From: gnreddy@cbnewsf.cb.att.com (G.Narotham Reddy)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Subject: Computerization in Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corp
Date: 31 Jul 92 18:30:14 GMT
Organization: AT&T


APSRTC:  Accelarating Ahead

Computers make in-roads into Road Transport Corporations.

The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation was set up in 1932
with an employee strength of 166 and a fleet of 27 buses.  Today the
corporation is reportedly the second largest STU in the country, first
being the Maharashtra's MSRTC. The Rs 766 crore APSTRC today employs
close to 1.1 lakh people, and has a fleet of 15,000 buses to cater to
its daily loads of 1 crore passengers. It has 180 depots, 260 bus
stations and the fleet covers 41 lakh kms per day.
	APSRTC was a slow starter, but it made significant inroads in
a short span of time.  The first computer was installed at the
Ranigunj depot in Jan 1987.  In the first phase, 45 depots, four
training schools and seven regional offices were computerized. PCs
were provided to all department heads and executive directors at the
head office.
	Application areas in a typical state transport undertaking
include ticket reservation, vehicle maintenance and common
applications such as accounts, payroll and inventory control.
	Till recently computers did not provide any tangible benefits
to APSRTC's clients. It wanted to computerize its passenger
reservations system. The reservation counters for advance and current
bookings for long distance buses were computerized initially. 
	Starting with Madras bus station, the next to get computers
was APSRTC's reservation counter at Bangalore. The reservation system
at Vijayawada-reported to be one of the largest bus stations in Asia,
was next in line. This Herculean task was accomplished with the help
of Integrated Data Systems, a Hyderabad-based hardware vendor.
	The results were positive and were noticed immediately.  The
passenger waiting time was cut short, and the reservation status was
available. Best of all, malpractices in the issuing tickets were
reduced.
	Other operations that have been computerized include the
inventory management systems for various regional stores. The
recruitment process in the corporation has also benefitted, where at
every stage computers, now, come handy. 
	In five years APSRTC has set the wheels of computerization in
motion. A supportive to management, co-operative trade union and
involvement of end-users at all stages has eased the change over
process. The phase method computers were introduced in a phased manner
in the Corporations. The reason being that the operations were varied
and cumbersome, and the switch over had to be smooth.

DEPORT COMPUTERIZATION PROJECT (DCP)

DCP was one of the first projects undertaken. CMC was the consultant
for this.  The software developed has five modules. These are OLTAS
(on-line ticket accounting system), VEMAS - vehicle maintenance
system, STOINS - stores inventory system, FACTIS - finance and
accounts information system, and PINS - personnel information system.
	the OLTAS system speeds up the issuing of and returning of
waybills to conductors before and after each runs.  The conductors
happily state that today they can hand over their day's earnings,
complete all settlements and be on their way home within 20 minutes
of returning from their day's last duty trip.  Earlier, it took at
least an hour to get things settled.
	
Passenger Reservation Project:

Compared to depots, passenger reservations at bus stations were
computerized at a much slower pace. LAN-based systems were installed
at Madras, Bangalore, Vijayawada, Puttaparthi and Hyderabad.  These
systems have two to six PCs as nodes.  They handle both advance and
on-the-spot reservations for long distance buses.

On-line Inventory Management Project (OLIMP)

An Oracle based software has been developed by TCS. It will run on
super-minis to be installed at all regional stores.  The primary
function of these centeres to efficiently handle materials management.
	The software developed will aid in on-line monitoring of
availability of spare parts, status of purchase orders and vendor
ratings.  A decision support system to facilitate decision making with
regard to purchases has also been included.
	OLIMP runs on a supermini supporting 15-25 terminals. Each
configuration costs around Rs 25 lakh. The seven regional stores, the
central contracts cell, and the body building unit will be provided
with the systems. Currently it is being implemented at one of the
regional stores.

FACTIS:

This system is being developed for by the Applied Computer Sciences
Corp, Secunderabad. Under this, all APSRTC activities will be viewed
in financial terms. The profitability aspect of all financial
transactions will be taken into account.  The system will present a
total picture of the financial structure of the organization at all
levels.  At the same time it will continue to be decentralized with
each depot being a profit center of its own. FACTIS will interact with
other already existing systems in the Corporation.
	The development stage is more or less complete.  What remains
is consolidation and expansion.  APSRTC has budgeted Rs 4 Crore for
computers during 1992-93 plan.  Plans on the anvil include the
introduction of ticketing machines on buses, procurement of driving
simulators for the training school, CAD systems for the civil
engineering department, and computerizing of APSRTC's hospital.
	APSRTC has also been actively involved in spreading the
message of computerization to other transport undertakings. In Oct
1991, APSRTC in association with the Association of State Road
Transport Undertaking held a seminar title Computer Applications in
State Transport Undertakings.  The seminar served to bring together
various users and vendors interested in the computerization of STU
operations.
	Further, TG Ramachandran who has been actively involved in the
computerization process at APSRTC, has now been appointed chairman for
the Committee on computerization and MIS of APSRTC, which falls under
the Ministry of Transport. That is another feather in APSRTC's cap.

				       Hemalatha Nair in Hyderabad

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