FAQs
Explore our FAQs section, addressing common questions about this transformative solution in fleet delivery logistics.
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What is route optimisation software?
Route optimisation software is a tool that utilises AI and advanced algorithms to select the most efficient path for delivery vehicles.
It aims to minimise fuel consumption, reduce travel time, and increase overall operational efficiency. Examples of route optimisation software include Descartes' solutions, which streamline delivery routes for businesses.
See Descartes' Customer Successes.
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What is the best software for planning delivery routes?
While Descartes' route optimisation software is recognised for its advanced features and capabilities, determining the best route planning software depends on specific business needs and preferences.
Factors such as customisation options, integration capabilities, and customer support should also be considered when selecting the most suitable solution.
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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 optimised 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.
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Is there a better route optimisation planner than Google Maps?
While Google Maps is widely used for navigation and route planning, specialised route optimisation software like Descartes offers features tailored specifically for businesses with fleets.
While Google Maps may suffice for personal use, businesses may benefit from the advanced functionality, customisation, and integration capabilities provided by dedicated route optimisation solutions.
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What is meant by route optimisation?
Route optimisation is the process of identifying the most efficient route a delivery vehicle can take in order to make its deliveries or complete it’s assigned jobs. For home delivery the process will minimise travel distances and time taken to make the deliveries as well as optimising the delivery sequence. Clever algorithms consider real-world factors such as historic traffic data but also include product and delivery data such as customer requirements and preferred delivery times to create the optimal delivery route.
Read – Four key factors to consider when choosing a route optimisation software supplier
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How to optimise a delivery route?
There are several steps to optimising a route:
- Collate the data that relates to the delivery
- Delivery location
- Order and product details
- Vehicle capacity
- Traffic conditions
- Delivery time windows
- Use technology
- The optimisation process
- Route planning
- Minimising distance or travel times
- Optimal sequence of drops and collections
- Are there any prioritised deliveries?
- Refine and finalise
- Make any manual adjustments
- Communicate the delivery sequence and route to the driver
- Monitor and analyse
- Track delivery performance against the plan and make adjustments for future improvements. Read - Routing - Paln v.s Actual
- Collate the data that relates to the delivery
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What is the difference between route scheduling and route optimisation?
Route scheduling involves creating the order of deliveries while route optimisation will take the schedule and consider the most efficient route for the deliveries taking into account real-world factors. This may change the initial delivery schedule, but it will reduce costs and travel times.
In basic terms, route scheduling is the “what” and “where”, while route optimisation is the “how” to complete the deliveries.
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How can deliveries be optimised?
When creating an optimised delivery route many factors need to be considered, such as location of the deliveries, range and type of the vehicle, vehicle capacity, and product details, delivery windows, traffic flows and time of day. Selecting the delivery scheduling and route optimisation software best suited to your delivery operation will also help.
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How to improve delivery routes?
Using the most recent maps and latest traffic flow data will help ensure you generate the best delivery routes. If you have multiple depots, then choosing a route optimisation software that can calculate routes across several depots will improve the efficiency of deliveries.
Using a software, such as Descartes', that has AI and machine learning built into it means that the software can learn and adapt over time, leading to improved delivery routes.
Read – 6 ways Machine learning can enhance fleet operations
Monitor delivery performance and gather driver feedback on challenges and possible route improvements feeding these into future plans.
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What are the challenges of planning delivery routes and optimising the solution?
One of the hardest challenges for route optimsiation software is dealing with real-time traffic conditions. Historic data can be used to plan the most optimal routes, but these can never account for unexpected traffic incidents. Events such as congestion, road traffic accidents or road closures can disrupt the best laid plans.
Having a solution that tracks your delivery vehicles while they are making deliveries and displays their location against a planned route will assist with rerouting vehicles and reset customer expectations when informing them that deliveries might be delayed.
Complex Delivery Constraints are additional challenges when planning and optimising routes.
Factors such as;
- Strict and short delivery time windows
- Customer-specific requirements e.g. delivery priorities and service agreements
- Vehicle capacity which can limit the volume of goods carried or the number of stops a vehicle can make
To help solve these challenges companies are turning to delivery management solutions that are capable of considering these multiple factors, optimising delivery routes over several days and across several depots or regions, in order to maximise driver and vehicle resources.
Contact an expert for a free, 30 minute discussion, to understand how Descartes can help.
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