Before choosing the right route optimization software
Before choosing the right route optimization software, the business should be clear – why do they want a route optimization? The main reasons why route optimization is required:
- Get the total cost of logistics down.
- Understand whether they provide the shortest time or distance. Shortest distance would mean lower fuel cost but may come at the cost of delivery accuracy.
- Get the correct estimated time of arrival ( ETAs) for your customers
- For this, the route planner should consider real-time or historical traffic. It should give a higher preference to time.
- Get live location of their drivers to ensure on-time delivery.
- The route planner should have a specified driver app or connect to the GPS in the vehicle.
Additionally, the factors which need to be considered as:
- Is a driver app for
- Navigation to the location
- Collecting proof of delivery
- Marking the ETAs correctly.
- Messaging customers
- Route history and time period requirement.
While every route optimization software provides some or all the features mentioned above, but a clear understanding of the objective always helps you choose the one that meets your requirement.
The right route optimisation software for your business depends upon many factors such as:
- Number of people doing stop servicing/delivery.
- Number of Stops to be serviced everyday.
- Vehicles used for delivery.
- Number of hubs/ size of business.
- Assignment of stops automatically or manually.
- Assignment of stops based on skills.
Depending upon the value of these factors you should select the pricing plan. Various pricing plans present are:
1. Delivery based Charges
Best used if you have a large number of drivers but very small number of deliveries per driver to be made everyday.
Industries suited for : Inspection, surveying, SMB delivery and courier operators, subcontractors paid per delivery.
However be sure that the following details are captured:
- Historical record for every stop is present
- Each user has its own login so you can track their activity historically.
- Electronic proof that the person visited the site ( Lat/ Long)
- Early alert mechanism
- Skill based assignment if used for industries like home servicing
2. Drivers based Charges
Best used if all your drivers drive every day and there are no shifts. Additionally, check that the number of stops serviced per day per driver is more than 20 Industries suited for: Cake shops, Florists, Snow Removal, Pool servicing, and subcontractors paid per driver.
Be sure that the following details are collected
- Are you charging even if the driver is not driving for a month?
- Is the route history of non-paying drivers maintained?
- How are the routes assigned to the drivers? Do they get their app?
3. Charges based on the number of seats
If your business doesn’t have a permanent workforce or the workforce works in shifts, it is best to go for a player that charges you on the number of seats used. These seats can be assigned to an active driver.
Industry suited for Delivery, home services, field services, businesses with contract workforce, and businesses working in multiple shifts.
Be sure following details are captured
- How is the historical record of non-charged drivers maintained?
- How are routes assigned to the drivers
- Is the record of some km drivers maintained?
- Do you get the live location of the drivers?
- How are stops assigned – automatically or to each driver manually?
Additionally, apart from the mentioned, there are specialized route optimizations that should need to be handled, If your industry requires them:
4. Skill Based optimisation
If you need to assign stops based on a specific skill like woodwork, electricity, etc. It should be present in the route planner or should be an add-on. A few route planners do this – however, Zeo provides it as an add-on.
5. Multi day scheduling
If your orders are optimised over a period of time – week or month. Make sure this option is provided to you upfront. Talk to the sales team or research whether this is available.
About Zeo
Zeo route planner is a route optimization solution ranked as a high performer by G2. It provides seat-based optimization plans and a dedicated app for delivery drivers. Skill-based optimization and multi-day scheduling are present as add-ons. It is the fastest-growing route planner and is used by a million of drivers across the world.
