Descartes Route Planner™ On-demand: Optimized Route Planning and Execution of Multiple Stop Delivery Routes

Descartes Route Planner™ On-demand provides an easy and affordable way to optimize delivery performance. Plan, dispatch routes and track progress in real time and capture critical proof-of-delivery (POD) information.

This cloud-based fleet management solution combines comprehensive route planning and execution functionality with an intuitive user experience. The solution optimizes delivery routes to maximize customer service and efficiency and supports dynamic and static route processes.

A GPS-based mobile application Descartes Route Planner On-demand helps ensure that routes are executed to plan, exceptions are communicated immediately and traditional paper-based processes can be eliminated.

Flexible, easy-to-use integration helps to quickly get orders into the system. Using address verification order address coordinates are validated. Intelligent filters improve data integrity and identify issues such as bad addresses, which can be corrected by planners on an exception basis.

Addressing simple to more complex route planning problems, the optimization engine considers multiple factors such as road network, vehicle and operational constraints, customer and order requirements and a number of other factors. Flexible optimization configuration helps delivery planners tailor the optimization results to meet desired customer service and productivity goals. Planning time is significantly reduced, planners can focus on exceptions and continuous improvement.

The results are detailed routes, stop sequences, and drive, arrival and departure times that are electronically dispatched to the driver’s mobile devices. As the routes are being executed, real-time GPS-based status data updates the dispatch schedule dynamically calculating ETAs and notifies dispatchers when route plans are being deviated. Equally, dispatchers can update drivers based upon customer changes or new orders. All of this activity can be viewed through an intuitive, graphically-based command center.

A powerful real-time GPS-based solution for optimizing driver performance in the field, the android or iOS-based apps provide directions and digital maps that help drivers navigate their route. Flexible workflow can be configured to guide drivers through the delivery process and capture critical delivery information. The solution also allows drivers to communicate with dispatchers to address route changes and delivery discrepancies as they occur.

A comprehensive service for engaging customers during the delivery process, the solution can automatically notify of scheduled or adjusted delivery times via e-mail, micro apps, SMS, or phone calls. Multiple messages including dynamically generated ETAs and statuses can be communicated to customers (e.g. “arriving in 30 minutes”, etc.) to continually connect with the customer and help ensure a successful delivery.

All of the delivery information generated by Descartes Route Planner On-demand can be turned into valuable insights that identify areas of opportunity or improvement. Through predefined dashboards and flexible, but intuitive reporting, planners, dispatchers and fleet managers can drill down into their operations data to improve delivery and driver performance.