Tips on how to improve transport with route planning software

The article provides information on route management software, emphasizing its role in enhancing delivery performance. It highlights typical route planning activities, optimization, driver and vehicle tracking, and performance analysis. If you're a small or medium-sized company aiming for efficiency beyond speed and cost, the article explores how route planning software can increase revenue and your business can remain sustainable.

What is route management software?

Route management systems serve as solutions to increase the efficiency of delivery operations. The best route management solutions are comprehensive and fully integrated, consolidating all the business aspects. Alternatively, combining different tools, such as for analytics and planning, can create a custom route management system. Mostly, it is about the adoption of custom software development services to address a specific part of the route management process. These are very important for logistics, transportation, and supply chain.  

Here are four areas related to route management software solutions:

• Route planning

• Route optimization

• Tracking of drivers and vehicles

• Performance analysis for continuous improvement

You may wonder what these activities have in common. They all focus on increasing the efficiency of the delivery process. The concept of "efficiency" goes beyond speed and cost-effectiveness. It involves managing small and medium business areas that contribute to a complete perspective on higher revenue through cost savings. Additionally, it takes into account the customer experience. While a negative customer experience can result in long-term costs, a positive experience can lead to greater success.

How do you determine the optimal transportation plan?

There are many ways to complete your optimal transportation plan. These mostly depend on the mode of transport and other complex factors. Basically, it is very difficult to outline key elements of transportation planning without knowing what consists of our shipment and where it should be delivered. The best way is to do transportation planning by using route optimization software. 

Here, we have identified key elements for creating transportation planning:

• Establish a unified purchasing process. Create an adaptive and mostly unified purchasing process that can eliminate limitations and technological differences. This will be important for booking transport through different transport modes with freight forwarders.

• Improve collaboration. Connect your stakeholders inside the platform from route optimization software. Make room for collaboration across the supply chain to eliminate misunderstandings and improve overall management.

• Deploy environmental sustainability model. Using accurate planning inside the route optimization software, you can develop a model to support environmental sustainability by addressing climate risks and implementing actions.

What is the best route optimizer?

The best route optimizer, closely related to route optimization software, should combine different functionalities. It isn't easy to find an all-in-one solution each time. Some software solutions simply don't offer everything. You might find yourself in a situation where some features are completely unavailable by purchasing a so-called commercial-off-the-shelf solution.   

In that case, the best option might be to pursue custom route optimization software development to obtain the most effective solution based on the well-known best transportation optimization practices in the market.

We have selected some of the features that you can get with custom software development for your route optimizer:

• Automated route planning. Using the automated route planning feature, you can reduce errors due to human negligence and minimize manual work caused by manual errors.

• More accurate geocoding. Custom software development offers more advanced geocoding capabilities to transform unclear addresses into precise geographic coordinates on a map.

• Smart vehicle allocation. This feature, implemented in route optimization software, supports intelligent vehicle allocation based on factors such as traffic volume, shipment, vehicle type, etc.

• Cost-based route optimization. Route optimization software lets you evaluate multiple cost options to determine the most economical route.

• Optimal fleet management. By enabling this feature in your software, you can ensure the best-fit fleet mix based on consumer preferences.

• Route planning. You can integrate intelligent forward and reverse logistics into a single route plan by combining returns with regular deliveries.

How to optimize reverse logistics management with software

Article by:

George Maksimenko

Routing software for deliveries with truck fleet management GPS features

You can get the best of bread from your transportation operations by using the GPS feature while managing your truck fleet. This is also one of the well-known features of more comprehensive solutions such as the transport management system (TMS).  Here is what value GPS vehicle tracking can deliver to your business:

• Real-time location monitoring. The GPS tracker's accurate tracking function enables your business to access real-time location and movement details for all fleet vehicles.

• Improved customer service. A professional telematics solution helps you enhance customer service by informing customers of the exact vehicle arrival time.

• Increased productivity. Sensors for fuel levels, along with open-door functionalities, can benefit your operations by increasing productivity and achieving cost savings through additional sensor integration.

• Route intelligence. Detailed route information supports visibility into where vehicles started, stopped, and how long stops lasted for comprehensive trip information.

Adexin developers have already developed more than one solution for the transport industry, one of them is the truck owners' assistance application. The project included the development of a cargo tracking system from pickup to delivery and payment, improvement of the submission of documentation at the time of delivery, tools for managing and executing contracts with shippers and brokers, as well as confirmation of purchase rates. Thanks to our solution, the client significantly optimized business processes, providing cost-effective service that was previously impossible to achieve using existing tools.

Benefits of route optimization software

You can really benefit from having in-house route optimization software. We have selected the most valuable elements that are truly advantageous for your business. Here are the benefits of route optimization software:

• Savings. Route optimization software reduces fuel costs and minimizes wear and tear on vehicles. This is leading to lower maintenance and replacement costs.

• Greater safety. You can minimize time spent on the road and strategically plan routes. Simply put, the software increases safety.

• Improved customer service. Using route optimization software, you can constantly monitor traffic monitoring and prevent delays, ensuring on-time deliveries.

• Improved truck drivers' performance. Optimized routes increase driver confidence and satisfaction. Route planning software takes breaks into account, fostering long-term driver commitment.

• Increased productivity. In response to driver inefficiency, the route optimization software uses GPS tracking for real-time monitoring and timely interventions. In that way, you can increase overall productivity.

Finale takeaway

Route management software is emerging as a key tool for companies, particularly small and medium-sized ones. It is essential to highlight that the ultimate payoff extends beyond speed and cost considerations. Route planning solutions promise to amplify revenue and cultivate a positive customer experience. The implementation of route planning software aligns with a strategic approach for companies seeking to thrive in the competitive landscape of modern delivery operations.

Adexin provides software development solutions for transportation, logistics, and supply chain needs. We recognize the importance of route optimization and planning in these industries. With over a decade of experience, we have assisted companies in these sectors by delivering software solutions that yield significant returns in a short period. If you want to learn more about route planning and optimization, please contact us to schedule a free consultation.