17th week - Project closing

Last blogpost (From Traffic Management to Traffic Leadership)

As our semester is unfortunately over, we also have to close our work at Demola.

First of all, thanks for the opportunity I can say it was quite useful experience for all of us. Thanks for Ville’s facilitating, thanks for the support of Tero and Anni.

I think our job was quite hard, as the biggest problem was to find a good “touch” on the topic that is why it went very slowly.  We also have had missing team member due Sun’s trip. And of course we had university duty that made our schedule quite tight.

But let’s present the solution.

After the meeting with MobiSoft and Tampere Logistics, we had to realize, that the solution figured out already in the very beginning of the work could work…as there is a huge claim for it. And it could be very unique and supportive as there is no such an existing application. But what is this application? Basically nothing new…We have had travel planner applications, we have maps with real-time data…but…all the separately. Now we collect all of these, and built an application which contains all of them…in one hand. It is comfortable, isn’t it?

And what is the “added value”? In the beginning of the project, Ilkka ask his friend via facebook survey about their experiences linked to the public transport. It included all the necessary questions link to the price/travel time, comfort level, most annoying things…etc…you know…to increase the service level.

As we examined all the possibilities (even driver’s salary decreasing and working hours increasing), the technical background and information systems, it was clear, to “LEAN” it would be hard…and harmful.

But still the benefits of this application drive the companies to make their services smarter. How? Let’s see: the usage of the application will be recorded. So basically it is a survey about the passenger’s habits. Which lines are the most crowded and when, which are the less, which stop should be cancelled, or should be relocated based on the too much walking distances. It will drive the companies marginal service level increasing (due most comfortable and affordable transport). Increasing income->cost savings

What is the benefits for the “end-user”? The application (could be web and smart phone based) will be free or really cheap to download. It could be income for the developer. AAANNNDD: very comfortable for the user (everything via only one application), you can plan your trip accordingly (based on the requirements for: price, travel/walking time, walking distance, comfort level, privacy). You can bring it with you (with your smart phone) or check it before leaving (using your pc). Use the “follow me” option and check it during your journey if you are not sure about the direction.

Summarized we suppose, this solution could be very beneficial for both parties.

I attach some picture about the lay-out of this application produced by Ilkka. Sorry, we don’t have designer, so seems a little bit ugly…but it is a DEMO. J

You can find step-by-step instruction in our presentation slide.

Summarized the message of the project: we can’t give exact solution, which reduce the costs with 50%. We can give a supporting tool which will drive you more smart and effective services.

15th week - Application design meeting at TUT

During this meeting we figured out the layout and the working method of the application.
Some draft:

Eric and Ilkka found quite useful designing programs for this goal

The next blogpost will consist already details about the working application and some screenshot about the UI, plus a lot of details about the benefits (for user & for companies as well...)

14th week - Status meeting with Tero Ahtee from TUT

The goal of this meeting was to inform Eric's teacher about our progress.
The team presented the starting point, the problem need to be solved, our tasks and future plans.
We agreed that this "abstract" project cannot have only one good solution, we have to think really wide perspectives, and the presented solution could be very useful.
Tero Ahtee gave also gave us some useful advice should apply till the project closing.
Thank you for the participation!

13th week - Status meeting

Regular meeting @ TUT (3.5.2014)

During this meeting we went through all the possibilities should focus on by our application. All the public transport art were touched (bus, minibus,light tram & taxi, car-sharing), and we tried to find all the important points should implemented into the application.
The other important point of the meeting was to prepare ourselves to the status meeting with Tero Ahtee from TUT (Eric's teacher).

12th week - Team meeting, meeting with Tampere Logistics and Demola Jam#2

Team meeting @TUT (24.4.2014)
The main aim of the meeting is to prepare the materials for tomorrow’s meeting with Tampereen Logistiikka, together with Tero and Mobisoft representatives.
 Before the meeting, each of us are required to write down some points according to our agreed outline
of 4 parts, the basic introduction, the existing problems , the Mobisoft features and the benefits. This material also a good supporting document for the end-pitching.
 The basic idea we got from the draft introduction of our project is that, we would like to facilitate the
cooperation between TKL, Tampereen Logistiikka and Mobisoft. The aim of our project is to help the
municipality to cut the public transportation half.
For Tampereen Logistiikka, the cost for special transportation provided for the elderly and disables is on average higher than TKL and Mobisoft has their advanced programming skills but without fixed finance support. And via our researches from the end-uses, we find there are some possibility and benefits to integrate the 2 difference vehicles via Mobisoft’s techniques.
 And at the end , we have discussed some questions we would like to communicate with
different parties, especially with Tampereen Logistiikka.

Meeting with Tampereen Logistiikka (25.04.2014)
Supported by Tero, we had a great meeting with 'Tampereen Logistiikka' on 25.04. The representatives of Tampereen Logistiikka supplemented with Pekka Eloranta and .... from Mobisoft. Tero also supported the team in that meeting.
The most important message of the meeting was that the application we would like to develop is highly appreciated by the organisation.
During the meeting lot of existing solution were presented that we can use as "raw material". We got a lot of information about the operation of PALI small buses, the real time system used by the Finnish transport companies (even if they are still in demo version).
Our solution will support all the public buses (TKL buses), small buses (PALI) and additional to it but separated way the taxis.
We started to design the lay-out of the application which demo will be a web-based application (it is possible to use it later as a mobile application as well).
The feedback of the organization showed a high demand for this application which will increase the service level and also can reach cost reducing using this method (for example: perfect feedback for the company to schedule their routs "smarter", monitoring the public's habits, use their capacities accordingly and (re)organize their systems which results drastic cost decreasing).

Our next task it to figure out the physical lay-out of the application. Eric and Ilkka as the programmers in the team will develop the program, Sun and Gábor will support the processes.

Demola Jam#2 (26-04-2014)
The most important goal of this event was to complete the still backward tasks and to start to focus on the final pitching. During the event we had enough time to make our blog up-to-date and start to think about the content of the final pitch. For the result check our blogger site/demola project page and google drive folder. The event was well organized by Demola, excellent atmosphere and appropriate environment for effective work.

10th week: Midpitch

10th week: Midpitch

Based on the information we got from Mobisoft, we were sure that a web portal would be one of the most plausible things we could do. Ilkka had put down a some great notes regarding the event and though the preparation wasn't done until about 30 minutes before the actual event began, the pitching part went splendidly.

As far as the midpitching went, I think the biggest challenge was that all the rest of the crew were sick (Ilkka was in fever, Gábor had tonsilitis and Sun felt sick otherwise), so the pitching had to be done alone. That aside, the pitching went well and the only complaint I heard was that there wasn't much to demo, which is true.

The only thing I regret was that there wasn't anything to demo. 

Ilkka: cumulative: 40 h

Sun: cumulative: 35h

Gábor: cumulative: 40h

Eric: cumulative: 41h

11th week demola regular meeting

   At the beginning , we discussed something about the mid-pitch. Eric did a good job. and there is about one and a half month left for our project. we collected lots of information, still for the broad field, still there is a long way to go for the final demo. Ville introduced the other teams also faced the same problems and encourage us to continue to do something to put forward.

   the main part is about how to cooperate with the Tampere logistic. Tevo make it more clear to help us go further. it is showed as follows. for the missing cooperation part, we will discuss it for the next meeting with the rep. from tampere logistic, Mobisoft and so on.

  

 and in the end, we decided to have another preparation meeting before meeting with Tampere logistic. we outlined our project in 4 parts to make our own project clear: the basic introduction,, the problem, the futures and the benefits. with the separated tasks, we agreed on another meeting in TUT.

Ilkka:cumulative: 45

Sun:  cumulative: 45

Gábor: cumulative: 45

Eric:  cumulative: 45