Communication is the key to any relationship.
You’ve probably heard that before about personal relationships, but this rule applies to the business-to-customer relationship as well.
Customers don’t like being left in the dark. If there’s a delay for some reason, they’d like to know about it immediately. Otherwise, they’ll feel annoyed and disrespected. They might even leave you for one of your competitors.
That’s why you need an advanced delivery scheduling solution, such as courier software.
Courier dispatch software has features like dynamic route optimization™ and vehicle location tracking that’ll help you keep your customers in the loop when you’re running late.
Better yet, with trucking dispatch software, your drivers will be able to show up on time more often. Your customers won’t need to wait in the first place.
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Take Human Error Out Of The Equation
Route scheduling manually is a recipe for disaster.
In addition to figuring out the best directions to give your drivers, you also must account for traffic, construction, weather, and other factors.
That’s just too much to do by yourself. You’ll end up making mistakes, which will delay your drivers and upset your customers.
You’ll be better off using fleet mapping software to plan your routes.
With delivery scheduling software, all you need to do is plug in the addresses of your customers and adjust the settings to fit your specific situation. Then, your optimized route will be ready in about 30 seconds.
Not all multiple destination route planners are equal, though.
Some are basic. These bare-bones programs will help you figure out good routes for your drivers, but they consider all vehicles and customers the same.
The best route planners are able to adjust your routes for more complex variables, such as vehicle capacity, cargo weight, order cost, and more.
Does Your Courier Software Have GPS Tracking?
Business optimization software won’t do you much good if your drivers don’t actually follow the routes you give them.
That’s why GPS tracking is a must-have feature for your multiple destination route planner.
How does GPS tracking work?
GPS tracking helps you visualize your drivers’ activities on a map in real time so that you can immediately know if a field rep or driver makes an unauthorized stop or takes longer than planned at a specific destination.
With a GPS tracker, you’ll see how fast your drivers are going in real-time. Whenever you want, you can check in on your drivers and confirm that they’re sticking to their routes and staying on schedule.
You can also share this real-time tracking info with your customers, so they can see exactly where there order is as they wait for it to arrive.
Knowledge Is Power
Another advantage to GPS tracking-enabled courier delivery software is that it collects data you can use to understand your business better.
This information will help you evaluate employee performance more accurately. It’ll help you determine whether gas saving techniques are working or not. Overall, it allows you to make more informed business decisions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdMhoh-Sg6I&t=14s
Other Features To Look For In Your Courier Software
Ideally, the route planner you use will offer the following features (in addition to everything we’ve detailed above):
- Mobile apps for both Android and iOS devices
- Geofencing
- Territory mapping
- Real-time chat
- eCommerce integration
- Telematics integration
- Virtual reality (this one sounds like science fiction, but there actually is courier software out there with this feature)
Do you have any questions about delivery schedule software? If so, please let us know in the comments section below.
Also, we have some questions for you! Answering the following questions correctly will confirm that you understand all the points we’ve laid out in this article about distribution route planning:
- What are the downsides to route planning manually?
- How do businesses benefit when their routing program has a GPS tracking feature?
- Do any dynamic routing tools have virtual reality capabilities yet?
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