In a distribution operation, efficient route planning is essential to control costs and meet delivery commitments. However, as orders, vehicles, and delivery points increase, planning routes manually becomes increasingly complex.
A delivery route planner can automate part of this process and consider variables such as customer locations, vehicle capacity, delivery time windows, and travel times, helping companies make better use of their resources.
A delivery route planner is a technology solution that helps organize deliveries and define efficient routes for a fleet.
Unlike manual planning, the software can consider several conditions at the same time, such as:
This makes it possible to plan a route based on the real constraints of the operation, rather than only the distance between two points.
The goal is to create routes that meet delivery requirements while making better use of available resources.
When routes are built manually, teams must review a large amount of information before assigning each route. As the operation grows, this process can take more time and increase the possibility of errors.
A delivery route planner can centralize these variables and automate part of the planning process. Learn more about route planning.
Key benefits include:
The result can be a more efficient operation, with greater control over the resources used each day.
Transportation costs do not depend only on fuel prices. They are also related to miles traveled, labor hours, vehicle utilization, and the resources required to complete deliveries.
More efficient planning can help optimize delivery routes and reduce logistics costs in several areas:
The impact depends on fleet size, number of deliveries, distances, and the complexity of each operation. Results can therefore vary between companies.
Before implementing Descartes + Drivin, Imega Ventus planned its daily routes using spreadsheets. The process took between 1 and 2 hours per day and required a significant amount of administrative work.
With Descartes + Drivin, route planning and assignment were reduced to a matter of minutes, while the company also gained greater visibility into its vehicles and deliveries.
Every operation has different needs. When evaluating a solution, it is important to consider whether it can work with the variables that actually affect distribution.
Relevant features include:
It is also important to understand the difference between route planning and route optimization, as they serve different functions within transportation operations.
When planning is connected to operational tracking, teams can move beyond preparing routes to also monitoring what happens during execution.
Planning a route correctly is only one part of transportation management. It is also necessary to know what happens during deliveries.
With Descartes + Drivin, companies can connect route planning with tools for operational management and visibility. This provides information about routes, vehicles, and delivery status from a single solution.
Efficient planning can help companies make better use of vehicles, reduce delivery times, and control transportation costs.
If your company still relies on manual processes to build routes, there may be opportunities to improve operational efficiency.
Learn how Descartes + Drivin can help you plan, manage, and monitor your transportation operations.