The document discusses the FlexDanmark system in Denmark for coordinating transportation among different authorities. FlexDanmark combines trips from various authorities and optimizes routes to increase utilization. It uses a "Flex concept" that describes each trip's needs and flexibility, allowing authorities to adjust flexibility to optimize planning. The system works like the game Tetris by planning trips without gaps to minimize wasted time. It then calculates costs for each authority. The goal is to create a standardized integration platform to access FlexDanmark's core optimization system.

1. Developing a Platform
Approach in Denmark
Niels Tvilling Larsen
FlexDanmark
The FLX Process
Developing a Platform Approach in Denmark 1/99

2. Developing a Platform Approach in Denmark 2/99

3. Trips and cost in Flexdanmarks system
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4. The Flex Concept
● FlexDanmark combines different trips from many
different authorities, illustrated by the ”bricks” below
● But citizens and their needs are not uniform – they have
different service needs and other requirements.
Rehabilitation General Health Flex
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5. The Flex Concept
● Each trip is described with all of its needs, requirements
and flexibility (or lack thereof).
● Authorities are able to adjust the flexibility (i.e. the
time or service) which will increase or decrease
utilization.
General Health General Health General Health
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6. The Flex Concept
● Comparing the flex concept to the classic game of
”TETRIS”, then becomes a way of explaining
FlexDanmark and its core system’s function of
planning and optimization.
● The goal of the game is to create complete lines of
”bricks” without any gaps, which in this analogy
means an optimized planning with least wasted
time.
Combined & Optimized Utilization
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7. The Flex Concept
● The goal of the game is to create complete lines of
”bricks” without any gaps, which in this analogy
means an optimized planning without wasted time.
● The core system also identifies and books a
resource which fits the requirements to execute the
plan.
Identified Resource (Vehicle) is Booked
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8. The Flex Concept
● During the day of execution, future trips are
continously optimized to ensure a minimum of
”gaps” in the planning.
Completed trips
Current trips
Future trips
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9. The Flex Concept
● When all trips for a given day has been completed,
the core system also calculates the cost for each
authority on a per citizen level.
Cost Allocation
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10. Flex Process
Evaluation Booking Optimization Execution Accounting Reporting
R E Q U E S T E D T R I P
Describe ”trip”
from A to B with
time and service
restraints
Traffic Control
& Contract
Management
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Determine
eligibility and
describe the
”citizen”
C O M P L E T E D T R I P
P I C K U P
Resource cost
optimization
Quality
Assurance &
Follow-up
Cost
Allocation &
Invoicing /
Payments

11. Standards (XML)
Evaluation Booking Optimization Execution Accounting Reporting
CONTINOUSLY/DAILY/REAL-TIME
Global Route
Optimization
Cost Allocation
Business Intelligence
Report & KPI
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Basic information and application
Bestille de konkrete rejser, med
forudsætninger
RejseLink (SUTI Interface)
Invoice / Payment
Distribution
Traffic Control
Vehicle Dispatch
Communication
Grant
Description
Order
Requisition
Trip Completed
Trip
Settled
Trip
Centralized
booking
Decentral
bestilling /
Selvbetjening
Ad hoc
bestilling
Objective
Evaluation
Subjective
Evaluation
Ad hoc
Evaluation
Covered by the SUTI standard

12. Organization Layers
NT Movia Midttrafik + Sydtrafik + FynBus
FlexDanmark
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Region Nordjylland
Region Sjælland
Region Syddanmark
Region Midt
Aalborg Municipality
+ other municipalitiess
Region Hovedstaden
Municipalities
Odense Municipality
+ other municipalities
Skive Municipality
+ other municipalities
Departments &
Institutions
Regions &
Municipalities
PTO
System

13. Evaluation Booking Optimization Execution Accounting Reporting
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School

14. CONCLUSION:
There is a need for a standardized and
singular integration point for accessing
FlexDanmark’s core system
Evaluation Booking Planning Execution Accounting Reporting
Integration Layer
Integration Platform
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Municipal 3

15. Why the Mixing?
● Why do we mix the scheduled transport with the
individual variable transportation?
+ =
Scheduled
Transport Utilization
Individual Variable
Transport Utilization
Combined
Transport Utilization
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16. New Basic Principle
● The PTOs buys resources (taxies and busses) from
external private companies, and, combined with all
the planned trips – generated through different
remote online ordering modules used by a number
of authorities – will optimize the utilization of that
capacity (using a real-time planning engine).
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17. Supply & Demand
Resources Trips
Evaluation
Booking
Resource Optimization
Vehicle Execution
Accounting
Reporting
Requirement Prognosis
Procurement
Resource Description
Vehicle Management
Accounting
Reporting
Inst./Dept.
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Contractors
PTOs Municipalities

18. Fixed Market Vehicles
KPI / BI
Service Management
Contract Management
Supply
Tender from Contractors
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Requirement
Prognosis
Procurement
Ressource
Description
Vehicle
Management
Accounting Reporting
Recurring Trips
Garanteed Trips
Variable Trips
Combined Ressource Prognosis
Evaluation of Tenders
Spot Market Vehicles
Corrections
Basis of Payment
Procurement
Material
Contract Data Input
in Optimization Engine
Order Payment
Contractor Process PTO & Municipal Process PTO Core Business Process

19. We’re creating a platform
●We’re creating a platform that
can receive orders from many
different sources, and which
supports planning with multiple
optimization logics and modules.
19
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20. Blue is in operation Green is approved, Yellow is on the way but needs clarification
Channels of demand Types of transport
FlexTrip
Travelplan
for public
transport
Basic platform
Taxi
Bus
Train
FLX Platform
External
Systems
Customer
System
Web Portal
booking
Call Center
booking
FlexTravel
Car
sharing
Airplane
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