3. Description of some Smartpool functions...

* Input first...

Of course looking for car-pool partners cannot produce any results unless car-pool candidates are recorded in the database. These data is input by the car-pool service provider or it is also possible to grant direct access to the database to individuals or to companies and organisations (and all their employees). Privacy aspects are of course taken into account.

 

* ... then output

The search for a car-pool partner can now start. The program is based on geographical data taking into account the necessary travel time.
Moreover the program does not only consider the point of departure and the destination of a trip, but also examines the possibilities to pick up someone on the way. The different possible routes of the candidate car-pooler are in this the main criterion.

Other basic criteria are the time schedule (shifts, variable working hours, …) and whether the candidate car- pooler has a car. Further wishes of the candidate car-pooler (privacy, smoking habits…) are also considered.

The search results in a list of names, each with a score. The higher the score, the more 'suitable' the car-pool partner is. The result immediately appears on the screen, ready to be printed and posted or handed over.

* ... personalized ...

Smartpool prints letters to inform candidate car-poolers of the search operation. A proper layout of these letters is possible; what's more: every company that subscribes to the database can print letters with its proper letterhead, its proper logo, a proper text.

 

* ... follow up ...

Smartpool enables further follow up: requests of persons for whom no partner was found at first are filed for further processing and the history of every individual file is filed as well.

* ... file ...

Smartpool files both company data (branches, team codes,….) and data of individual car-pool candidates (working hours, address,…). Carpool teams that have been formed are registered as well as the car-pool permits and allocated parkings spaces. All these data can be modified and adapted when necessary.

* ... count ...

Smartpool composes the necessary management reports: handy for internal use and for the evaluation of the proper service, but also for reporting towards clients.

* ... in an easy way ...

Smartpool is very user friendly. Input screens and search screens in your own language will easily guide you through the program. List boxes will help you to specify postal codes, street names, company codes… .
Feed back messages will inform you that your action was successful or will warn you when something should go wrong (missing data…).
If something is still not clear to you, there is the handy and elaborated manual or the Taxistop help desk to help you out.

* ... and a quick way ...

Smartpool works fast: immediately after the input of a car-pool request you can see the result of the search action on screen… ready to print together with an accompanying letter. All this will only take a few seconds.

Input and output of large amounts of data (e.g. a company that wants to input 500 employees) is done via batch procedures which guarantee a quick and fluent handling. The one-by-one input and retrieval of records is then redundant.