Route optimisation is the process of using software that generates the most efficient routes based on the number of stops, any special requirements of those stops, and the availability of drivers.
Prior to using route optimisation, business owners would have to spend hours manually planning every route for their drivers.
Trying to find the most efficient route would be a stressful and time-consuming task that limited the business’ productivity. Now, this software can build hundreds of routes within seconds.
Being a business owner is stressful enough. See how route optimisation can help your business and why it will make your job a lot easier.
Why is Route Optimisation Important?
Manually planning routes is an almost impossible task that takes up hours and increases your workload. With a good route optimisation platform, you can reduce stress and have the most efficient routes built in seconds. This software is great for fleet managers and dispatchers looking to save time and money for their business.
You can upload a bulk of jobs into the system, select a group of similar jobs, and assign them to a driver and it will automatically build the best possible routes. It allows more jobs to be completed by each driver, reducing driver costs and increasing the productivity of your business.
When using this software you can expect improved communication between you, your driver, and your customer. With live updates and notifications, you’ll access full visibility of your drivers from their departing location, up until the point of their arrival.
This software also offers live updates and visibility to you to offer your customers improved ETAs. This will reassure customers that their order will be arriving at a certain time instead of being given a large time window and waiting for hours.
By optimising your routes, your drivers will spend less time idling in traffic, going back and forth between jobs, and fewer drivers taking longer routes to waste time between jobs. This will significantly reduce your fuel costs and overall vehicle maintenance, as you’ll also be able to detect any dangerous driving behavior.
This kind of visibility improves your customer’s experience as you make them feel like a priority by speeding up the delivery process. With route optimisation you can also share the location of your driver with your customer.
This reassures them their order is on the most efficient route, giving them an estimated time rather than a large window anywhere between 7 am to 7 pm.
Different Types of Routing Strategies (Pros and Cons)
1. Static
Static routes are routes that are planned quarterly or monthly. This type of routing is easier to configure on relatively small networks with the ability to have full control over routing behavior. However, it doesn’t offer much flexibility and considers the many issues drivers can run into when carrying out a delivery. This involves the inability to help fleet managers respond effectively to any unforeseen circumstances that may impact the drivers’ schedules.
2. Dynamic
Dynamic route optimisation is where routes are developed daily by taking into consideration the number of drivers available, the total number of stops, and the location of delivery destinations. This software can be used for larger networks. Its flexibility helps redirect drivers to the most efficient routes when there is a sudden change in traffic conditions. It also allows you to pop in last-minute deliveries without disrupting the sequence of deliveries. However, this kind of software does come at a cost and requires additional resources such as Bandwidth.
3. Real-time Dynamic
Real-time Dynamic is where the routes adapt during the delivery day based on the new orders getting added into the system in real-time and the driver’s situation on the road. This type of planning examines the entire fleet for route possibilities and helps avoid any route problems that could be encountered throughout the day. This software also, unlike static, comes at a cost and a requirement for additional resources.
Free Route Optimisation Software vs Locate2u
Free route optimisation software helps manage deliveries and plans to the most efficient routes without the price tag of a paid software.
These free apps include Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze. This is an option for businesses wishing to minimize expenses and use fewer resources to get the job done. Whilst this is the most affordable option, this software doesn’t offer multi-stop routes and unlimited stops, creating only a limited number of routes.
It also doesn’t plan well for multiple vehicles, which can make it impossible for larger businesses to complete their deliveries. For part-time couriers and small businesses, this is a great option, however, that can’t be said for larger businesses that require multiple vehicles and multiple stops to be planned without limitation.
On the other hand, Locate2u’s route optimisation software is great for businesses wanting to save time, reduce stress and increase their efficiency.
Forget manually planning, this software will have the most efficient routes planned in seconds. Unlike free route optimisation, you can plan dozens of stops for all your drivers and modify routes to accommodate any changes in your schedule.
This increases your productivity as you can fit in as many deliveries as possible without replanning the day when a new booking pops up.
Whilst free route planning software sounds like a great way to save on expenses, sometimes it’s better to spend the money and significantly improve your business.
With Locate2u, you don’t have to worry about the hours of planning and any new bookings throwing off the delivery sequence. You can offer your business, your drivers, and most importantly your customers a much better experience.
Locate2u: The Best Route Software Available
Locate2u’s route optimisation creates the most efficient routes for your drivers, taking into account the capacity of the vehicle, the distance between stops, and the availability of drivers.
The goal isn’t to find the quickest journey but the most efficient route that’ll help increase your business’ productivity for the day.
You can import all your stops into the same system all at once, enabling you to plan dozens of stops for the day in only minutes.
This will save you hours in admin work and allows you to focus on other important aspects of your business. Another feature is route modification which has the flexibility that allows you to plan last-minute bookings and suit any changes to your schedule.
With Locate2u, you can access live updates from your drivers so you can see that they are on the correct route. This ensures visibility between you and your team members. You can have peace of mind that your team is taking the most time-effective route and that they’re working productively.
This type of route planning also offers proof of delivery with picture confirmation and e-signatures so you and your customers can be reassured of the delivery’s success. These can be accessed by all team members so if a customer calls, you can easily tell them the location of the driver.
Proof of delivery means your team can account for the whereabouts of the delivery, giving customers peace of mind in knowing who signed for it and where it was placed.
Locate2u helps businesses all over the world save money, speed up delivery times, reduce hours of planning, and improve customer experience. Click here to see how we can help you.
About the author
Founder and CEO at Zoom2u & Locate2u (ASX:Z2U). Steve has significant software development and entrepreneurial experience. Operating in the delivery space for more than 15-years, he actively contributes to the development of the industry. He has a strong focus on job management and job despatch systems.
