Introduction
Field service routing optimizes itineraries of employees visiting customers locations over the upcoming period of time. Visits require the employees to have various skills and to arrive in the specified availability windows. The goal is to minimize the time employees spend by traveling and waiting, and, by that, increasing the number of scheduled visits.
1. Terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
Planning window |
The period of time for which we plan ahead; e.g. the next two weeks or the next month. |
Visit |
A visit to a customer’s location associated with providing a service. |
Visit availability window |
A time period in which an employee has to arrive and finish the service. See the visit time window concept explanation. |
A visit with its availability window within a single day. |
|
A visit with its availability window spanning over multiple days. If its due time is outside the planning window, the visit may be left unassigned. |
|
Vehicle |
Represents an employee or a group of employees sharing the same vehicle |
Vehicle shift |
A work day for the vehicle crew defined by a start time and by various end times. |