Comparing other route optimization software to Google Maps routing

 Summary

You must carefully plan your objectives, operations, and resources given the complexity of today's business processes and operations. In the realm of logistics and distribution, proper planning is crucial to success across all aspects of your organization, including top-line, resource management, execution, monitoring, and control.

Using automated planning tools like Google Maps and other accessible Route Optimization Software is extremely beneficial for fleet managers that oversee fleets of varied sizes for their daily deliveries (from small to major organizations). Each has a purpose, and you might choose one over the other based on the size and complexity of your company's activities.

Route optimization: what is it?

It's crucial for logistics and distribution companies to optimize their routes, the number of deliveries made, and the number of stops made per route because they oversee big fleets and multiple deliveries per day. If not, the expenses associated with their operations and their inefficiencies will have catastrophic effects.

To automate their logistical processes, cut expenses, and lessen reliance on humans, Fleet Managers use contemporary automated routing technologies like Google Maps or other Route Optimization Software (or, Last-Mile Delivery Software).

What distinguishes route optimization software from Google Maps?

You may efficiently design simple journeys using Google Maps. For instance, those with few customers, drivers, or routes.

Google Maps will fall short, though, if your deliveries involve many stops, complicated routes and re-routes, varying fleet sizes with various drivers, order volumes, client delivery deadlines, etc. Here, you would need a route optimization system that uses cutting-edge automated methods like artificial intelligence and machine learning to instantly determine the best stops to make after accounting for all the dynamic variables.

When are Fleet Managers permitted to plan routes using Google Maps?

Google Maps is one of the best route planning tools out there for simple routing needs. It is quick, easy to use for all user types, provides accurate ETAs, and, well, it is free!

The following cases show that utilizing Google Maps for route planning is effective:

• Your route has a maximum of 5 stops.
• There will be enough drivers for one area.
• Routes should not be planned with "constraints," such as cargo size, vehicle capacity, consumer delivery windows, etc.
• You can eyeball their locations to determine the most effective delivery order for them because your destinations are far apart.

1. Delivery order:

Although Google Maps gives the user the option to choose the order of stops on a route, it does not always provide the most advantageous one. The most important factor in maximizing a driver's overall distance traveled, and thus, the time and cost of each journey, is typically sequencing. The mid-to-large-sized Logistics and Distribution organizations prefer route optimization software to Google Maps because it determines the best order of stops, minimising expenses and maximizing productivity.

2. Multiple routes, multiple vehicles: 

Because they manage delivery schedules they must make various deliveries across multiple routes with numerous stops along each path, while balancing out all the other restrictions as outlined, fleet managers are constantly presented with difficult problems. Additionally, they frequently need to allocate particular drivers to particular deliveries, particular cargos, etc.

You can only imagine how complicated the task is when you add in extra factors like where on the route the required driver will be in relation to the following drop-off, the available driver shift times in comparison to the customers' required delivery timeframe, and whether the vehicle is appropriate for the delivery in question (e.g., suitable for fragile or chilled shipments). Clearly, it is nearly impossible for humans to calculate this without automated tools.

3. Constraints on routing:

Customers expect deliveries within predetermined deadlines (e.g. 10am-1pm)

When organizing your delivery, take into consideration the drivers' schedules, workloads, and available hours. For delivery, you could also need to allocate drivers with particular skill sets or connections to customers.

limitations on vehicle capacity (load carrying capacity, vehicle size, and shape, refrigerated, etc.)

Optimize or reduce the use of resources, for as by using the fewest amount of drivers possible.

4. Complex operations: 

Fleet Managers always struggle with a number of additional problems in managing delivery operations, particularly when at scale, in addition to the concerns of route optimization. As a result, they require stronger solutions than those that are provided for routes via Google Maps.

The management of last-mile deliveries, cost reduction, driver safety and training, data analytics for insight, customer experience, process transparency and visibility, electronic-proof-of-delivery (ePOD), and other issues are among them.

the list is endless!

Compared to Google Maps route optimization, route optimization software has business advantages.

Effective dispatching: 

Without route optimization software, Fleet Managers would be unable to manage a huge delivery company that makes hundreds or even thousands of deliveries each day. By effectively grouping orders together, they may manage their daily deliveries and take into account a variety of aspects, including vehicle types, cargo sizes, traffic and weather patterns, the number of stops, delivery deadlines, client expectations, and more.

Productivity rises:

Route optimization helps Fleet Managers expand their operations and attain scale while also enabling them to continuously maintain costs and efficiency. For businesses that take route optimization seriously, examples include efficiently delivering more orders per day, reducing operating and fuel costs, lowering manpower requirements, minimizing vehicle time on the road, freeing up resources for use in other activities, and optimizing available work hours.

Transparency and visibility:

Route optimization software enables Fleet Managers to continuously follow the movement of their vehicle fleets using capabilities like real-time tracking, dynamic analysis, and predictive warnings. This guarantees that they can not only adhere to established schedules but also quickly make changes (such as rerouting to escape an unexpected traffic bottleneck).

Customer satisfaction: 

When all is said and done, keeping customers happy is the key performance indicator for every firm. Customer satisfaction is finally achieved via route planning, which guarantees that all packages are delivered on time and that your clients are appropriately updated throughout the process.

As was previously said, adopting a Last-Mile Delivery Software for Route Optimization is the best choice for Logistics and Delivery companies with intricate, extensive operations.

Know More About Last-Mile Delivery Management Software