CTG Modernized Chalk Mountain's On-Prem Scheduling and Monitoring Application

Key Challenges

Complex scheduling across 400 vehicles and multiple locations

Legacy system with limited performance capabilities

Optimizing conflicting contractual delivery requirements

Business Benefits

Efficient and adaptable automated scheduling system

Real-time tracking of resources and inventory

Seamless integration with mobile apps and IoT devices

Chalk Mountain is a renowned transportation and logistics company established in Texas that serves several sites around North America. They are a leader in oilfield logistics hauling sand, chemicals, cement, and water. The client coordinates various shifts, drivers, and trucks, and arranging them to pick up commodities from source sites and deliver them on schedule to oilfields/wells to guarantee uninterrupted fracking.

The Challenge and Opportunity

The client's legacy system was outdated and lacked the modern web performance needed for efficient planning. Managing nearly 400 vehicles daily across multiple locations further complicated scheduling. Additionally, the client had to optimize contractual agreements with multiple suppliers for sand, cement, and chemicals to ensure timely and cost-effective deliveries. These challenges called for an optimized and intelligent scheduling, tracking, and delivery system.

The Solution and Results

CTG automated scheduling process/capabilities for the client to achieve delivery schedules. Later, the POC evolved into a full-fledged solution resulting in on-time delivery and the elimination of Well operations disruption due to a lack of inventory. Due to the success of the solution, the client also wanted to revamp the Web application's user experience. We developed/delivered a User-Friendly modern web application that increased usability while also providing real-time updates, dashboards, and chat capabilities. As part of the overall solution, the application was built using Python allowing data optimization with high availability, redesigned with Event driven/Microservices architecture, SPOF components were modernized with cloud components, and the application was migrated to Azure Cloud.

Integrated Scheduling and Monitoring System

Efficient Delivery

Considering all the complicated aspects involved in material distribution, the automated scheduling and delivery system was efficient and adaptable. The precise number of vehicles needed to pick up and transport the items in either the quickest or most cost-effective route was calculated and arranged. These optimized recommendations improved accuracy and minimized most mistakes produced by the previous approach of manual planning and scheduling.

Real-Time Data Tracking

Real-time tracking of resources and inventories was feasible due to the system's smooth integration with Mobile apps and third-party applications, which greatly improved process efficiency. Also, communication delays were decreased, and decisions were made more quickly.

User Management and Data Security

The Applications (Web & Mobile) have a diverse range of users (internal and external stakeholders) with varying roles and responsibilities spread across several departments and organizations, requiring the system to provide data and functionality access based on the user's role. The solution being deployed in the Azure Cloud gave us the ability to leverage cloud-provided access and security capabilities to protect/detect threats and warn the Tech Support teams in a timely way.

Intelligent Dashboards

CTG created many dashboards to display KPIs and real-time information for a wide spectrum of users, from the Operations team to CXOs and their end customer's team. To ensure data security, the dashboards are designed with access control depending on user groups.

Driver's dashboard - displays information on the active driver's shift times and availability, as well as their current
assignment.
Dashboard for monitoring well operations - intended to display all well activities, current progress, and inventory
availability.

Cloud Migration and Modernization

App modernization using Cloud services is a crucial component of the solution provided. Cloud migration and modernization was performed to overcome the restrictions of on-premises systems and reap the benefits of Cloud computing. We used the Azure cloud for the solution, which included a combination of IaaS, PaaS, and Managed services. We have enabled cloud provided Monitors, Alerts and Security services and cost analysis tools for efficient usage of resources

Mobile App

CTG has created a few mobile (iOS and Android) apps to increase operational flexibility. Well Management App was developed to monitor and allow for updation of status of well operations and inventory. As a result, inventory management became more efficient, and well operations management became more fluid.

Driver App - Designed primarily for drivers as the go-to mechanism for all activities to be performed. This includes knowing their upcoming assignments related pickup and delivery, getting driving directions, understanding work instructions and the like. Work assignment updates are delivered in real-time via Push notifications and messaging. The driver's real-time position is updated regularly allowing the system to compute ETA, identify potential delivery delays and recommend an alternate delivery plan to meet delivery deadlines. Drivers can communicate with supervisors via the Chat functionality. Drivers can view/track their previous work schedules/performance as well as Payout details.
RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) is used in the driver app to support multiple types of drivers such as FTE, contractual carriers, and based on the nature of work such as delivering goods to intracity or intercity.

The Driver application was created in compliance with the DOT regulations/guidelines to prevent distractions and increase driver safety.

The implementation of this comprehensive solution delivered by CTG significant benefits to the client such as;

On-time deliveries and elimination of Well operations disruptions saved the client substantial resources in time, money, and human resources.
Real-time tracking capabilities integrated with IoT devices and mobile apps dramatically improved inventory management efficiency.
Communication delays were significantly reduced enabling faster decision-making between drivers, field crews, and office personnel.
The modernized cloud infrastructure provided better scalability, performance, and cost management compared to the previous on-premises solution.
The BI dashboards gave stakeholders at all levels visibility into operations that was previously impossible, enabling data-driven decision making throughout the organization.