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The best route optimization software optimizes the sequence of stops your delivery driver or field service rep must make.
Route management software thus improves your operational efficiency and productivity by planning the most fuel-efficient routes for your delivery drivers or field service reps while factoring in all the external variables impacting the journey.
The route planning and scheduling software can optimize routes based on your business’s goals and constraints and automate manual route planning.
Learn what route optimization is.
Why Route Optimization Software?
There are many benefits of route optimization software. We discuss them below.
Plan Well-Optimized and Accurate Routes
Before the route planners came into existence, dispatchers and field service managers had to plan routes with pen and paper, whiteboards, paper maps, and spreadsheets. They relied on their knowledge and predictive ability.
But, such manual methods are time-consuming, tedious, complicated, and inefficient.
Plus, even after putting in a lot of effort, the routes can never be 100% accurate.
Moreover, the job becomes even more challenging and complex when you need to factor in more stops and constraints.
Specific variables, such as traffic, weather conditions, time windows, weight, and service times, would need to be considered.
The more variables you need to consider, the more possible route combinations you need to assess. It becomes near impossible for even an experienced dispatcher to optimize routes solely on their best hunches.
Luckily, last-mile delivery software comes with an advanced route optimization engine to derive the best route combinations from millions of options. The human brain is no match here.
So, a map route planner solves the vehicle routing problem in a few minutes and uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to calculate the most efficient routes.
The underlying principle of the delivery route planner is simple.
It combines what you know (for example, your customers and their product requirements and delivery windows) with what is knowable (for example, the location of low bridges, average road speeds at different times of the day, weather conditions, and sunrise and sunset times).
The multi-stop route planner then calculates the shortest and fastest routes with accurate last mile driving directions. And it does all this in 30 seconds!
Such advancements keep increasing your field service efficiency, which translates into happier customers and growth.
Learn how to plan a route with multiple stops in 30 seconds.
Reduces Carbon Emissions
According to the World Economic Forum, there will be a 36% increase in delivery fleets in 100 major cities globally by 2030. This will cause carbon emissions to rise by 30%. That’s alarming!
The first and the best principle of sustainability for field service is to burn less fuel, and the best way to do that is to reduce miles. That’s where delivery scheduling software can help.
A route optimizer ensures your drivers never get stuck on the road and make on-time deliveries. So, your drivers won’t be left idling in line and burn unnecessary fuel while at the delivery or pick-up point.
Another way route efficiency software can reduce a business’s carbon footprint is by dropping off heavier packages first.
Heavier vehicles burn more fuel. A route optimization solution can factor in each delivery’s weight and ensure your drivers deliver the heaviest packages first to minimize fuel consumption.
Route optimization software also ensures your drivers cover fewer miles which translates to less fuel consumption and fewer carbon emissions.
Learn how last-mile delivery companies can reduce their carbon footprint.
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Makes Your Operations Profitable
A route optimization tool reduces driving time, improves mileage, and reduces the cost for commercial vehicles, drivers, and other vehicle operating expenses.
According to the American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI), fuel costs constitute 23% of vehicle operating costs, whereas driver wages and benefits take up 42%.
So, you can save a lot by optimizing your routes and operations.
Ensures Happy and Loyal Customers
According to a study, customer experience has overshadowed the product and price as the key brand differentiator. The last mile offers an excellent opportunity to improve your customer experience.
With optimization software, your customers will be more confident in your ability to meet delivery promises. And, when they believe you to be reliable, they’ll more likely become loyal customers.
According to Bain and Company, even a 5% increase in customer retention can increase your profit margin by 25%!
Can you miss out on that?
Also, the best route optimization software, such as Route4Me, comes with a customer alerting and notification feature that helps you send automated delivery status notifications via SMS or email.
Such notifications can include a precise expected time of arrival (ETA) while the vehicle is on its way.
Plus, Route4Me comes with a customer portal that enables your customers to check the delivery status independently.
Your customers will appreciate you keeping them in the loop and maintaining transparency and will reward you with their loyalty.
In addition, they don’t need to contact customer service for an update which would save you a lot of hassle.
Makes Your Business Agile and Responsive
A route tracking software comes with advanced algorithms that help you quickly adapt your field service or delivery operations to meet changing customer demands or company strategies.
For example, you can change duty time according to changing legislation, reduce delivery time windows, or tweak route plans to meet all customer delivery requirements.
Don’t just look at route optimization as purely the concern of the transportation team.
Better field operations performance also leads to improvements across the business. And, as your delivery or field service operations become more efficient and reliable, you’ll build a business that is overall more customer-centric and agile.
Increases Vehicle and Driver Use
Advanced delivery management software automatically assigns deliveries to the most suitable vehicle and the drivers with the right skills.
This makes the best possible use of your vehicles each day while maximizing the delivery numbers each driver can finish during work hours.
Why Route4Me Is the Best Route Optimization Software
Route4Me has 34,000 customers across the globe, and our Android and iOS route planners have been downloaded over 2 million times. These numbers speak volumes as to why Route4Me is the best route planner.
Also, Route4Me has been named as one of the finalists in the UPS & Astrolabs Smart Logistics challenge. We were selected from 45,000 other competitors.
The Route4Me route planner comes with the best route optimization algorithm and offers a long list of proprietary features, such as Dynamic Route Optimization™, Predictive Weather Route Optimization™, and Predictive Traffic Route Optimization™.
Plus, the route optimization system comes with other integrated powerful features, including GPS tracking, a customer portal, real-time route re-optimization, and reporting and analytics, which will improve your business’s efficiency, productivity, revenue, and profit margin.
We’re not exaggerating. Just Google the reviews from real customers and decide for yourself.
Conclusion about Route Optimization Software
Delivery route optimization is often an under-rated strategy for business success. Customer demands and expectations regarding timed deliveries have skyrocketed over the years, and the bar is rising every day.
Differentiating on product and price is difficult in today’s competitive era, but excellence in delivery is a highly valued and achievable competitive leverage.
To gain a competitive advantage, you’ll need a digitized route optimization solution to make your field service operations more efficient without putting in a lot of money.
Do you have any questions about route optimization and route planning software? Please feel free to leave your comments below.
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