Using ResultsNow
Using ResultsNow
This guide describes the functionality available to a ResultsNow by TMW™ user. The exact degree of functionality, including menu options, page content, and access rights granted to each user, is set by your company's ResultsNow system administrator.
This guide covers the menus and pages of a default ResultsNow installation; your installation may differ. If you have questions about features not described in this guide, or if you require the use of features you do not have, please contact your ResultsNow system administrator.
Introduction 2
Logging into ResultsNow 2
Overview of the Administration page 6
Overview of default ResultsNow menu sections and pages 6
Overview of the menu sections 8
Overview of the Standard metrics pages 12
Selecting a time frame 13
Selecting a metric 13
Interpreting the metric value type indicators 13
Cumulative vs. non-cumulative metrics 13
Sub-goal metrics 14
Viewing details about a metric 14
Working with the metric graph 15
Viewing the numeric data value of a graph bar 15
Viewing the metric as a time line 16
Exporting the metrics table to Microsoft Excel 17
Viewing a metric detail 18
Displaying the metric detail in your Web browser 18
Exporting the metric detail to Microsoft Excel 19
Viewing a metric's history 21
Displaying a metric's history in your Web browser 21
Exporting a metric's history to Microsoft Excel 22
Exporting a single day's history to Microsoft Excel 23
Viewing metric layers (drill-downs) 24
Viewing metric grades in the General menu section 25
Understanding the Business Overview pages 26
Displaying metric details on a Business Overview page 26
Overview of the External Sites pages 28
Viewing truck movements and positions with the Visibility pages 29
Viewing the Load Balance page 29
Note: ResultsNow is an add-on that must be purchased from TMW. For details, contact TMW Sales at 216-831-6606.
Introduction
ResultsNow by TMW™ is a Web-based, performance monitoring application that allows management, accounting, dispatchers, and other company personnel with a "need to know" to determine whether a company is meeting its goals on multiple business metrics. Results can be displayed daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and by calendar or fiscal year. Based on the ResultsNow configuration, information is updated hourly from data recorded in TMWSuite, or other transactional systems with which ResultsNow is compatible.
ResultsNow consists of SQL-driven metrics that provide current measurements of revenue, costs, and many additional operational measures. Some metrics can be set up by the system administrator to issue an e-mailed alert when the calculated result does not meet an acceptable threshold level. Thus, ResultsNow can make users aware of a problem right away. ResultsNow by TMW also supports detailed investigation into the conditions responsible for generating the alert.
Note: This user guide applies to ResultsNow installed to monitor the TMWSuite dispatch system. Instructions and screens may differ slightly for transactional systems other than TMWSuite. If you have questions regarding a different system, please contact ResultsNow support.
Logging into ResultsNow
ResultsNow by TMW is installed on your company's intranet. Its pages can be opened and viewed using a Web browser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer.
To log in to ResultsNow by TMW, you will need to know the address of ResultsNow on your company intranet:
1. Enter the ResultsNow address into the Address bar in your Web browser (your address may differ from the one shown in this example).
2. Click the Go button in the Web browser, or press ENTER.
A ResultsNow login page similar to this example is displayed.
3. A notice at the bottom of the page indicates a user's login status, and provides fields for logging in if you are not logged in automatically. Depending on the login method set up for you by your ResultsNow system administrator, this page may display one of three messages. Take the appropriate action to log in to ResultsNow.
· Login successful. NT user name <your domain\username>
The ResultsNow validation process was able to log you in automatically, based on your Windows login. You will be permitted to view all content for which the ResultsNow system administrator has granted you rights. Click the Continue button.
· You have not been automatically identified. You will only have access to public information until you log on.
The ResultsNow validation process was unable to determine your user name and password. Unless you log in, you will only be able to view public information, that is, those items made available on a general basis to unsecured users.
Note: The User Name and Password may be the same as your TMW application User Name and Password (case sensitive) or your administrator may have set up unique credentials within ResultsNow.
Do one of the following:
· If you do not have a ResultsNow login and ID, click the Continue button. You will only be able to view public information.
· If you have a ResultsNow user name and password:
a) Click Logon to display the User name and Password fields.
b) Enter your ResultsNow user name and password in the appropriate fields.
c) Click Submit.
· You have not been automatically identified by the system, and there is no public information available. Please logon.
The ResultsNow validation process was unable to determine your user name and password. Unless you log in, you cannot view any ResultsNow information.
a) Click Logon to display the User name and Password fields:
b) Enter your ResultsNow user name and password in the appropriate fields.
c) Click Submit.
4. ResultsNow displays a summary page for the first category in the first menu, in this example, the Standard metrics menu section. Continue with the instructions in the following paragraphs to view ResultsNow content.
Overview of the Administration page
You can access the Administration page only if the ResultsNow System Administrator has granted you the necessary rights. If you have this access level, consult the ResultsNow System Administrator guide for further information.
Overview of default ResultsNow menu sections and pages
ResultsNow can display a variety of data, graphics, Web, pages, and documents. Links to this content are grouped into menu sections on the left side of the ResultsNow home page. Content is displayed to the right of the menu sections.
Each user's access to specific menu sections and category content is set by the ResultsNow system administrator, and made available based on the user's login. As a ResultsNow user, you can view page content, modify the time frame, highlight each metric to view the associated graph, and export metric details to Excel or to the screen.
Notes:
1. The screens in ResultsNow are .ASP (Web) pages, which reside in the ASP folder in your ResultsNow installation. In ResultsNow, the terms window and page are synonymous.
2. The ResultsNow system administrator can fully customize the menu sections for user groups, and grant different user groups different access rights, according to the group’s authorization to view different types of data. This guide discusses the default menu sections and contents that are available when ResultsNow is installed. The appearance of your ResultsNow pages, and your level of access, can differ.
3. ResultsNow is displayed in your Web browser. Standard operations, such as resizing windows, scrolling large Web pages, and closing the browser window, are handled just as they would be when you visit a Website. These operations are not discussed in this guide. If necessary, refer to your browser's online help or the appropriate documentation.
4. Several ResultsNow pages include buttons or links that export the page's data to Microsoftâ Excelâ. Your system requires an installation of Microsoft Excel to make use of this export feature. Excel is not included with ResultsNow.
5. When you export data to Microsoft Excel, a message similar to the following example might appear, depending on your version of Microsoft Excel, your Web browser, and other system settings. If you want to store the Excel worksheet, you must do so here, or from within Excel. Please consult your Excel documentation for details on saving files. Take care not to overwrite another Excel file that might have been created in ResultsNow with the same filename.
Depending on your version of MS Office, an additional message may appear. It may not, be brought to the front of the display. If your system seems to hang up, minimize all open windows on your Desktop so that you can check for and address the message.
Overview of the menu sections
The default ResultsNow menu sections provide links to the metric data most commonly monitored by trucking companies. Each menu section is identified by white text in a blue bar.
The options in each menu section are pages that display individual metric categories. Each category contains the individual business metrics assigned by content to the category. The displayed page is identified by an open book icon.
The illustration below represents Results Now when it is installed. Your administrator may have made many changes to the dashboard. This information should be helpful as a guide in using your dashboard.
The following table describes the default ResultsNow menu sections and categories.
Admin / This menu section links to the ResultsNow Administration page. It is visible only to the ResultsNow system administrator, and to users who have been granted access by the system administrator.Standard Metrics / This menu section organizes pages that display individual categories of metrics based on content.
· Revenue – revenue per day, per truck, and per mile
· Billing – billing lag
· Dispatch –deadheads, on-time performance, and miles per load
· Sales – customers gained and lost, orders booked, and billed miles per load
· Safety – accidents per day
· Driver Mgmt – driver hiring and turn-over figures
Each page summarizes its data by day, week, month, quarter, calendar year, or fiscal year. A user can:
· Select the time frame for which data is summarized.
· Select between a standard summary view and a timeline view.
· View data values, their goals and goal variation for available metrics in each time frame.
· View metric details exported to the screen for each metric value within the associated time frame.
· Export specific metric details, based on that specific time frame to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
ResultsNow Training / This menu section displays multiple views of business data. These examples are helpful during administrator training, and provide examples for the administrator to build the dashboard. This menu is often hidden when the dashboard is rolled out to business users, and my not display on your screen. The pages in this menu include:
· Metrics - a listing of test case metrics that allow users to see data represented in ResultsNow for demonstration purposes.
· Pie Charts – a graphical representation of data displayed as pie charts with the % of total detail for each component of the metric.
· Graph Comparison – This graphical display of data is used as an example to illustrate that up to four separate business metrics can be represented as annual trends. This display is used to report 'How are we doing on our top four KPIs (Key Performance Indicators.)'
· Report Card - This representation of business metrics is displayed as a report card. Each selected metric is represented by its grade rather than by its result. A grading scale has been set up for each metric.
A user can specify the number of grading periods to be displayed, and the period type (days, weeks, months, quarters, or years.)
Business Overview / This menu section graphically displays top-ranking items, as pie charts, by percent of total:
· Groupings – the top-performing revenue types, ranked by and percent of orders in the left column, and percent of revenue on the right
Commodities are also listed as a percentage of the total and the percent of TotalMail violations by individual. The administrator may choose to disable some standard pie charts if they to do not add business value.
· Lanes, Time – the top performing origins and destinations, according to State and there-digit postal code, and ranked by percent of orders and percent of driven miles. Additional analysis, Revenue by month and Miles by Day of the week, and Deadhead by region are also available.
· Origin/Destination – the top shipper and consignee locations, ranked by percent of orders
· Revenue source – the top revenue sources, such as Bill To and Order By companies, ranked by percent of orders and percent of revenue
A user can click graph sections, or values in a graph key, to view data details. Details can be exported to MS Excel or to the screen.
External Sites / This menu section links to external Web pages. Default pages include the TMW Systems, Inc. Website, and Websites displaying current fuel prices and weather information.
User access consists of viewing the Websites.
Visibility / This menu section links to a map of the US and Canada that displays truck movements and positions.
· Load Balance – the numbers of trucks entering and leaving each US state and Canadian province, based on order data
A user can click a truck total to view a detail of inbound trucks vs. outbound orders.
· Truck Locations (using PC*Miler) – The positions of trucks in US states and Canadian provinces, based on a truck's last GPS report
A user can click a truck to view check call information for the truck. The user can also locate a specific truck on the map, according to tractor ID.
Note: Truck Locations is available as a standard category in the Visibility menu section, but must be enabled by the ResultsNow system administrator. It also requires the installation of PC*Milerv. 17 or higher, with licensing for the mapping component, to be functional.
Start
Stop / Normally, ResultsNow sequentially loops through and displays all the pages listed in the menu sections, pausing on each page for a number of seconds, as designated by the administrator. The Start and Stop buttons let the user manually start and stop the looping process. Looping begins with the current page.
Overview of the Standard metrics pages
When you click a page name in one of the Menus, like the Standard metrics menu section, a page listing all of the metrics within the category is displayed, similar to the following example.