Newspapers and Technology February 2000

Fake Brains upgrades RouteScout

By Kevin Juhasz
Editor

Fake Brains continues the gradual upgrade and expansion of its products with the upcoming release of RouteScout version 3.6.

The company has broken the RouteScout system into several modules -- a TMC module, a rack module and the new subscription module.

The company previously manufactured RouteScout as one system, but switched to modules to help clients choose the areas of the program that suit their publication.

The subscription module, which is still in beta testing, has Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping capabilities so newspapers can see their subscribers on a map.

Subscribers are Geo-coded to a particular location by latitude and longitude and can be mapped in a route, allowing newspapers to define the drop sequence for the carrier. Someone can visually look at where deliveries are to go on a map and print it for the carrier.

Fake Brains expects to start distribution of the system in the next few months. The company will eventually use the technology to map out rack deliveries also.

RouteScout is designed for carrier-delivered total market publications. It helps automate a large portion of a newspaper's circulation and delivery to free up managers for other tasks.

The system will also manage the truck sequencing of bundles and circulars to various drop locations, detailing the information on how to load trucks.

Newspapers can compute bundles based on paper count, insert count, or page count.

The system also makes it easy for newspapers to deal with circulars, which may run in any number of routes, utilizing user-defined regions based on demographics, zip code, county and more.

The system can also help manage most payroll situations newspapers will have.

Payroll is produced by taking into account each issue's draw and circular content, with easy reconciliation of the publication's accounting.

RouteScout can also help a newspaper get a hold on its waste by tracking returns. It provides drop listing reports, driver sheets, and waste reports. Waste is calculated automatically after returns are entered.

The system runs on Microsoft Windows 95/NT or Windows for Workgroups 3.11.

Fake Brains Inc.
303.791.3301
www.fakebrains.com

The RouteScout system:

• Provides a listing of which routes contained what preprints to provide to clients.
• Provides up-to-the-minute listing of what each route is costing to deliver.
• Alerts users to open routes each issue that need carriers.
• Red flags households requesting a stop delivery or other instructions.
• Produces truck drop reports to assist drivers with ease of delivery.
• Creates carrier invoices to simplify contractor billing.
• Assigns carriers to each route that includes a group of racks.
• Shows which racks achieve the best pickup response.
• Describes drop location to make businesses easier to locate.
• Lists business hours for drop locations.
• Creates restock routes for mid-cycle delivery.
• Describes rack location in detail to make it easy to find.
• Suspends rack delivery during remodeling and closures.
• Tracks make and model of each rack, along with maintenance.