Organization of working time: personalized driver schedules tested in Dijon

Driver retention: a key challenge for the transportation sector

For several years, the public transit sector has faced a serious driver shortage. Among the causes behind this shortage, some have pointed to the difficulty of finding a proper work-life balance in this field.

Indeed, drivers are often constrained by a strict schedule of shifts over which they have no control. Many drivers would like more simplicity and flexibility in the organization of their working time.

The traditional system of drawing up schedules based on standard weeks and a principle of rotating shifts between different drivers does not offer much in the way of flexibility. To overcome this difficulty, Keolis subsidiary DiviaMobilités in Dijon is testing out a new digital tool called Kustomize. The tool enables drivers to personalize their schedules while also taking into account individual preferences and service constraints.

Personalized schedules for a new organization of working time

The Kustomize digital solution operates in three steps:

1. Drivers input their preferences into the app, including rest days, constraints, and availability.

2. These preferences are cross-checked with network needs and labor regulations.

3. An algorithm generates a personalized schedule for each driver, supervised by the planning and scheduling team.

The project is led by Keolis Dijon Multimodalité, the Operations Management team, and Keolis' "Lab Inno," which prototyped the tool using insights from industries like food service, aviation, and urban transport—sectors known for shift-based work schedules. Drivers were involved from the start, contributing through dedicated working groups.

A more flexible organization of working time adapted to every driver

Customizing schedules is a game-changer for drivers. The tool considers their preferences, boosting well-being and work-life balance. This innovation reduces absenteeism, encourages active participation in scheduling, simplifies recruitment challenges, and ultimately improves service quality and passenger satisfaction. A true success for this Dijon-based experiment.

The experiment aimed to refine the model's performance and ensure internal team satisfaction, as they were actively involved in the project.

Now, Kustomize has moved from testing to deployment, featuring a driver-focused app integrated with other planning tools.

In December 2024, Kustomize won the Grand Prize for "AI and HR" organized by Hub FranceIA.

Looking ahead, 10 Keolis subsidiaries plan to adopt the solution by 2026.