Use Strategic Route Planning to plan your delivery network effectively.
Maximise efficiency, respond to changing customer demand, meet new business objectives, and find the best entry into new markets or consolidate acquisitions.
Strategic Route Planning capabilities
Model and evaluate
Correctly simulate and analyse the financial and operational impacts of any change to your distribution network with strategic route planning software before making any decisions and potentially expensive mistakes.
Best delivery frequency and day
Discover the most effective delivery schedule to improve both customer service and fleet efficiency.
Flexible operations
Determine the most effective delivery plan to boost customer satisfaction and fleet productivity.
Ultimate routes
Discover which alternate or revised routing strategies will meet the needs of the company's current goals or future growth best.
Business growth
Understand the optimal tactics for penetrating untapped markets and integrating recent acquisitions.
Accurate predictions
Discover the potential resources required to move forward and estimate the potential cost of deliveries by using strategic route planning.
Why adopt Strategic Route Planning
- Your customer base has and continues to change.
- Your customer service policies have and continue to change.
- Your company went through a merger or acquisition.
- Your company sees significant variances in delivery volume through the year
Strategic Route Planning visibility impact
Planning Changes
- Changes to distribution centre locations.
- Driver schedules and compensation plan changes.
Business Strategy
- New business models.
- New delivery service options.
Variables
- Peaks and troughs in demand.
- New vehicle options.
- Possible acquisitions.
Strategic Route Planning - Single pass approach
Using a single-pass approach for strategic route modelling, Descartes' strategic route planning software improves the effectiveness of delivery operations. Strategic route planning can be used by groups operating either static, master or dynamic routes because it improves processes that are used in daily route planning.
- Optimum delivery strategy with strategic route planning
- Strategic planning can be used to calculate the optimal number and location of new facilities, vehicle numbers, and drivers to business requirements.
What is Strategic Route Planning?
Strategic route planning is the process of designing a transportation plan for a specific period in the future, typically from one month to a year ahead. A strategic route plan will be based on factors important to your business such as customer locations, delivery frequency, shipment volumes, and transportation costs. But can also take into account potential new customers, optional locations for depots and warehouses or a variance in the number and type of vehicles involved such as EVs to overcome CAZ restrictions.
The objective of strategic route planning is to optimise the routes and minimise transportation costs while still meeting customer demands and meeting KPI’s. This sandbox method of planning can enable optional plans to be created and tested before implementation to minimise the risk of failure.
See the impact of Strategic Route Planning
“We were impressed by the investment and support that Descartes put into this product and the roadmap. This technology has allowed us to be agile, forward-thinking and work optimally with our fleet with benefits on costs, sales and satisfaction across the business and with our customers. ”
Edward Corbett - Head of Programme
Delivery capacity increased 25%
OTIF deliveries increased 15%
Fleet size 500+
“..not only are we creating more efficient routes and delivering goods more accurately, we’re building better customer relationships too.”
Customer chase calls reduced 50%
Fleet mileage and costs Reduced
Planning time now takes Minutes
“We’re delighted with the solution and the service we have received from Descartes. Ultimately, Descartes is helping us minimise our operational costs through its route planning and optimisation solution and is actively contributing to our corporate and social responsibility and sustainability efforts.”
Simon Macdonald, National Transport Manager
Avg distance driven/delivery reduced 2%
Manual processes Replaced
Nationwide stores 300+
