Route planning software will provide you with common benefits, such as cost reduction, to improve the efficiency of your current transport operation. It’s hard to quantify certain intangible benefits, but they have no less impact on your business than tangible ones.
1) Being run over by a bus (or putting all your eggs in one basket).
The responsibility for route planning falls mostly to one person in most organizations, particularly SMEs. In the event that the driver, client, and vehicle knowledge were lost, all processes, drivers, and quirks could be irrevocably lost. Using route planning software, organizations ensure that the basic knowledge is held, accessed, and utilized in a standard way. However, as much as a skilled planner is needed to get the best results, especially with more advanced software, it is also a fact that a program that enables Passage planning software is easier to learn.
2) Management data to inform decisions
Software that calculates the cheapest routes relies on base transportation costs, like vehicle costs per mile, labor costs per hour, etc. This data can be used to calculate management information like cost per drop, per area, per route, etc. By collecting such data, management can decide whether to use their own fleet of couriers for deliveries to geographically remote clients and to consolidate orders onto ‘delivery by’ dates.
3) Staying legal
Drivers generally take the most efficient routes with the help of route planning software. In addition, it can ensure they travel on the safest routes. A detailed map feature in the right software allows the identification of dangerous areas and the avoidance of them. Additionally, the use of routing software can help to avoid dangerous roads, high traffic areas, and other situations. Route planning software also keeps track of drivers’ hours and when they need to take breaks. In addition to ensuring that the vehicles are not overloaded, route planning software relies on knowing what orders are to be delivered.
4) Future Flexibility
Software that makes planning for the future easier can help your business adapt as the landscape changes. Software in which you can reroute drivers based on changes in your service area is critical, for instance, if your service area changes. The ability to plan for ‘what if’ scenarios are also important – what if I lose the Scottish contract, how many vehicles will I need in its place, what if I purchase larger vehicles, etc.
5) Customers are treated better
Software that helps companies plan routes can help them monitor every aspect of their business. By learning who arrived and when, how the goods were transported, and how efficient delivery routes are, a business can enhance its customer service on an even deeper level. In this regard, an organization can distinguish itself from one that provides average service from one that provides stellar service by dedicating itself to efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.