Route optimization is the dynamic, ever-changing process of calculating the most cost-efficient and effective way to go from point A to point B. Here are some factors that make planning routes manually an impossibility:
- Traffic
- Car accidents
- Road works
- Considering the number of total stops and not just points A and B
- Weather conditions
- If and when the vehicle needs refueling
- Cancellations and new, unplanned assignments
- Parking
As you can see, there is a number of extenuating circumstances that make route planning a manual impossibility. This is not something you plan before getting in a vehicle but something that happens in real-time.
Field service management technicians already have a lot on their plate and asking them to find the most efficient route to get to where they need to be is not the best use of their time or skills. The most efficient way of doing that is by using route optimization software.
Benefits of route optimization
Why should you invest in route optimization software? Because it can help your business increase productivity and decrease cost almost instantly. By giving technicians the most efficient routes at all times, you can rest assured technicians reach their destination on time.
Here are some benefits you will instantly enjoy when investing in routing software:
Less fuel cost
The more time you spend on the road, the more gas you need in the vehicle. Efficient route planning guarantees less cost on fuel.
Less maintenance cost
We’ve talked extensively about the necessity and cost associated with preventive maintenance. Following optimized routes adds to the longevity of your fleet and decreases the frequency and sum of maintenance costs.
Improve customer satisfaction
Field service management is a customer-facing industry. The success of your operation is directly correlated to your ability to make and keep customers happy. Route planning software ensures your technicians reach their destination on time and projects are delivered as promised.
Keeping your drivers safe
Improving productivity and reducing operational costs are great but nothing is more important than the safety of the people that work for you. Route optimization solutions not only present drivers with the most optimal route but the safest one. They keep them out of areas where roads are still under construction and warn them about dangerous weather conditions.
React to real-time changes
The ability to optimize routes in real-time is key to the success of any modern FSM business. What if a customer wants to re-schedule their appointment? What if another booking is added to the schedule? What if there is an unexpected rally that keeps the roads closed? The what-ifs are so many that the only thing you can be sure about is uncertainty.
The right route optimization solution will create routes in real-time, factoring in the new information and data without missing a beat.
Why choose Frontu for your route optimization needs
We’ve established that delivery routes are a much more complicated process than getting from point A to B. Frontu is an ideal solution because it’s so much more than a route planner solution. Frontu is a complete, end-to-end field service management solution with embedded fleet management software for optimizing routes.
Our collaboration with Fleet Complete ensures you have a real-time view of your entire fleet, always feeding them the right information. You get instant access to data like vehicle information like model, license plate, and location. Moreover, you have visibility to details like employee start and end time, duration in minutes as well as updates on routes and tasks.
Solving your vehicle routing problem is simply one of the things you get with Frontu. The software comes with a long list of features that make it one of the most formidable solutions in the field service management space. From managing task progress in real-time to efficient routing and working without the Internet, this is a solution that understands the needs of a modern business.
If you no longer want to manually plan routes, deal with unhappy customers or worry about fuel costs, reach out to a member of our team and we will guide you through the process. Book a demo and bring simplicity to your field service operations.
