This section guides the user through the menu options that are available under the Geographic menu.
Many carriers deliver multiple routes. When these routes are adjacent to one another, the carrier often crosses over route boundaries. In these cases, defining walk sequences will not work, because a walk sequence is specific to a route. Instead, a trip sequence is needed. The trip is the order in which addresses are delivered within the entire group of routes.
For example, in the below picture, routes 23, 78, and 11 are delivered by the same carrier. The delivery path (the trip) crosses back and forth between the three routes. The trip sequence would reflect the order in which the addresses are delivered; the trip sequence for a few addresses on the route is indicated.
Trips are defined and assigned to home delivery routes in this option. Trip address assignments can be imported using the Trip Walk Sequence Import () and are included in the Route Delivery List and the Detailed and Detailed 2 renewal notice exports.
In character Circulation, select Distribution | Geographic | Trip to display the Trip Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the fields described below.
TRIP
open (12)
Enter an ID for the trip.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter a description of this trip.
VALID DAYS
yes/no (x 7)
Indicate the days of the week on which the trip can be used. A route can only be assigned to one trip per day. For example, if a route is assigned to a trip that is valid for all days of the week, it cannot be assigned to another trip.
Select Specifics | Trip route and assign routes to this trip (see next section).
Select Accept to enter the trip into the database.
Define another trip, or press F4 and select Exit to exit to the Setup menu.
Routes are assigned to trips in the Trip Route specific. The trip sequences of the addresses of all the routes within a trip will be sorted collectively. This same specific is also available in Home Delivery Route setup; routes can also be assigned to trips in the Route Setup Utility.
Select Specifics | Trip Route to display the Trip Route Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
TRIP
display
The trip being defined is displayed here. If you are assigning trips from Home Delivery Route setup, however, this field will be open.
PRODUCT
setup
Enter the publication for which the route below will belong to the trip.
ROUTE
setup
Enter a route that belongs to this trip when delivering the product above. A route may only be assigned to one trip per day. If you are assigning trips from Home Delivery Route setup, the route being defined is displayed.
START DATE END DATE
date
Enter the date range during which the route will belong to this trip. End Date may be left blank.
Select Accept to assign the route to the trip.
Assign another route to the trip, or press F4 and select Exit to exit to the Trip Setup screen.
Larger newspapers often use depots as part of their distribution process. Depots are warehouses where newspapers for a large number of routes are dropped off and arranged. Carriers then come to the depot and pick up the papers for their routes.
Depots are basically large drop locations. Since a large number of routes have papers dropped there, however, it is useful if the bundle tops are sorted in a depot drop order. Account invoices may also be sorted in depot drop order.
Depots must be defined.
Depots can then be assigned to routes as part of route setup. Along with the depot assignment, a route is assigned a depot drop order. Depot and depot drop orders have no direct connection to truck and truck drop orders.
Depot must be set as the sort option for bundle tops and/or account invoices, as defined in Business Rules. Business Rules also determine the label for depots on bundle tops and invoices (for example, they might be called “warehouses” at your newspaper).
If depot sorting is used, the depots will sort in alpha-numeric order. Within each depot, routes will sort in depot drop order. For example, assume the following depots contain these routes:
A34
D1566
10
A0988
20
C1444
30
A07
A0029
20
99899
50
C883
100
90
R111
30
The sort order for bundle tops or account invoices would be: R111, A0029, 99899, C883, D1566, A0988, C1444.
Select Distribution | Geographic | Depot to display the Depot screen.
Click the Add icon and complete the following fields.
DEPOT
open (8)
Enter an ID for this depot. You may want to number your depots so that they sort in the correct depot order.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter a description of this depot.
Click OK to save the depot in the database or Add Another to save the existing record and add another depot.
A service area is a geographical area used in dispatching. For example, you may have your routes divided into four service areas, each served by a dispatching force. See the User Manual for more information about dispatching.
Set up Service Area records only if you dispatch by service area. Routes and single copy outlets are assigned to service areas during Distrib Point setup.
In character Circulation, select Distribution | Geographic | Service Area to display the Service Area Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
SERVICE AREA
open (8)
Enter a service area, such as “Metro”.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter a description for this service area.
Select Specifics to define products that are valid for this service area (this specific can also be entered when setting up deliverables).
Select Accept to enter the service area (and specifics information) into the database.
Set up another service area, or press F4 and select Exit to exit to the Setup menu.
Circulation uses areas, regions, distribution zones and districts to construct a hierarchy for routes. This hierarchy should reflect your management structure for route distribution, and many route-related reports will be sorted accordingly. For example, Route B022 may belong to District 451, managed by Mary Miller. District 451, in turn, might belong to Zone 10a (managed by Doug Zeller), which is part of Region South (managed by Tara Long). And finally, Region South might belong to Area Duluth, which is managed by Brian Herzog.
Zones and districts are set up in the Zone/District Mgr option. Areas and regions are set up here. You must set up at least one area and region. As part of area/region setup you may also want to relabel areas and regions—for example, you may want call them “sectors” and “departments”. All reports that list areas and regions will use these labels, rather than “area” and “region”. Labels are defined in the Reports section of Business Rules.
Note:
Avoid using the same name at the area, region, zone or district level. For example, instead of having an area and a region named “Circ,” define an area named “CircArea” and a region named “CircRegion.” Using the same name at different levels can cause confusion when viewing Circulation reports.
In character Circulation, select Distribution | Geographic | Area to display the Area Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
PRODUCT
setup
Enter the publication to which this area belongs.
AREA
open (8)
Enter an ID for the area.
START DATE END DATE
date
Enter the date range during which this area will be active. You may leave END DATE blank.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter a brief description of this area.
To assign a manager to the area, select Find Occupant (if the manager is already entered in the database as an occupant) or Add Occupant. See the User Manual for more information.
Select Specifics | Region to set up regions that fall within this area (see below).
Select Accept to accept the area, along with all associated specifics.
Set up another area, or press F4 and select Exit to exit to the Setup menu.
Use this option to define all regions that fall within an area.
Select Specifics | Region from the Area Setup screen to display the Region Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
PRODUCT, AREA
display
The publication and area for this region are displayed from the Area Setup screen.
REGION
open (8)
Enter an ID for the region.
START DATE END DATE
date
Enter the date range during which this region will be active. You may leave END DATE blank.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter a brief description of this region.
To assign a manager to the region, select Find Occupant (if the manager is already entered in the database as an occupant) or Add Occupant. See the User Manual for more information.
Select Accept to accept the region.
Set up more regions for this area, or press F4 and select Exit to return to the Area Setup screen.
Distribution points are usually supervised by a District Manager, and district managers often report to Zone Managers. The area under a district manager is a district, and the area under a zone manager a distribution zone. Circulation uses districts and distribution zones in dispatching, as well as in various reports (including the District Manager’s Report). Together with areas and regions they form a organizational hierarchy for route-based delivery: routes belong to districts, districts belong to distribution zones, zones belong to regions, and (at the highest level) regions belong to areas.
Select this option to define at least one distribution zone, and the districts within each zone. If you have no zone managers but do have district managers, set up at least one zone and then set up all districts as part of that zone.
In character Circulation, select Distribution | Geographic | Zone/District Mgr to display the Distrib Zone Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
PRODUCT
setup
Enter the product for this distribution zone.
DISTRIBUTION ZONE
open (8)
Enter an ID for this distribution zone.
START DATE END DATE
date
Enter the date range for this zone. The START DATE for zone managers must precede or be equal to the START DATE for district managers.
REGION
setup
Enter the region to which this distribution zone belongs.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter a description of this distribution zone.
Select Specifics | Occupant to enter occupant information about the Zone Manager for this distribution zone (see the User Manual).
Select Specifics | District to set up districts that fall within this distribution zone (see below).
Select Accept to accept the distribution zone, along with all associated specifics.
Set up another zone, or press F4 and select Exit to exit to the Setup menu.
Note: You cannot accept this record until you set up the associated specifics information, including setting up an occupant record for the Zone Manager and the District Manager(s).
Select this option to define districts that fall within a distribution zone:
Select Specifics | District from the Distrib Zone Setup screen to display the District Setup screen.
Select Add and complete the following fields.
PRODUCT
display
The product entered on the Distrib Zone Setup screen is displayed.
DISTRICT
open (8)
Enter an ID for the district.
START DATE END DATE
date
Enter a date range for which this district is valid.
DISTRIBUTION ZONE
display
The distribution zone is displayed.
DM ROUTE
setup
When home delivery routes are set up, vacation package handling (where the papers are held for subscribers on vacation) is specified as being done by the carrier or the office.
If vacation packages are handled at the office (i.e., by the District Manager) you must set up a route for the DM. Set it up like any other home delivery route, and then enter the route here.
The vacation packages for all routes in this district (that are set up to hold vac packs at the office) will go to this route, and the District Manager will receive draw charges and credits for them.
DESCRIPTION
open (30)
Enter a description of this district.
Select Specifics to enter occupant information about the District Manager for this district (see the User Manual). If you have InsertPlus, you can also add the district to an ad zone by selecting Specifics | Ad Zone Entity.
Select Accept to accept the district.
Set up more districts under this distribution zone, or press F4 and select Exit to return to the Distrib Zone Setup screen.
