aprilmay2021 - 34

[ THE SCHEDULING CONUNDRUM ]

Maximizing Software Investment

The best software package should be based on the agency's needs with the
ability to improve solutions and eliminate manual work as much as possible.

A
Ed Dornheim
Transit Schedule Maker/
Consultant

COLLEAGUE RECENTLY POSED
the question, " Why does it appear
that schedulers do not fully utilize the
scheduling software packages and all of the
associated features purchased for them? " As
simple as that question is, there are multiple
answers as diverse as the scheduling process
itself. An often-repeated explanation is the
lack of scheduling knowledge required to
leverage the software to create a viable solution. If you have ever heard the word " powerful " associated with a software platform,
then complicated may also accompany it.
Software developers may design packages
with an information technology (IT) level
of understanding rather than the needs of
the end user. If it is too difficult to use, not
understood or not intuitive, then it will be
avoided and underutilized. An additional
reason less discussed and understood is
the fact that not all scheduling software
tools are suited for all operations. The best
software package should be based on the
agency's needs with the ability to improve
solutions and eliminate manual work as
much as possible.

If you have ever heard the word
" powerful " associated with a
software platform, then complicated
may also accompany it.

Read more from the
Scheduling Conundrum at
MassTransitmag.com/21217264

34 |

Software is a huge investment and if you
pick the wrong one, or the wrong features
within it, the scheduler and agency might
be stuck for the long haul. Once an agency
invests into this resource, it is a rare occurrence to actively change a software package.
To illustrate this point, one agency, which
has a single line rail operation, does not
use its purchased software because it does
not meet its daily scheduling needs. The

Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | APRIL/MAY 2021

result is a large waste of money and efficiency for the agency that made the purchase
without understanding the requirements
of the operation.
A second impediment is that software is
not always designed with the user in mind
and developers may use terminology that
may not be familiar to an individual agency.
Training can be an issue as well and while a
software provider knows their product and
how it works, some of that understanding
can be lost and misunderstood when trying
to apply it to practical solutions tailored to
an individual agency. There is typically a
week or so of initial training when purchasing new software, but what happens after
that can be daunting for someone trying to
fully comprehend all the steps required to
produce a schedule. Often, there is a need
for ongoing support beyond the initial
training and, even worse, some schedulers give up and only use a fraction of what
they have learned. Provisions for follow-up
training and support are critical when procuring a new or updating an existing software package.
Another deterrent are reference manuals
provided by software vendors that are not
user friendly or tailored to an individual
agency. Written manuals that are 400 or
500 pages can often fail to give enough
pertinent instruction on how to accomplish some necessary tasks. Performing a
search for a topic and you might have as
difficult time finding an answer as you do
to fix the problem. Other software vendors
do not have reference manuals and provide
training through videos.
This is by no means a comprehensive
list of why schedulers do not avail themselves of the software that is supposed to
assist them and the agency. Hopefully, it
demonstrates that there is a need for better
understanding and supported mentoring
to ensure each agency is not only meeting
the needs of its customers but moving the
industry forward.

http://www.MassTransitmag.com/21217264 http://www.MassTransitmag.com

aprilmay2021

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