With the e-commerce industry thriving, customer expectations have rocked the delivery management sector. Delivery windows have shifted from as quick as a couple of hours to same-day delivery. Route planning and enhancement of the quickest route comprising multiple stops is now essential. Conventional route planning techniques are incapable of dealing with instant incidents that affect enterprises on a daily basis.
What are the main challenges that logistics and distribution companies encounter?
The prevailing route planning and multiple routing organization is a complicated task that must take into account aspects such as truck size, traffic, customer accessibility, offering instant tracking of customer orders, optimizing routes to allow for the most delivery stops, and numerous other factors in order to make delivery logistics a feasible and lucrative service for enterprises.
Over the course of the projected period (2021 - 2026), the Middle East's market for route optimization software is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 10.9%. [1]. Even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, companies with delivery management departments are facing a number of challenges. Encountering the logistics challenges will necessitate a new perspective on the supply chain.
It doesn't exist as a linear entity; rather, it is an interrelated system that requires better perceptibility, dependable analytics, and communication in order to thrive.
Considerations for Optimizing Delivery Logistics Routes
Business owners that adopt route optimization software can closely monitor the developments that impact the supply chain in a real-time situation, enabling modifications to the delivery schedule to maximize the simplest, most efficient and cost-effective route planning accessible.
Here are 5 logistics factors to take into account when optimizing multiple destinations:
1. Time of Shipments and Delivery Schedules
Delivery windows are time frames within which packages should be delivered. They are frequently agreed upon in advance by both the receiver and the delivery company. Clients may be granted them as a courtesy as well. Most delivery windows happen in B2B transactions that require a purchaser's signature.
Delivery windows and time-sensitive shipments are not the same things. These deliveries must show up as quickly as possible, rather than within a given timeframe.
How can Norma help?
You can access delivery windows for each of your stops using Norma. Norma will calculate the quickest route to ensure you reach it within a certain time frame. If you have shipments that must arrive quickly in the meantime, you can assign them for this. Norma will place those stops at the start of your routes instantaneously.
2. The Truck’s Size
What size are the delivery vehicles? The answer is essential in determining the number of stops your drivers make on any specific route. Smaller vehicle drivers may be required to create more than one stop at a depot.
Business owners must take into account how many parcels every driver can manage. You must also consider if they are capable of delivering on time.
How can Norma help?
Norma Can use the Truck Capacity in Optimizations (Capacity is the maximum amount the truck can contain. It is measured by the maximum weight of the shipments or total shipments volume) The Planner Can configure the capacity of his trucks and the optimization algorithm will utilize the truck capacity.
3. Package Pickup on the Way
Drivers don't always have their entire day's worth of deliveries at the depot. On occasion, they may need to stop in the middle of routes to pick up client packages. Occasionally, they will take packages from a firm's other headquarters.
Such logistics may necessitate additional stops on the delivery route. Therefore, drivers tend to deal with various rounds of deliveries during the day.
How can Norma help?
Norma will assist users in creating the shortest routes with diversions by analyzing two critical details: The capacity of the vehicle and the size of the package. With this method, you can ensure that the appropriate number of vehicles is always accessible.
Norma will ensure that you appropriately plan with the least capacity necessary to satisfy your operations' expectations.
4. Real-Time Rerouting
You should not anticipate your drivers finishing all of their stops on time. This is a result of frequent interruptions and strange occurrences. As a result, drivers might need to adjust their GPS coordinates as needed.
Rerouting while on the road can have an effect on the remainder of your driver’s checkpoints. However, with the help of an AI-based route planner, drivers can minimize the consequences of unforeseen situations.
How can Norma help?
Automated route planning systems' main benefits are time savings and a focus on a certain element, such as cost or service.
Norma is an intelligent route planning assistant that will save you from the stress of manual route planning by assisting you in optimizing your daily travels or dynamically re-routing in real time.
Conclusion
In terms of route planning, many businesses provide little assistance to their drivers because they believe it will relieve them of one more task.
But by providing couriers with the data, they require when they require it and providing drivers with more tools to provide excellent customer service, having a dedicated platform for route planning can actually be a great investment.
Contact us today for more information on how AI technology can assist logistics managers in efficiently planning multiple routes.