Why compare planned with executed
Employee transport has a direct effect on the company: a late bus means a shift that starts late, a production line that stops or employees who arrive tired and dissatisfied. Even so, few companies can answer with data whether the service is going as planned.
The planned versus actual is the tool for that. It answers, for each trip: what should have happened, what happened and what the difference is.
What goes into “planned”
The plan is the reference. If it is incomplete, the comparison loses value. In Merus Tracker, the plan for each trip includes:
- Route and path the vehicle must follow;
- Stops, in the planned order;
- Schedules of departure, passage through the stops and arrival at the site;
- Vehicle and its capacity;
- Passengers assigned to that trip, when there are reservations or allocation.
This plan comes from routing and the operation setup. During implementation, the Merus team does this loading together with the company's team.
What goes into “actual”
The actual comes from the independent measurement: GPS positions, virtual fence crossings at stops and at the site, observed times and, when configured, boardings identified per passenger.
The planned × actual indicators
| Indicator | Question | How it is calculated |
|---|---|---|
| Departure punctuality | Did the vehicle leave on time? | Observed departure time × planned, with the contract's tolerance |
| Arrival punctuality | Did the shift start without delay? | Entry into the site's fence × planned time |
| Route adherence | Did the vehicle follow the agreed route? | Positions compared with the planned route |
| Stops served | Were all stops served? | Crossings of each stop's fence |
| Trips completed | Did the trip happen and was it complete? | Presence of execution consistent with the planned trip |
| Occupancy | Is the vehicle well sized? | Boardings ÷ vehicle capacity |
| Mileage | Does the distance driven match the planned distance? | Measured route × planned route |
How to read the results
One-off differences
An isolated delay on a day of heavy rain says little about the service. What matters is recording the incident and the justification.
Recurring patterns
This is where planned × actual shows its value. Examples of patterns that appear in the history:
- a line that is late every day on the same stretch;
- a stop that almost never has boardings;
- a time when the vehicle always leaves full;
- a route whose mileage is always above the planned one.
Patterns like these call for a decision: adjust the schedule, change the route, swap the vehicle or talk to the carrier.
Example: investigating delays on a line
- The dashboard shows that Line 07 had late arrivals on a good share of morning-shift trips last month.
- Opening the trips, the team sees that the delay always starts on the same stretch.
- Overlaying the measured route on the planned one shows that the vehicle makes a detour to avoid a road under construction.
- The team records the cause, simulates a new route in routing and agrees the change with the carrier.
- In the following weeks, planned × actual shows whether the change solved the problem.
Planned × actual and the invoice
Beyond service quality, planned × actual feeds the operational reconciliation: trips not completed, incomplete or with divergent mileage must be considered before approving the charge.
Precautions for a fair comparison
- Use the contract's tolerance. A one-minute difference is rarely relevant; the contract defines what counts as a delay.
- Separate missing data from missing service. Trips with no position stay inconclusive until analyzed.
- Record authorized changes. An agreed detour is not a route deviation.
- Compare equivalent periods. Holidays, collective vacations and shift changes alter the operation.
Who uses planned × actual
| Area | Main use |
|---|---|
| Operations and facilities | Handle incidents and hold the carrier accountable the same day |
| HR | Understand the impact of transport on delays and on employee satisfaction |
| Contracts | Measure service levels and support renegotiation |
| Planning | Adjust routes, schedules and fleet based on real execution |
Together, independent measurement, planned × actual and reconciliation form the contracted transport auditing in Merus Tracker.
The planned reference comes from the route; see how to build routes from addresses and shifts.
In public transport, the same logic supports public transport oversight: trips, kilometres and subsidy.
