which you selected to add a break stop on will be pre-populated.
Select the Break Type from the dropdown.
Select the Route Position to add the break.
Enter the Service Time for the break.
Click the Add button.
Sequencing Routes
The Sequence function uses the optimization engine costing algorithm to assign the positioning of stops on a route based on the cost parameters configured for the selected optimization engine.
The goal of the sequence function is to build efficient routes by looking at the following variables:
Geographic location
Time preferences
Distance
Time
Constraints
To sequence a route:
Right-click on a stop and select Route Sequencing. The following menu is displayed:
To recalculate the drive time due to any changes to time windows or service time, select Recalculate Drivetime.
To reverse the positions of the stops on the route, select Reverse Sequence. If the route contains trips, the sequence for the trip of the selected stop will be reversed.
If the route contains trips, select Reverse Trips to switch the order of the trips on the route.
To optimize the sequence of the route based on cost parameters, select a profile from the dropdown and click Sequence.
Removing a Stop
In some cases, a stop may need to be removed from a route. For example, the customer cancels the shipment.
To remove a stop from a route, right-click on the stop to remove from the route and select Unroute. You can also drag the stop from the Schedules pane and drop it in the Shipments pane on the Unrouted or All Shipments tab to remove it from a route.
Moving Stops
With the Scheduling Board, moving stops within and between routes is a simple process. Because the stops are displayed in a calendar view, it is easy to visualize where to place stops with respect to time. When a stop is moved, the routes that are affected are automatically updated and time and distances are recalculated.
To move a stop:
Click and drag a stop.
Drop the stop onto a different route or to a different time on the same route.
Adjust a stop's service time by clicking and dragging the edge of a stop. This eliminates the need to manually input new times for each stop.
In the following example, customer stop 4244 was moved from route RT4 to route RT5. The shipment 463924 that belongs to customer stop 4244 was moved to route RT5 as well. Additionally, both routes RT4 and RT5 were recalculated due to this move.
This information is displayed in the upper right corner of the Shipments pane. Time violations for any stops on either route will display after the routes are updated. The border for those stops would be yellow (early) or red (late).
Moving Routes
In some cases, an entire route may need to be moved to a different delivery day or to a different resource. With the Scheduling Board, dragging the start depot stop and dropping it on another resource or another delivery day moves the entire route with all the associated stops.
To move a route to a different resource or delivery day:
Click and drag a start depot stop from a resource.
Drop the start depot stop onto a different resource on the same delivery day or to a resource on a different delivery day.
In the following example, all the stops and shipments from RT5 have been moved to RT6 on the same delivery day.
Changing the Delivery Date
A shipment may need to be moved from the current delivery date to some date in the future.
To change the delivery date:
Right-click on a shipment from the Shipments pane and select Change delivery date.
Enter a New Date or select one from the calendar control.
Click Proceed to save the new date.
Click Cancel to cancel the change.
Cloning a Shipment
You can clone a shipment and assign a new date to the cloned shipments. The ability to clone is controlled by a parameter configured by an admin user. If disabled, the menu options and functionality associated with cloning is hidden.
To clone a shipment:
Right-click on a shipment from the Shipments pane and select Clone.
Enter a New Date or select one from the calendar control.
Click Proceed to save the new date.
Click Cancel to cancel the change.
Deleting a Shipment
A shipment may be canceled or need to be removed for another reason. The ability to delete a shipment is controlled by a parameter configured by an admin user. If disabled, the menu options and functionality associated with deleting a shipment is hidden.
To delete a shipment:
Right-click on a shipment from the Shipments pane and select Delete.
Click OK to proceed.
Click Cancel to not delete the shipment.
Splitting a Shipment
A shipment can be split into a new stop where a stop contains multiple shipments.
To split a shipment:
From the Scheduling Board, right-click on a stop and select Open.
From the Stop window in the Shipments section, right-click on a Shipment and select Split Into New Stop. A new stop for the split shipment is created directly after the original stop.
Unassigning a Shipment
A shipment can be unassigned from a stop where more than one shipment exists for a customer.
To unassign a shipment from a stop:
From the Scheduling Board, right-click on a stop and select Open.
From the Stop window in the Shipments section, right-click on a Shipment and select Unroute.
Click Yes to the message to remove the shipment from the stop. You can also right-click on a shipment from the All tab in the Shipments pane and select Unroute.
Viewing and Adding Shipment Comments
If your system has been configured to view and add shipment comments, you are able to do so from the following context menus contained in the Scheduling Board:
Unrouted tab on the Shipments pane
All tab on the Shipments pane
Shipments section within the Stop window
To add a shipment comment:
Right-click on a Shipment from the All tab in the Shipments pane and select View/Add Comments. The name of the user that added the comment and the date the comment was made is added to the comment.
Type in a comment and click Add to submit.
Add more comments and click Close when finish.
If a shipment has a comment, the name of the user that created the comment will display in the Comment column on the Shipments pane (All or Unrouted tab).
Using Hold Spots
Hold spots are like reservations where you can reserve a span of time for a resource on the Scheduling Board as a holding spot for a future shipment to be placed. Not all customers will have a need to hold spots; therefore, a Descartes Systems Group representative will need to enable the functionality to use it on the Scheduling Board.
Once a hold spot is created, the shipment can be assigned automatically if configured or manually by a user with a simple drag-and-drop.
Adding a Hold Spot
To add a hold spot:
Right-click on the white space where you would like to add a hold spot for a route in the Scheduling Pane and select Add Hold Spot.
The Route Key to which the hold spot is being added is displayed, populated based on where right click Add Hold Spot action is taken but can be changed if desired.
Enter the Account # and/or Customer name of the customer requesting the hold spot. As you begin entering the information, any matches will begin to appear in the dropdown list allowing you to select the correct customer. If the hold spot is for a new customer, enter customer details into the respective fields, a new customer is automatically created after entering the information. If the address information has changed for an existing customer, a new customer record is automatically created with the changed information.
Enter the From Date and To Date. If the From Date and To Date are different, then a hold spot is created for the route specified on each day, starting with the From Date and ending with the To Date.
In version 24.01, a 'Days of Week' selection menu appears when entering a date range that spans at least three days, allowing you to set recurrence patterns and specify days for a hold spot. This selector is hidden if the date range is less than three days.
Enter the Service Time as the duration of time expected to service the customer.
Starting in version 25.01, you can add Comments to hold spots. Comments are retained after hold spot creation, updates to customer details, route templates, or delivery day changes. The comment field is available within the hold spot form, and comments are also displayed in the hold spot tooltip when hovering over a stop.
Click the Add button. In the following example, a 15-minute hold spot was created for Customer 659 on Route RT4, and RT4 is recalculated.
To remove a hold spot, right-click on it from the Scheduling pane and select Unroute. The route to which the hold spot was removed is automatically recalculated.
Editing a Hold Spot
Starting in version 24.07, you can now edit an existing Hold Spot on the Scheduling Board without deleting and recreating it. This includes updating customer information, delivery addresses, and other details directly within the Hold Spot form. Simply right-click on the Hold Spot you wish to edit and make the necessary changes.
Assigning an Unrouted Shipment to a Hold Spot
Now that a hold spot has been added to a route, an unrouted shipment can be assigned to the hold spot.
To manually assign a shipment to a hold spot:
Click and drag a shipment of a customer for which a hold spot has been added from the Shipments pane.
On the Schedules pane, drop the shipment to the customer's hold spot. The following message will be displayed.
Click YES to assign the shipment to the hold spot.
A parameter configured by an admin user controls the ability to automatically assign a shipment to a hold spot. If enabled, the selected shipment will be assigned to the matching customer's first hold spot on the board. If disabled, the context menu option to assign the hold spot is not displayed.
To automatically assign a shipment to a hold spot:
From the Unrouted tab on the Shipments pane, right-click on the shipment for the customer with a hold spot already created.
Select Assign to Hold Spot.
In the following example, the unrouted shipment 463779 that is for Customer 659 has been assigned to the previously created hold spot for the customer.
Deleting Hold Spots
The ability to automatically delete a hold spot is controlled by a parameter configured by a Descartes Systems Group representative. Enabling the automatic deletion of hold spots ensures that the driver does not see and/or execute these types of stops if, for some reason, the hold spots are not removed and/or valid shipments have not replaced the hold spots. There are two options available to delete hold spots automatically:
Delivery Day Activation: If enabled, hold spots are automatically deleted for any routes found with hold spots created upon activating the delivery day.
Publishing Routes: If enabled, hold spots are automatically deleted when a route is published to Descartes wGLN in response to a driver’s request route via a mobile device.