Smarter planning gives De Witte Raaf more time for what really matters

Every year from 18 September, Eindhoven lights up for several weeks during the Lichtjesroute (Festival of Lights). More than 100,000 lights, arranged in illuminated displays and installations, form a 22-kilometre route through the city to commemorate Eindhoven’s liberation in 1944. On 4 October, around 30 members of De Witte Raaf will experience the Lichtjesroute together. Two small accessible vehicles and four minibuses will collect them from their homes before all six vehicles travel the route together. A special outing for the members, but also a complex planning challenge for the volunteers behind the scenes. How do you make sure everyone arrives at the right place, at the right time, using the available vehicles?

De Witte Raaf provides transport for older people and people with reduced mobility in Eindhoven. Alongside its regular transport services, the organisation arranges group outings for its members. Each outing requires a new plan to determine which members travel in which vehicle and the order in which they are picked up.

This involves more than simply grouping addresses into logical routes. Vehicles differ in capacity, some members use wheelchairs or walking frames, and people with reduced mobility may need additional time to board. At the same time, the aim is to use the available vehicles efficiently and avoid unnecessary travel time.

De Witte Raaf already uses a planning system for its regular transport services. However, the specific requirements of group outings are not adequately supported, so most of the planning had to be done manually.

Volunteers first grouped registered members by postcode. They then assigned members to vehicles and used Google Maps to work out a logical pickup sequence and route for each vehicle. This was time-consuming, particularly when plans changed and parts of the process had to be repeated.

As part of its 1% Pledge, CQM developed a planning and optimisation tool for De Witte Raaf. The planner enters the participants and their home addresses, the available vehicles, and the departure and arrival locations.

The tool then takes over the complex planning work. It assigns participants to vehicles, determines a logical pickup sequence and calculates a route for each vehicle. The planner receives both the routes and a map showing the complete plan.

The tool takes into account the number of standard seats and wheelchair spaces in each vehicle, capacity for walking frames, and any additional boarding time required. It optimises the plan to minimise total travel time across all vehicles while using as few vehicles as possible. For outings where not everyone can be collected in a single round, the tool can also propose a second pickup round for a vehicle.

The Lichtjesroute (running through Sunday, October 11) is the first outing for which De Witte Raaf is using the new tool in practice. For this event, everyone must be accommodated in a single pickup round, as all six vehicles will travel the route together in convoy.

De Witte Raaf will use the tool for further outings in the coming months. Based on feedback from the planners, CQM will assess whether adjustments are needed to ensure the tool fits the organisation’s day-to-day operations.

The project is part of CQM’s 1% Pledge, through which CQM makes part of its expertise and time available to organisations working towards social goals.

The idea to support De Witte Raaf came from CQM consultant Arjen Sijtsma. Drawing on his experience in transport planning, he recognised that the expertise CQM applies in commercial projects could also benefit a volunteer-based organisation such as De Witte Raaf. Through his network, he got in touch with the organisation, and together they explored where CQM could add value.

The potential benefits are twofold. More efficient planning can reduce total travel time and improve the use of available vehicles. At the same time, volunteers can spend less time on manual planning. For an organisation that relies heavily on volunteers, that time is particularly valuable.

The tool helps De Witte Raaf make better use of both its people and resources, leaving more time and capacity for what really matters: helping members stay mobile and enjoy activities together. Like their trip to the Lichtjesroute on 4 October.