The route planning system can generate significant savings, that's a fact. Unfortunately, technology that is not adapted to the needs of a given fleet of vehicles or is simply difficult to use may not bring the expected results. Today we will talk about what to look for when choosing a system for planning routes.
1. Fleet size and needs
The composition and size of the team will be a factor that influences the choice of software for route planning and optimization. Mobile software will be used by drivers, and web-based software by dispatchers. It is important to think about these two groups, the equipment they use, their expectations and skills. Ease of use is a feature of the system that requires special attention. User-friendly applications are quickly implemented and do not require extensive training. If the fleet executes orders in a non-standard way, it is worth finding out whether the route planner can be expanded with individual functionalities and how long they will be implemented.
2. Key Features
Once you know your team’s needs, you should explore the features available in a route optimizer and compare them to your organization’s challenges. Some useful, non-standard features to look for in a route planner include:
- automatic route planning taking into account many conditions, e.g. time windows, vehicle capacity, schedules, priorities,
- GPS tracking, tracking the driver and activities performed,
- ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival) – sending notifications to customers about the delivery/order completion date,
- UNDER (Proof of Delivery)- attaching photos to the task as proof of delivery
- reports,
- regionalization,
- automatic control of task execution according to plan (location, time, status)
3. Budget
Price is an important factor when choosing software. When comparing prices of route planners, you should consider many factors, such as: functional scope, service, training, purchase model, additional fees. Route planning software manufacturers usually sell them on a vehicle license basis, i.e. the price depends on the size of the fleet. It is worth considering that the software should be available in a SaaS model (Software as a Service), this form provides periodic payments for the use of the software. The SaaS model system also allows for flexible adaptation of the application to changes in the size of the organization, e.g. reduction of the number of licenses.
4. Test before you buy
Planning routes without the right tool is time-consuming and expensive, but designating routes with a system that is not adapted to the needs of the company can introduce additional organizational chaos. That is why a free trial period is so important, it allows you to check whether the application meets the requirements of the company's fleet. In some cases, e.g. Routimo route optimizer, it is possible to test the system using the client's company data, thanks to which you can compare manually planned routes to those from the system and calculate real financial savings for the company.
5. Serwis in polish
There are foreign companies on the Polish market that are entering with their offer of routing systems. Unfortunately, even if their applications are translated, their service may not be able to handle the service in Polish. The situation will be similar in the case of choosing an application and service in English - it will certainly slow down the employees and affect the greater number of misunderstandings and mistakes.
6. Mobile application availability for many systems.
We have already mentioned that when choosing a route planning system, you should pay attention to the equipment used by employees. The availability of driver software for operating systems: Android and iOS means that there are no hardware limitations and it can be used on both tablets and phones. It is also worth having the application native, allowing you to work where there is no Internet coverage.
Softline is a software house that has been supporting entrepreneurs with professional IT systems for over 20 years. Our Routimo route planning and optimization system has been supporting vehicle fleets in achieving better results for several years now. We effectively facilitate planning processes and reduce fleet management costs. We cooperate with many industries and know their problems - we will also help your company achieve better results. Do you want to learn more about the possibilities of Routimo? Order a free and non-binding software test: routimo.com/#contact.