In the past controlling has been operated in various ways, below we have outlined the control process using Tobias and you will see the advantages for yourself.

Left Screen - Bookings to be despatched

The different columns represent 'Booking ID' 'Date /  Time' ' Passenger Name' ' Collection Address' 'Destination Address' and a finally notification column which would alert the controller to a new, amended or cancelled booking made online. Visual imagery is used to simplify the allocation process and reduce human error. Once a journey has reached its 'lead time' the booking changes colour to alert the controller this is particularly handy if you have pickups that are a considerable distance away.

Other alert features include

By programmatically changing the look of these fields, the out of the ordinary bookings stand out making it easier to plan ahead.

Allocation couldn't be simpler, click anywhere along the booking, select driver from a dropdown list, click OK and that's it - just a couple of seconds and the job is allocated. The system knows whether a driver has a PDA device in the vehicle or not, it then makes a decision whether to send the journey details to the drivers personal mobile phone or the in-car device, the controller could then allocate another journey to the same driver if he or she wishes which would appear on the drivers screen once the first journey was completed. This process can be repeated as many times as you like issuing a whole days work in advance if you like. The allocation screen contains all the pickup and drop details for the relevant booking as well as who booked it, date and time of booking and special instructions - and all in an easy to read format.

Its worth mentioning here that once the booking has been despatched and accepted by the driver an SMS message is sent to the passenger stating driver name & mobile number and the make, model, colour & registration number of the vehicle.

Along the top of the center screen are a series of links;

Right Screen - Messaging, location and despatched journeys

A simple to view page that instantly shows you who's empty and where, also at what stage the driver is on the journey that has been allocated to him / her. The 2- way messaging screen allows the driver to communicate with the controller without using a radio or mobile phone and that the controller can then decide whether to respond immediately or when he or she has an available moment.

A point worth mentioning here is the 'timestamp' facility, as the driver updates the process on the onboard PC a time stamp is generated to show what time the job was allocated, accepted, arrived at pick up point, what time the passenger boarded, and what time they vehicle became clear. this is particularly handy for any queries the passenger may have should there be a problem.