About Us » Our Methodology
The Challenge of Route Optimization
From a mathematical perspective, there are potentially billions of combinations of sequencing options when it comes to ordering stops for service on even a single route. Add in an entire fleet of drivers with variables such as vehicle capacity constraints, time-of-service restrictions and length-of-workday factors, and the problem multiplies exponentially.
Simply sorting addresses for service by postal code or street name and address cannot take into account the principles of adjacency or proximity of stops within a street network. These factors must be taken into consideration in order to best utilize your fleet assets. Although the experienced dispatcher or driver may be good at evaluating routes from a historical or "rule of thumb" perspective, he or she is limited when it comes to considering alternative routing plans or strategies.
RouteSmart software evaluates the numerous ways in which the driver (or drivers) could travel over the streets and service clients on their route while factoring for the geographic distribution of stops against a street network and other operational constraints (customer service time restrictions, vehicle capacities, one-way streets, etc.). The RouteSmart system pays close attention to details and creates optimized dispatch plans that balance routes and minimize total travel time for servicing stops within a geographic area. In addition to providing route planners with a powerful set of tools for evaluating different routing plans, RouteSmart visualizes the data route planners have to sort through to give them a map-based representation of the stop locations, street network, routes and sequential ordering of clients for service.
The RouteSmart Competitive Advantage
- Provides address-specific, side-of-street-level routing and sequencing precision.
- Calculates routes explicitly over a street network to factor for real-world service and travel constraints.
- Automatically sequences stops in delivery and pick-up order.
- Balances routes based on time, number of routes or volume.
- Handles high-density residential and low-density commercial service routing.
- Factors for mixed-mode routing constraints (driving, walking, driving and walking).
- Prints maps and detailed route sheets with computer-generated driving directions.