How To Choose The Best Route Optimization Solution

Being able to optimize distribution routes or deliveries has been a challenge for thousands of companies worldwide. This problem in the area of ​​operations worsened with the arrival of the pandemic and the increase in home orders during the period from 2020 to 2022.

This article explains some of the problems caused by not having a route optimization system and will teach you how to choose the best solution taking into account the way your business operates.

The consequences of not having a routing system or route optimization

Last mile

In the last mile, vehicles will travel more kilometers which in turn will lead to higher fuel consumption and as a result transportation costs will increase. For the end customer, deliveries will present delays, which can threaten

In First Mile

The first mile is crucial for the operation of agribusiness companies. Poor optimization of routes increases the cost of production and transportation, which can be reflected in the price presented to customers and leaving the company out of competition. Additionally, the lack of optimization of routes increases the production of waste, especially in companies with products that are very sensitive to the passage of time, such as meat and dairy products.

 For On Site Sales Teams 

In sales hunter and farmer teams, the biggest problem with not optimizing the route of travel or not using a routing system is that more personnel are needed to complete the sales routes. Additionally, more travel time is spent between point and point and the probability of using an unsafe route for the equipment is greater. All this generates a higher cost of acquiring new customers.

In Facilities And Maintenance Services

Although customer service, availability and compliance with promised schedules differentiate companies that are dedicated to installation and maintenance, poor optimization of routes generates the need for more maintenance crews, traveling longer distances even in the same neighborhood or nearby points and generates that the arrival time of the clients is not complied with.

What A Route Optimization or Routing Solution Must Have

Dynamic route planning

Dynamic route planning allows routes to be assigned to workers considering aspects such as qualifications, capacity of delivery vehicles, route safety and traffic conditions.

Delimitation of geofences (security)

A geofence is a virtual space that establishes the geographical limits through which a vehicle must circulate for reasons of viability and safety. The routing system must include this functionality so that companies know where their vehicles (and cargo) are going and can react quickly to any new developments.

Twnel Routing

With clients such as SOMOS, Chiper, Frubana and Neta, we realized that a large part of the operations of these companies depend on having optimal installation routes for their services and product delivery routes. Apart from managing conversations and automating certain processes with Twnel, companies face the need to generate routes that allow their drivers and sales forces to visit more customers in less time, and that is why we created Twnel routing.

Currently in an experimental stage, Twnel Routing allows optimal routes to be generated from a list of stops loaded in a Google spreadsheet using the date to be optimized and selecting the displacement variable that can be walking (in the case of street such as Torre Kiwi Frubana) by car, or by distributor truck (so they are considered accessible routes for this class of vehicles and their restrictions).

Thus, our clients no longer only use Twnel to collect data at the point of delivery and reduce failed deliveries. Today they can also optimize the routes of distributor trucks, sales forces and technicians using a single solution.