Optrak launches Olympic Impact Analysis app for transport planning
· Hosted app allows rapid identification of customers that will be affected by temporary changes to traffic regulations during the 2012 Olympics
· Minimise disruption to customer deliveries caused by Olympic Route Network, Paralympic Route Network, Alternative Route Network, Marathon and Torch Relay events
Optrak Distribution Software Limited today announced the launch of a hosted app for businesses that deliver into London who want to understand and plan for the impact of changes to local traffic regulations before and during the 2012 Olympics. The Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app will allow businesses to quickly see which customers are most at risk from the introduction of the Olympic Route Network (ORN), Paralympic Route Network (PRN) and Alternative Route Network (ARN) and specific events, such as the Marathon or the Torch Relay, and therefore who should be contacted in order to minimise disruption.
Tim Pigden, Managing Director of Optrak Distribution Software Ltd said, “The Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app is designed to help businesses overcome the difficulty generated by the uncertainty of the full impact of the ORN and PRN. Every business that delivers into London needs to identify the impact on the customer base but that is not an easy task as it means analysing each customer location and then checking different maps on the Transport for London website. The Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app provides powerful automated tools to determine which customers are affected, on a day by day basis. This allows businesses to open a dialogue with their customers on the changes that will be required, such as night-time deliveries.”
The Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app is free to use for businesses with up to 50 customers, a subscription service is offered for companies with a larger client base and corporate licences are available. Customer information such as addresses and contact numbers can be loaded onto the Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app and then overlaid onto the road network. Various filters are available so you can quickly see which customers are on or near a road that will be affected due to closure or other traffic restrictions.
The feedback on the Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app has been overwhelmingly positive, with one customer describing it as ‘the ideal tool for businesses that want clarity over how delivery routes might be affected’. The simplicity, level of detail and ease of use have all been praised.
The Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app uses a combination of the Ordnance Survey and Tfl maps. Once on the website you can zoom in to see precise street level detail that you would normally see in a SatNav system. The Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app allows you to sort your customer data by any number of criteria allowing you to rank customers according to size, value, average spend, etc. The results can be exported to Excel and given to a Customer Services team to follow up.
Mr Pigden concluded, “Different industries such as foodservice, retail, brewing and cash in transit all have different requirements and there is no universal answer, for example, is not practical for caterers to stock up on fresh ingredients. What is clear is that many businesses have been left to fend for themselves when it comes to working out how to cope with the changes. The earlier businesses start planning and talking to their customers, the fewer problems they will experience during the Olympics.”
To learn more about the Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app please visit http://olympics.optrak.com/.
About Optrak
Optrak provides vehicle routing software that helps companies cut transport costs, increase efficiency and customer service. For more information please see http://www.optrak.com/. For more information on the Optrak Olympic Impact Analysis app please visit http://olympics.optrak.com/.
