OptimoRoute is a route planning software that allows you to create optimized routes with multiple stops and drivers in just a few minutes. You can set up different constraints to make sure that the optimized route works best for your team including time windows, vehicle restrictions, driver work schedules and more. In this article, we will go over the basics of planning optimized routes with OptimoRoute.
Video tutorial
Before you start
Route planning requires a few things before we get started. Make sure you have:
- Orders added to the date you want to plan on
- Drivers set up
These are the basics you need to plan a route.
Planning optimized routes
When planning routes in OptimoRoute, you will be leveraging our routing engine which will find you the most efficient routes using the constraints you provide it.
To plan your routes:
- Click the "Plan Routes" button. This will take all the orders and drivers you have available for the day, and use them to plan.
- Make any adjustments in the "Planning Settings" window
- Click "Plan Routes" to confirm and let the engine produce routes for you
There is an option to undo the routes after planning if needed.
Planning results
In a very short time, OptimoRoute plans the most efficient routes and schedules them in accordance with your constraints, such as:
- Assigned drivers
- Driver work times
- Driver breaks
- Delivery/service time windows
- Vehicle load capacity
- Driver skills
- Vehicle features
The system will maximize the number of orders served and minimize the total cost.
Reviewing route plan
The resulting route plan is displayed on the map. Each route is displayed in a different color and the numbers in the markers show the stop sequence.
Order tab
The results can also be reviewed in the orders table – for each order, the system displays the performing driver/vehicle, the stop number, the planned time for the driver to arrive at the customer location.
Routes tab
In the "Routes" tab you can see the following information:
- Planned distance each driver/vehicle will be driving
- Planned duration for each route
- Vehicle load utilization
If necessary, the route plan can be changed manually before exporting.
Not scheduled orders
Because OptimoRoute uses a set of constraints to make optimized routes, there may be cases where not all your orders are planned, and you may end up with "Not scheduled orders". These are orders are those that could not fit into the route plan considering the existing constraints.
If there are orders that could not be scheduled after planning, a new tab will appear where you can review the reasons for why this happened.
Learn more about these reasons and how to resolve them here.