Businesses and individuals always look for easier ways to manage their order capacities and distribution. They have realized that routing manually is a time-consuming and ineffective approach. Many sectors embrace routing optimization to increase their output and cut costs.
The idea of route optimization is for more than just businesses and maritime elites. Startups and medium-scale enterprises also benefit from the technologies of modern route optimization. With modern route optimization, SMBs and corporations save on operational, gasoline, and driver payroll costs by managing their fleet of drivers more effectively.
This article will explain all you need to know about routing optimization and how it can help your company grow in record time.
What Is Route Optimization?
According to projections, the market for route optimization software will increase at a CAGR of 14.2% from 2021 to 2030. These predictions excite our interests enough to ask, “what is route optimization?”
Route optimization is the process of enhancing routes to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Efficient routing optimization aids companies in maximizing orders or deliveries while considering various factors. These factors include driver schedules, hours available, total stops, fulfillment expectations, and regulatory requirements.
Delivery routing involves determining the most effective way for various factors, not merely the quickest path from one point to the next. Path planners and dispatchers quickly determine the best path using route optimization software’s algorithms. This software also gives users access to tools and data to adapt driver routes in real time to shifting circumstances.
With route optimization software, dispatchers and schedulers can quickly plan the quickest routes for their entire fleet and optimize the number of stops for each driver at any time. These tools also enable them to modify the plan if a client cancels an order, there’s an unforeseen change in the weather or a traffic jam.
Forms of Routing Optimization
There are two forms of routing optimization – manual route optimization and automated route optimization. Both forms entail determining the fastest path to a location while considering some variables, including distance, time, traffic, and road constraints.
However, manual route optimization requires you to perform every task yourself. For instance, you’ll have to do the following:
- Identify the final destination and any stop en route
- Calculate the distance between the points on a map
- Determine the routes to your destination
- Factor in elements like speed limits, construction zones, and traffic conditions by yourself
- Choose the path that will get you there with the least amount of travel time and distance
- Look for any potential obstacles, detours, or limits along the path
- Drive the route to make sure it is effective and practicable
- Take note of the paths for future trips
Without any doubt, these tasks are time-consuming and, most times, inaccurate. However, automated routing optimization performs all these tasks once you employ the right software.
Routing Optimization: 7 Benefits of Route Optimization Software
Usually, delivery enterprises start small with manual route planning or free tools like Google Maps to achieve their desired route optimization solution. However, over time, as they grow and aim to scale their delivery, they always need route optimization software. Here are some advantages of routing optimization software.
- Customers are always up-to-date on the status of their dispatch.
- They save your team the long hours you spend planning a suitable route for your products.
- Efficient routes optimization software easily estimates both the driver’s pay and the cost of gasoline.
- You can find the best answer for your delivery workflow and means of addressing challenging situations, such as multiple-stop routing.
- You can modify journey routes to use less time, fewer vehicles, or less distance.
- You can enhance your delivery processes with these optimization software features, ensuring that you achieve improved business outcomes.
- The software can also resolve vehicle routing problems (VRP).
5 Features To Look Out for When Seeking a Route Optimization Software
Route optimization software is becoming increasingly popular among businesses that rely on transportation. These software solutions help businesses plan and optimize routes to improve efficiency, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction.
- Software Must be Simple to Use
The program should have an intuitive interface that makes it easy to use the practical functionalities. When entering the pickup and delivery locations, it should be as simple as possible and provide options for budget-friendly route planning. You should also be able to set routes and immediately improve your delivery operation’s efficiency using the program. - Software Must be Versatile
You may encounter some problems while handling your delivery operations, which could impede your travel times and cause delivery failure or delays. As such, your routing optimization software should be adaptable enough to deal with various issues and provide ideal solutions. - Routing Optimization Software Must be Fast
An essential component that the route optimization program should have is speed. In a few clicks, the program should present the quickest route you need to complete a desired delivery. - Software Must Have Reliable ETAs
After the routing optimization software generates the best routes, it should offer precise ETAs to assist the delivery driver in organizing their daily tasks and producing effective results. Indeed, your clients will be happy when you update them about their deliveries and share the ETA information with them. - Software Must Have Good Customer Support
The routing optimization software you choose should offer excellent support and be responsive to your needs. This will help you resolve any issues quickly and minimize downtime.
3 Types of Routing Optimization Algorithm
Ideally, you can classify the types of routing optimization algorithms according the density of the area the vehicle visits. The algorithm identifies the most effective route between two or more points. A high-density location will require a different approach from one with less density. Here are the three types of algorithms that you can use to optimize routes:
- High-density Routing Algorithm
High-density routing algorithms reduce the effects of traffic and improve the route of data packets to their destinations. They come in various forms, including path vector routing, link-state routing, and distance vector routing. - Low-density Routing Algorithm
A low-density routing optimization algorithm reduces the number of hops that data must make from its source to its destination while preventing congestion and maintaining reliable delivery. The algorithm is effective when network resources are scarce or the network topology is complicated and dynamic. They enhance the overall performance and dependability of the network by lowering latency, congestion, and packet loss. - Special Route Algorithm
The special route algorithm is useful during long trips. When you are on a trip with over fifty stops, there’s bound to be a point where you’d make a stop. It may be at the nearest convenience store or gas station. The special trip route algorithm ensures to put these stops into consideration. The algorithm determines averages, durations, and other variables that can produce the best routes for your delivery.
Is Google Maps Route Optimization Free?
Google Maps is a free route planning tool that helps a driver find the best route from point A to point B as quickly as possible. It keeps you informed of things like road closures and detours and provides real-time traffic information to assist you in avoiding congestion. It is simple for any mobile device and typically provides exact turn-by-turn directions.
Furthermore, its ETAs are more precise than Apple Maps. The smartphone app has excellent usability. With Google Maps route optimization, you can add numerous destinations and determine the fastest path. It offers real-time traffic information and can advise different routes if there is traffic.
However, the map can only make out ten route plans and lacks routing optimization unless you already know how to use the APIs.
Google Maps is useful on short trails if you are traveling alone or for a really small business with a maximum of ten stops. Also, you must manually optimize these stops to enjoy your trip. Thus, suppose you must plan for more than twenty stops or numerous vehicles. In that case, you would need a more sophisticated solution to optimize your stops effectively.
4 Other Free Route Optimizers for Your Trip Plan
Many free route optimizers can help you have hassle-free trips. Here are four popular ones:
- MyRouteOnline
You can optimize up to ten addresses for free using MyRouteOnline. The software can calculate the most effective route depending on time, distance, and the number of stops. It also supports a variety of routing optimization algorithms. - RouteXL
You can optimize up to twenty destinations in a single route. It supports a variety of optimization techniques, including balanced, shortest path, and shortest time. - OpenRouteService
You can optimize routes for up to fifty locations with this free, open-source utility. The software provides the fastest, shortest, and greenest routes for your consumption. - OptimoRoute
With the help of this free routing optimization software, you can improve up to ten addresses for every route.
View Test Map in a full screen map
Final Thoughts on Routing Optimization
The route optimization software has eradicated stressful routes and simplified transportation for businesses and individuals. There are many options currently available, but getting the most reliable software for route optimization is tasking.
Mapize is the most suitable and reliable software that you can use to design and build interactive maps. Its free plan serves better than most free routing optimization software out there. You can make up to five maps and add up to fifty locations with the free plan. The free plan also offers the following features:
- CSV and Excel data import and export
- Basic options for filtering and searching
- Customized pop-ups and markers
- Simple embedding and sharing options
Upgrade to Pro and access several cutting-edge functions like geocoding, routing, and analytics. Mapize ensures you enjoy stress-free travels and grow your businesses by saving costs on workers and fuel. Create your first map with our free Mapize service to enjoy efficient routing optimization features.
