Want more information? Contact us to see how we can help you.
Efficient Fleet Planning with Route Optimisation Software
Route optimisation is the process of selecting the ideal path for a delivery vehicle to travel.
However, if there are more than four stops on each delivery route and with a fleet of more than ten vehicles, optimising delivery routes manually will be difficult, time-consuming, and ineffective.
The issue can be quickly and effectively solved with route optimisation software, which makes it simple to take into account the following elements while planning optimised routes for your fleet:
- Location of and distance between deliveries
- Speed and directional flow of traffic at various times of the day
- Cost of transportation
- Drivers’ hours and rest requirements
- Clean Air Zones or toll roads
- Hazardous materials carried and route restrictions
The ultimate goal in planning an optimised delivery route is operational efficiency and that is not determined by the shortest path between two points.
The time of day, traffic patterns, predicted travelling speeds, the direction of turns, and driver rest will all be taken into account by a delivery route optimisation tool.
The benefits of route optimisation
Optimised Deliveries
- More accurate and reliable delivery times and ETA’s
- Reduced driver hours
- Reduced vehicle mileage and lower CO2 emissions
- Increased productivity and delivery density
Improved Resource Management
- Improved utilisation of existing vehicles and drivers
- Improved customer service and satisfaction
- Reduced driver stress and fewer accidents
- Reduced costs
Proven Results from Existing Customers
- Delivery capacity increased by up to 35%
- Increased fuel efficiency >15%
- Cost reduction of between 5% and 25%
- Customer delivery satisfaction increased by 40
How does route optimisation software work?
Descartes route optimisation software calculates and compares several delivery routes using complex mathematical algorithms, AI learning, and the most recent map data from several major mapping providers.
Descartes’ route optimisation engine has the processing power and capacity to handle millions of calculations per minute, enabling continuous route optimisation of deliveries and outcomes for fleets of ten to thousands of vehicles in a matter of minutes.
Even as delivery orders are received, and sometimes even up until a vehicle departs the depot, routes are continually computed, compared and optimised to maximise operational efficiency.
(Infographic: - Advantages of continuous route optimisation)
These routes compare numerous possibilities and take into consideration;
- Time of day
- Traffic flow
- Season of the year
- Length of time required for each stop
- Allocation of deliveries based upon the type of vehicle or person's skill
- Type of vehicle and any restrictions such as emission zones or low bridges
Descartes’ fleet routing engine can also choose a route based on a vehicle's height, length, weight, and width in order to avoid low or weak bridges and width constraints, resulting in different paths for a van compared to a large lorry.
In order to ensure that the vehicle's satellite navigation system has the proper dimensions for the vehicle and routes that avoid restricted routes, this information is then transmitted through to the execution of the route.
Route optimisation for planning
Companies can improve their planning and readiness for the future by running "what if" scenarios and analysing or considering a variety of potential changes, such as the impact of changing the fleet size or type of vehicles, the location or number of depots, and the change or increase in order volumes.
Route Optimisation Software Features
Accurate ETA's and delivery times
Improved customer satisfaction as orders are delivered on time and a reduced office workload as the number of phone calls enquiring after deliveries diminishes.
High quality traffic data
Very accurate route times are possible using road speeds that are based upon the day, the time of day, the route taken and even the direction of travel, giving you confidence in the route schedule and your customers delivery times.
Cloud based software
Our fleet route scheduling Software is available over the internet wherever you have a connection, providing team access to our solution, working from any location at any time.
Continuous background optimisation
Achieve more efficient route plans for your fleet than traditional batch-based optimisation techniques and provide costed delivery options at the point of sale in seconds.
Automated route scheduling
High density delivery routes are created, utilising the drivers and vehicles available to deliver more and reduce costs. Delivery routes can be based on the most efficient routes not just fastest routes. Automatically optimise final mile delivery routes to save fuel and money.
Customer Successes
“The Descartes Reservations™ and Descartes Route Planner™ solutions were integral to our strategy of offering more extensive, but unified , delivery services. The advanced optimisation capabilities and architecture of the Descartes solutions were critical to bringing new delivery service options to our customers in an economically feasible way. ”
Andrew Gay - Systems Manager
Delivery mileage reduced per annum 1.5m
Savings from fuel costs & vehicle servicing £1m
Increased delivery capacity 35%
“Redefining the Customer Experience in the Tyre Replacement Market”
Improve Gross Profit 5%
Reduce Miles per Delivery -13%
Dynamically schedule appointments online at POS Solved
“By using the Descartes solution, route planning is executed automatically; it doesn’t give us much to worry about. We now notice that we can schedule more stops within various time windows. We will deploy the experience gained from using the solution in Amsterdam to implement the process in various other cities.”
Lodewijk Aandewiel, Logistics Designer at PostNL - Bike Logistics
More Stops
Faster Planning
Automated Planning
You may also be interested in
Delivery Route Scheduling
The concept of delivery route scheduling is to determine which delivery vehicle an order should be transported on and the best order in which a delivery vehicle should make its deliveries.
Delivery Tracking
Enable customers to track the ETA of their own deliveries and avoid the "where's my delivery?" telephone calls with reliable delivery tracking.
Digital Proof of Delivery
Eliminate paper, and streamline operations with POD capture and parcel scanning for accurate delivery notifications with our ePOD mobile app.
Home Delivery
Also known as last or final mile delivery it is often the most difficult mile of the delivery chain, but can provide the largest opportunity for improvement. Discover how to reduce costs and increase delivery capacity while also improving customer satisfaction.
Last Mile Delivery
Improving customer satisfaction with your deliveries, from delivery slot selection to customer tracking apps and digital proof of delivery with our last mile delivery services.
Telematics Integration
Receive live telematics data directly into your routing software. This can include Tachograph data.
