![]() | SUMit Roster Software > Nut's > December 2004 > Route Planning | Nederlands · Search... |
Route Planning |
Monday, 20th December 2004 |
Unplanned, move mouse to the map |
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So, I think it is bloody impossible
Marc Wesselink gives me a big, big grin after posting his opinion. He just explained an incredible complex route planning problem. His company, the Dutch VCC Groep performs medical inspections on employees who reported ill.
Well, I think I can give you an Internet demo
Marc smiles as he hears my bold answer an points at his desktop computer. Be my guest!
The Travelling Salesman demo lasts just a few seconds.
The demo quickly generates an excellent route for dozens, even hundreds of points. As soon as he sees a well planned route, Marc gets enthusiastic.
As a reference he shows another route planner, having a tough time with only four points for one single inspector. Well, route planning is a tough job. The SUMit demo may be fast, but it took me 20 years to invent the algorithm.
Obviously Marc has done thorough research and evaluated several other route planners. He must be so delighted now, as this is the first suitable solution he sees. I take his enthusiasm as a great compliment, from a bloke who really understands how tough excellent route planning really is.
A variation to my own travelling salesman algorithm bubbles up. It is too complex to validate it by thought alone. On paper I test it with just a couple of points. Hurray, the algorithm seems to work, but I still have a bit of doubt on a performance optimisation. I need to stand back to get the overview. Staring at the flat Dutch country side from a train the last piece of the puzzle drops into it's place.
The route planning works, fast and good. Within a minute it shows the generated planning for 400 visits.
The quality of the routes is good.
Graphic design quotation: Mohamed Gelle (Grafisch Lyceum Rotterdam)
Graphic design route planning applet:
(Sara Borremans)