Summary: From arranging to executing, and dispatching a delivery, planning a delivery route can be a daunting experience for any business owner. However, with the right route optimization software, business organizations can make way for a smooth and efficient delivery flow for their executives.
Key Outcome:
Juggling between different tasks throughout the day can be tiring and overwhelming for anyone. However, proper planning is important for achieving efficiency, especially in processes like sales, delivery, and field management.
While there is no way you can get rid of planning, with robust route optimization software, you can easily reduce the manual work involved and maximise your success in 2024.
Apart from staying competitive, route optimization software will also help you develop to your full potential by allowing you to plan your days in no time and without additional stress.
The route optimization software helps plan different sequences of stops so delivery personnel can easily follow and improvise on their overall driving efficiency and provide better customer service. The software can make routes more efficient for an entire fleet based on the goals of a business organization.
This, in turn, enables the dispatchers to streamline their work of manual planning. Well, even before the route optimization software existed, dispatchers used to plan and create routes using pens, paper, maps, whiteboards, and spreadsheets.
Creating a route manually can be time-consuming, and highly inefficient. This is where route planning software will come into play by enabling the businesses to plan and optimize their routes easily thereby reducing the risk for delivery failure.
We have curated an extensive guide covering the 8 best route optimization software. The software that we have included in our guide will not only help with better management of the fleets, but advanced features like route optimization, real-time traffic updates, and GPS tracking will allow you to easily control and monitor the movement of the fleets, including the drivers.
So, let’s look at some of the best route optimization software that you need for your business in 2024.
| Software Name | Best For | Stop Limit | Route Optimization | Allows Multiple Routes | Platform Supported |
| Google Maps | Planning short and personnel routes. | 10 | No | No | Web and Mobile App |
| Circuit Route Planner | Logistics and delivery companies to streamline their operations | The free version lets you add 10 stops, and the paid version lets you add 500 stops | Yes | Yes | Web and Mobile App |
| MapQuest | Drivers and Walkers. | 26 | Yes | Yes | Android & iOS |
| Apple Maps | Day-to-day routing. | 15 | Yes | Yes | iOS |
| Route4Me | Large Business Organizations. | More than 50 | Yes | Yes | Android and iOS |
| Maps.me | Offline Navigation | 5 to 10 | No | No | Android and iOS |
| Tookan | Business Organizations | Unlimited stop addition | Yes | Yes | Web & mobile devices |
| Route XL | Small businesses and entrepreneurs. | 20 | Yes | Yes | Web |
Google Maps is a popular route optimization software that can easily allow users to plan at least 10 stops on one journey. It is well-equipped with real-time traffic updates, and it can also help the user to redirect to a faster route with its automatic rerouting feature.
It is an excellent tool for planning a personnel route, but Google Maps cannot help with specific solutions to help businesses automate their delivery logistics easily.
Features of Google Maps
Circuit Route Planner has a basic, user-friendly interface which enables users to optimize their routes for individuals and teams. It allows users to solve problems easily and effortlessly while meeting the desired customer service standards.
With a free version you can add up to 10 stops, and with a paid version, you can add up to 500 stops with the added advantage of planning routes for multiple drivers.
Features of Circuit Route Planner
When looking for the best free route optimization software, MapQuest can be a great option. It offers an easy-to-follow route planning system for no added cost.
Compared to its counterparts, MapQuest helps with the proper route optimization for drivers, offering them the option to choose between the shortest distance and the quickest route free from traffic. MapQuest is a popular choice among adventure enthusiasts, especially hikers and vacationers.
Features of MapQuest
Route4me is an excellent solution for large business organizations with complex roadblocks. It offers add-ons, including curbside delivery and a predictive weather option. All you have to do is copy and paste or upload your delivery list and see how the route is effectively optimized within 10 seconds.
Additionally, users have also experienced their driving time is reduced by 35% on average; this means that business organizations can easily save their fuel costs.
Features of Route4me
If you are using an Apple device, then Apple Maps could be a great fit for you. They have a simple and interactive interface design that will be a perfect option even for a novice who does not know how to use it.
To make it more appealing, Apple Maps offers its users a photographic and sleek look that enables them to see nearby locations easily. Even if you are away on a trip with your friends and family, to make your journey smoother, Apple Maps will send real-time directions directly to your Apple device.
Features of Apple Maps
Whether you’re travelling from an area with network issues or planning to save your mobile data, Maps.me will not disappoint you.
Maps.me enables users to easily download unlimited maps, search for new locations without any problems, and you can easily use their navigation system for travelling by car, bicycle, public transport, or even while walking.
Features of Maps.me
Tookan has been helping business organizations streamline various workflow operations, including dispatch management. Another factor that makes Tookan an excellent route optimization software is that it helps improve communication between managers and delivery agents.
Users can easily track their real-time orders, and it also offers seamless third-party integrations with various apps and software’s.
Features of Tookan
RouteXL is a simple route optimization software for small companies and enterprises to simplify their work operations. The software enables the users to add up to at least 20 stops using a spreadsheet.
Once you have added all the destinations, RouteXL will sort out all the addresses and offer you the fastest and most efficient route.
Features of RouteXL
From identifying cost-effective routes to monitoring the behaviour of the drivers in real-time and keeping them posted about the present traffic conditions, route optimization software is a vital part of any business.
It ensures that all the deliveries are made on time thereby ensuring that the customer is satisfied with their service. Apart from timely delivery, route optimization software will also help you monitor the driver’s behaviour, thereby ensuring that they are safe and not indulging in any wrong practices. A good and robust route optimization software can help you in the following ways-
The route optimization software is designed to reduce the overall time of vehicles on the road. Less time on roads will improve safety.
Drivers taking unnecessary breaks and poor time management skills can cost the business some serious money. A well-designed route management software can help you to address this issue effectively by using GPS tracking that allows managers to track and monitor drivers’ actions. With the real-time tracking feature, managers can easily take necessary actions within a given timeframe.
With route optimization software, you can save money as the software will help you identify cost-effective routes. Further, with more planned routes, you are more likely to save on fuel costs as well.
Route optimization software can help drivers to avoid unnecessary risks. The software will play a key role in helping drivers improve their driving conditions, making them feel more confident on the road.
Suggested Read: Benefits of Driving Route Planning Software in Transport Management
If you are planning to invest in route optimization software and are feeling confused, don’t worry because we have curated a helpful guide highlighting the essential features you need to look out for.
A well-designed route optimization software offers extensive reporting tools that should offer real-time information about the shipments and deliveries. Some key reporting features have been listed below-
A reliable route optimization software will give you exact and real-time updates about your driver at any given time. The software should be able to tell you when the driver arrives at the destination and when he returns home.
To add to this, the route optimization software should be able to tell you about your driver’s overall performance so that they can improve their skills.
When planning and mapping new routes, you should not settle for anything less but the best. After all, you must ensure that all the deliveries are completed on time and without hassles.
This means that you should use more advanced level mapping methods. Well, having routing software with advanced mapping abilities will help you in the following ways-
One of the most important and primary features you should look out for while investing in route optimization software is its ability to optimize routes automatically. Automatic route optimization uses advanced algorithms to help calculate the most efficient route between the starting point and the destination.
These algorithms can generate routes to help reduce travel time while meeting customer needs. With seamless route optimization capabilities, businesses can benefit in the following ways-
As a business organization, when you’re shipping goods, there will always be a chance that the package might not reach its destination. In case that happens, there is a possibility that you may end up losing a lot of money and be left with frustrated consumers.
However, what if you have proof that the package was delivered to the client? In such situations, route optimization software can be your saviour.
Most route software offers the feature of digital signatures that the recipients use to acknowledge receiving the package they were expecting. With proof of delivery, route optimization software can help you in the following ways to improve customer service.
Apart from having a basic understanding of the features, there are certain factors that you need to consider while looking for good and robust route optimization software. We have listed some essential factors that will help you with your purchase.
When looking for good route optimization software, choose a software solution that can easily process optimal routes within a few seconds. This will help with the faster delivery of packages and improve overall customer satisfaction.
Search for route planning software that offers real-time and up-to-date data, as this will help save delivery time and reduce the burden of updating delivery information.
Various errors, such as technical glitches, power failures, natural disasters, or cyber-attacks, can hamper deliveries. So, ensure the route planning software can save last-minute updates and secure all your vital data.
Do thorough research from your end about the route planner software and ensure that it has a good geocoder tool that will help you convert bulk addresses into precise geographical data.
While investing in route management software, make sure that it can upload bulk consumer data easily in various formats like .csv, .pdf, etc.
Conclusion
Optimising routes can play a significant role in improving the overall efficiency of transportation and logistics. With technological advancements, there are an end number of route optimisation software, both free and paid, designed for businesses to streamline their workflows easily.
Irrespective of the software you choose, adhering to a comprehensive route optimisation software can help you streamline your work operations, reducing operational costs and improving customer satisfaction.
FAQs
Route optimisation software is a robust software solution that helps plan different sequences of stops so delivery personnel can easily follow and improvise on their overall driving efficiency and provide better customer service.
If you are planning to invest in free route optimisation software, you can try these options- Google Maps, RouteXL, MapQuest, and Apple Maps.
Route optimisation software helps create routes that maximise deliveries and field service operations. It involves solving a mathematical problem and using the basics of machine learning which uses historical route data. It can also use artificial intelligence to offer the best routes from one point to another.
Some of the best route optimisation apps are- OnFleet, RoadWarrior, and IntelliShift.
If you are looking for the best route optimisation software, try out these well-designed, robust route planning software- Google Maps, Circuit Route Planner, MapQuest, and Tookan.
Just like any other software solution, even route optimisation software offers the user different levels of safety and security. Route planning software is comprehensive specially designed considering the end-users safety. It includes safety features like two-factor or multifactor authentication, documentation that shows frequent security updates, and seamless monitoring of user activities.
Various optimisation techniques can help with efficient route management. Some of the best optimisation techniques are- dynamic routing, static routing, and real-time dynamic routing.
Route planning refers to the process of creating a plan for travelling to different locations, while route optimisation is focused on finding the most efficient and cost-effective way to complete a journey.
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