: Your Depot Goes Digital With This Simple Basic System

Classic depot or depot management systems (DMS) are designed to digitise and automate processes to a high degree. This results in many advantages for day-to-day operations. On the other hand, this also results in a high level of system complexity, which is further increased by the introduction of new drive types.

Companies are now required to operate conventional and emission-free vehicles in parallel. Introducing a modern DMS in its maximum form is therefore challenging and ranges from

• the system requirements phase,
• specifications and functional specifications
• time-consuming workshops through to
• expensive adjustments during system implementation.

This is precisely why many companies put their digitalisation plans on the back burner. In addition, they simply lack the necessary resources and capacities to successfully manage IT projects of this dimension alongside their day-to-day business.

Such a turnkey realisation corresponds to the product scope of the PSIeDMS start software from PSI Transcom. The system includes all functionalities required for the efficient management of vehicles of all drive types.

Introducing the system using a standardised process is another key component. It ensures that transport companies can quickly benefit from the advantages of the system once it has been installed.

At the same time, they have all the options they need to expand their depot management system gradually and in line with their individual requirements. Upgrades can be used to integrate additional modules, automate processes or maximise the degree of automation of workflows. In the final expansion stage, the system can then work completely autonomously - without the intervention of a dispatcher.

On the one hand, the standardised system implementation guarantees commissioning in just a few weeks and, on the other, enables the companies to achieve the greatest possible independence. PSI is on hand to provide advice both during system implementation and during subsequent operation.

After a preparatory phase in which the companies create all the system requirements (i.e. check the quality of the data and existing interfaces), they order the software and the necessary licences. At the end of this ordering phase, they receive the preconfigured software.

The actual system implementation then follows in three consecutive steps:

1. Deploying the system
   In the first step, the software is installed jointly by a PSI expert. In order to be able to set up the IT environment and workstations independently, those responsible receive customised training. The same applies to the connection of databases and interfaces as well as the configuration of the depot operating screen.
    
2. Customising the system
   In the second step, the company customises the system and, among other things, sets up the user administration, imports the master data for operations, configures the driver departure board and checks and tests the range of functions and interfaces.
    
3. Commissioning
   In the third step, the system is put into operation.

Product rollout instead of project implementation: this is a simplified description of the difference between the implementation of a complete solution with maximum automation and the introduction of the basic DMS system.
 

The basis of this turnkey realisation is, on the one hand, the coordination of the system with the basic, industry-typical requirements of transport companies and, on the other hand, the process and IT analysis carried out by PSI in advance. A short implementation time is also achieved thanks to the standardised range of functions, the preconfigured software and the standard implementation process.

Where there's a will, there's now a way: transport companies planning the digitalisation of their depot are no longer tied to costly projects for the introduction of complex systems.

Using tried-and-tested functions, the system can be expanded step by step and the degree of automation increased.