Recurring Tour Templates

Recurring tour templates are reusable templates for regularly recurring routes. Instead of assembling a tour anew for each deployment, you record all key data here once – vehicle, driver, trailer, stops, shipment filters and generation rules – and use them to create the effective tours for a desired period at the push of a button (or automatically). The overview is intended for dispatchers and administrators.

1. Navigation

The recurring tour templates overview is accessible via the main menu under Dispatching › Recurring Tour Templates. The page is available to users with the Dispatcher or Administrator role.

2. Overview (Table)

All existing recurring tour templates are displayed in a configurable table. Each row represents one template. The table can be sorted and filtered by all columns.

Typical Columns

Depending on the activated modules, additional columns appear, for example Lock Period From/To (with tour locking active) and Planned Duration (with tour duration activated).

Sorting and Filtering

Clicking a column header sorts the list in ascending or descending order by that column. The columns can additionally be filtered to display specific templates in a targeted manner.

3. Group Filter

A group selection field with a search function is available above the table. Use it to restrict which recurring tour templates are displayed.

• Select group: Use the selection field (with integrated search) to choose the desired group. The table is then narrowed down to the templates of this group.
• Current group only: Use this toggle to limit the display to templates of the currently selected group (without subgroups).

Note: For subcontractor users, the «Current group only» toggle is hidden and the selectable groups are restricted.

4. Creating or Editing a Recurring Tour Template

Use the «Add» or «Edit» buttons in the toolbar to open the editing dialog. The dialog is divided into nine tabs through which you define all properties of the template.

4.1 «Define Template» Tab

Basic data of the template: whether tours should be generated from it, whether it is a line tour, the tour number, the name (can be entered multilingually), the active status as well as the validity period (valid from / valid to).

4.2 «Tour Info» Tab

Planning details of the later tour: the tour planning provider (display only, cannot be changed – planning is always done with PTV Developer), the generation model, a fixed tour start time as well as vehicle, driver, trailer and equipment. For each of these resources, a checkbox can be used to define whether resource planning should be used. In addition, tour specializations and checklists can be stored.

4.3 «Order Filter» Tab

Here you define which shipments are eligible for the tour: permitted planning areas, products and product groups (multiple selection each), shipment types as well as allowed locations (POIs).

4.4 «Generation Settings» Tab

Controls automatic generation: whether tours are generated automatically, how many days in advance the generation occurs and at which interval.

Note: For automatic generation, the "Generate automatically in advance" checkbox must be activated, an x-days-in-advance value must be defined and a valid repetition interval must be stored. A repetition interval must have a valid-from value as well as a start date defined, and the weekdays to be generated must be activated.

4.5 «Exception Days» Tab

Definition of days on which no tour should be generated (e.g. public holidays).

4.6 «Default Locations» Tab

Storing the default locations for loading and unloading.

4.7 «Template Stops» Tab

Definition of individual, predefined tour stops. A new stop row can be added via a button. Template stops serve as placeholders for the tour route and are usually filled with effective orders later. Template stops can make sense for tours that are driven without orders.

4.8 «Line Information» Tab

Additional details for line tours such as the assigned line, train number, departure time and arrival time as well as wagons.

Note: The line info is only displayed if the "Recurring tour template as line" checkbox has been activated on the general tab.

4.9 «Documents» Tab

Storing documents for the recurring tour template.

Saving

After entry, you save the template. The system checks, among other things, the uniqueness of the tour number, possible time overlaps for the vehicle as well as the presence of a start and destination depot.

Note: Which fields are editable depends on the permission of the logged-in user. For subcontractor tours, certain fields are locked.

5. Generating Tours

The effective tours for a period can be created from the templates. Two buttons are available for this:

• «Generate» generates tours from all recurring tour templates.
• «Generate Selected» generates tours only from the templates marked in the table.

Procedure

1. If needed, mark the desired templates (only for «Generate Selected»).
2. Click the corresponding button in the toolbar.
3. In the dialog, set the desired date range (from/to).
4. Confirm – the system creates the tours for the selected period.

If the check reports a warning, the system offers the option «Generate anyway», with which the tours are generated without renewed validation. After completion, the table is updated automatically.

6. Applying to Existing Tours

With «Apply to Tours», you transfer the configuration of selected templates to already existing tours within a period.

1. Mark one or more templates.
2. Click «Apply to Tours» in the toolbar.
3. Set the date range in the window.
4. The affected tours are listed for preview.
5. Upon confirmation, the configuration of the template is applied to these tours.

Note: The action is only available if at least one template is marked. Subcontractor rows are excluded.

7. Copying Recurring Tour Templates

With «Copy», you create duplicates of the marked templates.

1. Mark one or more templates.
2. Click «Copy» in the toolbar.
3. Confirm the safety prompt.

The system duplicates the complete template including stops, trailers as well as allowed areas and products and subsequently reports the newly assigned tour numbers.

8. Direct Saving of Inline Changes

Various columns of the table are displayed as clickable checkboxes (see Section 10). With the «Save» button, all checkbox changes made in the table are collected and saved in one operation.

1. Click the desired checkboxes directly in the table rows.
2. Click «Save» in the toolbar.
3. Confirm the safety prompt.

The button is initially disabled and only becomes active once changes are present.

Note: For subcontractor tours, properties that the logged-in user is not allowed to change are automatically excluded when saving.

9. Deleting Recurring Tour Templates

1. Mark one or more templates.
2. Click «Delete» in the toolbar.
3. Confirm the safety prompt.

The marked templates are deleted.

Note: The «Delete» button is only active if none of the marked rows is a subcontractor tour. Tours edited by subcontractors cannot be deleted.

10. Inline Checkboxes

Numerous columns are displayed as clickable checkboxes directly in the table row. This allows boolean properties to be toggled quickly and then saved collectively (see Section 8).

Available as checkboxes are, among others:

• Active
• Automatic Generation
• Generates Tour
• Use Resource Planning for vehicle, driver, trailer and equipment
• Use Resource Planning on Group Change
• Use Vehicle Start Location / Use Vehicle End Location
• Send Notification to Driver
• Check Restrictions
• Starts on Previous Day
• Planning quantity indicators: Weight, Volume Solid, Volume Liquid, Pallets, Loading Meters

A click marks the change; with «Save», all open changes are applied.

11. Toolbar: Templates, Columns and Layout

The toolbar additionally offers the standard tools of the table:

• Apply templates: Restore saved column and filter configurations with a click.
• Column management: Show and hide columns as well as adjust their order.
• Clear filters: Remove all active filters.
• Layout functions: Save or reset the table layout.

The table configuration (column selection, layout, custom fields) is saved per user and is retained after logging out.

12. Summary: Available Actions