Descartes unveils AI telematics suite

Descartes Systems Group, a global leader in uniting logistics-intensive businesses in commerce, has unveiled artificial intelligence (AI)- and machine learning (ML)-based enhancements to its Routing Mobile & Telematics suite. The enhancements help customers achieve outstanding optimisation results and learn from real-world outcomes to maximise fleet performance.

“Descartes has a long history of innovation, including robotic process automation for standardisation and automation of route planning processes, elastic cloud optimisation to scale for large fleet operations and same-day route optimisation to dynamically promise time-definite same-day deliveries,” said Sergio Torres, Senior Vice President at Descartes.

“Our AI- and ML-based enhancements are indicative of our continued efforts to enhance our routing solutions to simplify and automate configuration and system tuning for greater model accuracy and improved operational results.”

The AI and ML enhancements include:

• Descartes AI Advisor, an intelligent configuration and monitoring module, emulates Descartes’ route optimisation experts’ knowledge. After walking the customer through a series of questions, Descartes AI Advisor automatically configures optimisation settings and parameters. This simplifies and accelerates the configuration process. Configuration scenarios are compared to determine the best route optimisation strategies to meet business goals. AI-Advisor can evaluate the results of the system in operation and recommend configuration changes to maintain optimal performance.
• Machine learning algorithms have been applied to location, transit and stop-time calculations. Predictions for these key performance factors are continuously refined by monitoring real-world outcomes from mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) sources in combination with influencing variables. Tens of thousands of data points and variables are evaluated continuously to make learned adjustments to improve route planning accuracy and execute more predictable and efficient routes.

“AI and ML are perfect extensions to our advanced route optimisation and execution capabilities,” said Ken Wood, Executive Vice President at Descartes. “From dynamic delivery appointment scheduling through planning and real-time route execution, we’ve used AI and ML to improve our ability to deliver the next level of fleet performance for customers.”