For companies that handle deliveries, getting parcels from point A to point B is much more involved than simply picking items up and dropping them off. A wide range of parameters needs to be considered when planning routes, with restrictions on both the business and customer end that need to be factored in. With increasing demand for e-commerce deliveries and higher expectations from customers for accurate ETAs, delivery companies can’t afford to simply plan a route and call it done.
A crucial step for successful delivery companies that want to grow is to make the transition from route planning to route optimization. Route optimization not only helps delivery companies to handle more orders with the same resources, but also allows them to factor in a wide range of conditions, restrictions, and parameters to avoid potential issues down the road.
Most delivery companies already make use of a variety of software programs to help run their business. You likely have systems in place for handling your business operations, your bookkeeping, and your customer relationship management (CRM). You may already have a mobile app for your drivers and even a system for your dispatchers, but you just aren’t getting the best routes and schedules. With that in mind, the idea of mastering an entirely new system for route optimization might seem like a difficult one, but you know there is value to be found in making the right choice.
The solution? A fully integrated, API-based route optimization system that seamlessly merges with your existing systems and allows you to operate more efficiently by factoring in your needs, calculating ideal routes, and providing optimized schedules that are perfectly tailored to streamlining your entire delivery process. Make use of your existing systems and plug a modern, cloud-based route optimization system right into your infrastructure.
Managing Customer Expectations
Whether your customers need a delivery to be completed during a particular time window or just want an accurate ETA for a delivery as soon as possible, modern customers expect to be informed of when they can expect their delivery to arrive. To provide your customers with reasonable ETAs and keep them happy, you need more than just a route plan or schedule; you need a detailed analysis of your routes that factors in all of the details.
While planning your routes might give you a glimpse into how long a particular drive might take, it doesn’t take into account the various parameters that affect your overall efficiency or the way that one small hiccup can snowball into big changes for every delivery on your route. And when you are faced with delivery challenges, you need a system that can respond with the best available solution quickly; you need a high-performance modern optimizer.
With WorkWave Routing Engine, every component of the transport and delivery processes is factored in so that you can provide your customers with accurate ETAs and ensure their full satisfaction. From distance and driving times, to how long you can expect a driver to stop and idle at stop signs and traffic lights, to the myriad constraints that come from the drivers, vehicles, and customers involved, Routing Engine allows you to plan ahead and draw accurate ETAs from the business operations system you’re already using.
Managing Constraints
Taking various parameters into consideration doesn’t just enable you to provide your customers with the ETAs they deserve, but also provides you with truly optimized route plans that enable you to increase your efficiency to complete more deliveries with the drivers and resources that you already have.
Simple route planning doesn’t allow you to adequately process unique restrictions. In addition to meeting customer demands such as delivery windows, Routing Engine also optimizes routes to operate within the parameters that come with your staff and fleet. By assigning deliveries to different drivers or vehicles based on restrictions such as vehicle load capacity, maximum drive time or distance, forklift access, the need for a refrigerated vehicle, and more, Routing Engine ensures that your entire fleet is able to run smoothly to meet even the most demanding orders.
The resulting routes are truly optimized for efficiency that meets your demands, enabling you to complete more orders while simultaneously minimizing elements like drive time, fuel costs, and the need for vehicle maintenance.
A Holistic Optimization Solution
Improving the efficiency of your delivery process effectively improves the dynamic of your entire operation. By relying on true route optimization running behind the scenes, you can reduce the chances of human error, make each department of your company more efficient, and decrease the number of customer service calls that you receive.
Additionally, integrating route optimization into your existing operational software virtually eliminates the need for manual route planning. By taking the need to manually plan routes and share them with drivers out of the equation, Routing Engine frees up hours of your day. Optimized routes are laid out in moments, all in accordance with the parameters you define.
This value is even more apparent when the need arises to pivot in response to unexpected changes. Rather than needing to scrap your routes and start from scratch if a vehicle needs emergency service or a driver calls out sick, for instance, you can simply change your settings in the system and create newly optimized routes that operate within these new conditions to ensure that your business continues running efficiently without missing a beat.
Eager to learn more about how easy it is to integrate Routing Engine with the operational software you’re already using? Click here to learn more and take the first step toward streamlining your delivery company’s operations.
