Why route from demand
Many charter operations run on inherited routes: the path was drawn when the contract started and, since then, employees have been hired or changed address or shift. The result shows up as buses with spare seats on one line and too few on another, and routes that no longer pass near the people who board. Routing from demand reverses the order: first who needs to be served, then the path.
What data goes into routing?
| Input | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Each employee's address | origin of the journey and the basis for defining stops |
| Site (destination) | where the route ends, and the separation between operations at different sites |
| Shift | arrival and departure times the route must meet |
| Number of people per shift and area | capacity needed on each line |
| Available vehicles and their costs | capacity, fixed cost, cost per kilometre and labour, to compare scenarios |
During implementation, the Merus team loads employees, addresses, routes, fleet and contract rules together with the company's team.
How it works, step by step
1. Start with the people who board
Quantity, origin, destination, site and shift form the scenario's inputs.
2. Calculate stops, route paths and times
Merus calculates stops, route paths, departure and arrival times and service alternatives from these inputs.
3. Simulate scenarios
Route and service alternatives are compared before changing the operation on the road.
4. Size the fleet
Vehicles are compared by capacity, fixed cost, cost per kilometre and labour, for the company to choose the scenario. A van may serve a line better where a large bus runs with few passengers, and the opposite also happens; the comparison shows the cost of each option.
5. Track actual occupancy
Once the operation starts, recorded boardings show where seats are spare and where they are short, trip by trip. This actual occupancy guides the next adjustment.
6. Redo it when demand changes
New hires and changes of address or shift enter the scenario, and routes are recalculated.
Routing and HR: knowing before hiring
With the routes calculated, HR checks, during the selection process, the distance from the candidate's home to the existing routes and sees whether transport serves them or whether the route needs to change. See the guide on transport validation for candidates.
Routing and auditing
The planned route is the reference for the audit: the route run, the times and the kilometres of each trip are compared against it. See planned × actual and invoice reconciliation.
Who runs the routing?
The company can run the platform with its own team or, depending on the contract, the Merus team handles routing, monitoring and checking on the platform. The transport, with vehicles and drivers, remains with the contracted carrier. See how Merus serves companies or talk to the team.
If the company is still choosing a tool, see the criteria in how to choose charter transport management software.
