8 Game-Changing Benefits of Routing and Scheduling Software

For delivery organizations, last mile route optimization is a kind of Holy Grail—everyone wants it, but in the daily struggle to get orders to their destination, it can be hard to achieve. That difficulty is a consequence of complexity: To reach high levels of efficiency in routing requires considering many layers of variables including driver schedules, delivery windows, traffic conditions, vehicle capacities, cost to deliver, customer preferences and more. A lot more. The routes need to be deliverable by the assigned drivers and crews while meeting the ETAs with 98% accuracy. That's more than a human routing engineer can handle in a hurry.

Route planning and scheduling software is the answer provided it is able to handle the complexity. The best software for routing employs AI and machine learning. Implementing effective AI route optimization can dramatically boost your company's performance. You'll reduce fuel costs, improve driver morale, and create happier customers—all by making smarter routing decisions. 

The Top Challenges in Route Planning

So, what is route optimization? Creating effective routes isn't as simple as connecting dots on a map. Here are the real-world challenges you needed to generate optimal routes:

• Time windows: Once customers have specific delivery slots, you need efficient ways to route around them. This can be especially challenging when customers self-schedule.
• Traffic conditions: Traffic patterns change based on day, time, and unpredictable factors. The best route optimization algorithm accounts for both predictable patterns and unexpected congestion.
• Customer demand for speed: Everyone now expects lightning-fast deliveries. If your routing process itself is slow, keeping up with these expectations becomes nearly impossible.
• Service time variations: Installing a washing machine takes longer than dropping off a package. Your route planning and scheduling needs to account for these differences to create accurate ETAs.
• Site-specific requirements: Some locations need smaller vehicles, while others require multiple crew members for deliveries with stairs. Your vehicle routing program must factor in these parameters to assign the right orders to the right routes.

Gathering accurate, real-time information is essential when planning routes. Understanding historical traffic patterns helps you adjust proactively, and knowing customer expectations helps prioritize orders effectively.

With so many moving parts, manual route planning just doesn't cut it anymore. That's where the best routing software comes into play.

Why Invest in Routing and Scheduling Software?

Planning delivery routes manually is time-consuming, error-prone, and practically impossible when accounting for all the necessary variables. Simplistic and legacy route planners have many of the same problems. 

Modern routing and scheduling software uses sophisticated route algorithms to calculate accurate delivery times. Drivers can view their optimized routes and receive real-time guidance, reducing stress and improving performance.

The more complex your delivery operations, the more you'll benefit from sophisticated AI route optimization. Here's what the best software for routing can help you accomplish:

1. Boost Productivity

Efficient fleet routing makes your entire operation more productive. You'll complete deliveries in record time, allowing more stops per day. When your routing software provides accurate ETAs, failed deliveries decrease dramatically, eliminating wasted time on multiple attempts.

The right last mile route optimization tool also supercharges your office staff's productivity. What once took hours of planning can be accomplished in minutes, freeing up resources for other high-value tasks.

2. Slash Transportation Costs

Smart daily routing reduces driving time, cutting both fuel consumption and vehicle maintenance expenses. Well-planned routes mean using vehicles only when needed, extending their lifespan and reducing the chance of costly accidents. Plus, making more stops per route means you'll spend less on labor and fuel costs for each delivery, two of the biggest expenses for most fleets.

3. Elevate Strategic Planning

Daily route planning and scheduling is important, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. Strategic decisions about distribution center locations and fleet sizing are equally crucial.

Intelligent routing and scheduling software lets you test different scenarios based on potential logistics network changes. This provides concrete data on how to optimize your hub network.

The best routing software also ensures you're maximizing your fleet capacity. Many operators feel they should handle more volume with their current fleet, and frequently, routing inefficiency is the culprit. With effective automated route planning, you'll know your true capacity and have solid data for planning decisions.

4. Enhance Driver Satisfaction

Businesses that rely on deliveries must prioritize driver wellbeing. Poor route planning leads to stressed drivers who may seek employment elsewhere, costing you in recruitment and training.

Satisfied, loyal drivers stick around longer. Effective vehicle routing program implementation creates smoother operations and makes better use of your team's talents.

For drivers paid per delivery, optimized routes mean more completed stops and higher earnings. Even hourly drivers benefit from realistic routes with accurate ETAs, preventing the frustration of running behind all day through no fault of their own.

5. Reduce Accident Risks

Inaccurate or uncertain routes create stressed, anxious drivers. When your route planning and scheduling fails to account for roadwork, traffic, or other obstacles, your drivers face unnecessary stress. Stressed drivers are more accident-prone, creating safety risks. Accidents can injure your drivers and others, damage property, and potentially lead to legal issues and increased costs.

Drivers following well-defined routes designed by quality fleet routing software are less likely to become frustrated or fatigued. Effective driver tools—like mobile apps offering turn-by-turn directions, easy communication, and electronic proof of delivery (ePOD)—further enhance safety.

6. Increase Connectivity

Route planning doesn't exist in isolation. It connects intimately with route execution, customer communication, strategic planning, and other business processes.

The ideal route optimization software for your business connects seamlessly with other systems .A single solution that handles not just routing but the entire last mile—from order in to done, delivered and analyzed—creates efficiencies throughout the delivery organization.

For example, when routing and customer communication share the same system, you can implement self-scheduling workflows. The system sends customers messages with dynamically generated time slots, eliminating scheduling calls while maintaining route efficiency even when customers choose their own windows.

7. Boost Customer Satisfaction

Delivery delays from inefficient routes can cost you customers and partnerships. By choosing the most efficient routes and ensuring accurate ETAs through AI route optimization, you'll achieve faster deliveries, better on-time rates, and happier customers.

This creates a competitive edge in your market. You'll increase client loyalty and attract new customers with prompt delivery. Your reputation will soar when your company consistently meets tight delivery windows.

That's why modern route optimization solutions leverage AI to improve delivery ETAs. Accurate ETAs aren't just nice to have, they're essential to customer satisfaction.

8. Minimize Failed Deliveries

Accurate ETAs do more than please customers—they dramatically increase the likelihood customers will be home when deliveries arrive, reducing costly redeliveries.

Showing up at the expected time is crucial, but keeping customers informed is equally important. Customer notifications about delivery ETAs are incredibly valuable—and customers expect them. Ideally, you empower customers to track deliveries from their own devices. With a dedicated tracking portal, customers can see truck locations in real-time, live ETAs, and even driver information.

When consumers can track deliveries, they check their tracking portals an average of 2.5 times. This shows that customers crave information, and making it accessible significantly reduces missed deliveries. If they see their package is five minutes away, they're less likely to run errands. Taking the guesswork out of delivery timing makes the entire process smoother for everyone, and more profitable for the delivery operator.

The Bottom Line: Software for Routing Powers Efficiency

The best routing software offers an efficient way to optimize delivery schedules and improve daily operations. By implementing smart routing and scheduling software, you'll increase efficiency while decreasing costs. The key to finding the most cost-effective routes is investing in the right automated route planning solution for your specific business needs.