Paris, October 26, 2015: GEOCONCEPT SAS, the leading designer of geographical optimization technologies for professionals, is announcing the launch of Opti-Time 8.4, the new version of its geo-optimized scheduling software suite. A full web solution, Opti-Time manages appointment, customer service and delivery schedules.
From booking appointments to optimizing movements on the ground via the definition and consideration of business constraints, Opti-Time provides mobility decision-makers and operational staff with a comprehensive and customized solution for pinpoint, relevant, rapid and least-cost customer calls.
Version 8.4 of the Opti-Time suite incorporates numerous developments for an even more powerful and intuitive user experience.
The new features (equipment, subcontractors, markers)
Opti-Time 8.4 manages three new objects that make it possible to:
- Associate a type of equipment with services rendered on specific customer sites with the use of equipment models (reference, stock, affiliation...);
- Automatically dispatch calls to subcontractors. When the task does not need to be carried out by a company resource, the call is automatically forwarded to a subcontractor;
- Setting markers. The user can now place markers in the diary that are superimposed on the calls and excluded from optimization. These are informative markers, whether associated with an appointment or not, that can be one-off (telephone review or alerts, for example) or relating to a period (start and end of day, for example).
Improved ergonomics for more flexible and up-to-date use
The user interface features numerous ergonomic improvements, facilitating in particular data manipulation by drag and drop. It is therefore more flexible to use when the user or end customer himself is booking an appointment. It is also easier to allocate a resource to a sector, manipulatecalendar events (for example a technician can easily change his hours following a hold-up), consult pick-lists in the call centre menu and runpersonalized reports.
Opti-Time 8.4 now provides a configuration interface enabling the solution configuration to be populated with a database and to import or export it.
To enable the user to be better informed, interactive notifications are available in the application and the call history is enhanced with additional information.
Moreover, two new modules make light work of adding a direct link to external applications from within Opti-Time.
Connectors to facilitate and automate exchanges with external applications
To ensure an optimal data flow, connectors enable Opti-Time to communicate with external applications:
- The export connector to the Microsoft cloud solution, Office Calendar 365, ensures a direct feed to the user's diary: exporting appointments and unavailability...;
- A sophisticated connector enables external management of Opti-Time.
The user can, for example, initiate a schedule optimization request from his CRM solution and receive the result directly back from it.
New optimization parameters and web services
Optimization engine performance has been improved and new optimization parameters taken into account: management of un-planning, planning costs, specific management of the first and last journey, selection of the no later than start date of a task…
Moreover, all the Opti-Time services are now available on a REST basis and the existing library is enhanced by four new web services. Opti-Time version 8.4 now incorporates GEOCONCEPT's cartographic web service (world map).
The Opti-Time suite is also now compatible with PostgreSQL.
