How do you get your drivers to make more deliveries each day and become significantly more efficient without compromising on their time and energy? The answer is simple: route optimization.
According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the route optimization software market is expected to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.9% between 2021 and 2026. A robust route optimization solution has the potential to transform businesses with uninterrupted, on-time deliveries, putting a smile on the customer’s face.
Multiple deliveries mean planning multiple routes with multiple stops manually, which is a time-consuming affair. When solving the vehicle routing problem, fleet managers need to factor in route constraints such as traffic congestion and roadblocks while planning. When this planning is carried out manually, the chances of making mistakes are high, which can result in a delay in deliveries and disappointed customers.
Keeping the customer happy is the top priority for delivery businesses. Here’s how you can plan delivery routes with the help of a multi-stop route planning software when there are multiple drivers and thousands of destinations.
What is a multi-stop route planning software?
Multi-stop route planning software helps optimize delivery routes that have multiple customer locations. It enables you to become more efficient in the last-mile delivery with the available resources. It also increases your profit margin. A route planning software with unlimited stops also helps riders drive smartly and makes the fleet manager’s job easy by planning effective delivery routes.
Some key factors that can be taken into consideration when planning multi-stop routes include:
- The geographical area: By studying territory or location effectively, routes can be planned effectively. Often, the larger the geographical area is, the fewer stops a driver can make in a day.
- Prioritizing customers: Focusing on the customers who promise the most returns first can be an effective strategy in multi-stop route planning.
- Being efficient: The main function of a multi-stop route planning software is to minimize the time on the road and carry out the maximum number of deliveries in set time.
Why consider using a multi-stop route planner for your delivery business
Planning routes for multiple vehicles and multiple stops using a multi-stop route planner for your delivery business can help save time and resources by automating and organizing processes. Here’s how a multi-stop route planning software can help your delivery business reach customers faster and operate more efficiently.
Helps to plan routes quickly
Multi-stop route planner allows you to add specific time windows, taking business-level considerations into account to plan delivery routes quickly. They are easy to use and adjust routes automatically in case of any unexpected events like traffic, roadblocks, etc.
Allows easy and automatic distribution of routes to fleet drivers
Last-minute route changes trouble drivers and fleet managers very often. Calling or messaging drivers on route updates, confuses them and leads to delivery delays.
With a multi-stop route planning software, route updates are automatically sent to the driver’s smartphone. In the event of last-minute deviations, your drivers will get to know exact details of the destination, thus avoiding any confusion.
Convenient re-optimization of routes
Unexpected situations like vehicle breakdowns, accidents, or roadblocks can delay your daily delivery plan. The fleet manager has to re-assign deliveries to other drivers to compensate for the loss of a vehicle.
A multi-stop route planning software enables you to shuffle the fleet and plan deliveries.
Makes your driving productive and efficient
Drivers riding additional miles increases your last-mile delivery costs. The extra time they spend on the road leads to increased maintenance and liability costs for the fleet. This also impacts the productivity and efficiency of the fleet.
A multi stop route planning software saves unnecessary miles, thereby reducing the money spent on fuel. Real-time tracking helps fleet managers analyze deliveries and devise ways to enhance their productivity and efficiency.
Maximize routing efficiency with limited fleet
The biggest challenge for small and mid-sized fleets is to maximize routing abilities with limited fleet and budget. A multi-stop route planning software helps in solving the vehicle routing problem by finding an optimized route for multiple stops based on fleet size, budget restrictions, vehicle capacity and other important factors.
Multi-stop route planners enable small and mid-sized fleets to segment routes and set delivery zones. These abilities help them improve fleet operations and save money.
Conclusion
A multi-stop route planning software enhances efficiency and customer satisfaction. Therefore, it helps logistics companies thrive in a competitive business environment.
Locus’ route planning software, DispatchIQ, plans day-to-day dispatch operations and creates detailed routes for unlimited stops for drivers to follow. It carries out street-level routing and does intelligent task allocation to maximize efficiency and productivity. Any last-minute changes are taken into account and implemented swiftly. Locus’ DispatchIQ makes multi-stop route planning operations economical and transparent.
Locus’ route planning software provides intelligent, quick and automatic route destinations for the last mile. Partner with us and optimize your day-to-day delivery routes.
Download The Definitive Guide to Logistics Route Planning for Free!