Organizing all the logistical steps involved in running a delivery service can leave even the most experienced delivery managers, and dispatchers overwhelmed.
It’s time-consuming and complex to distribute delivery addresses and routes efficiently across your team of drivers, and provide accurate driving instructions to ensure each package gets to its correct destination.
A delivery logistics app should have you covered for all of these parts of your delivery process. But given how many apps there are to choose from, what should you look for when deciding which one is best for your own delivery business?
In this article, we’ll walk you through the four most important features to look out for when choosing a delivery logistics app — and how our software and mobile app, MyWay Route Planner, deals with them.
We look at:
1. The routing interface. The routing interface is the first thing any customer or courier dealing with your delivery service will encounter. It’s the tool where dispatchers can plan and adjust your deliveries and the method through which your customers will receive directions from their courier. However, it’s also one of the most complex and time-consuming components of your delivery logistics app — and it’s easy for a complicated interface to overwhelm dispatchers and customers alike. The ideal solution is an easy-to-use interface that is clear and concise for dispatchers and customers alike. For example, MyWay Route Planner has an uncluttered, easy-to-navigate interface that allows dispatchers and customers to track delivery progress in a matter of moments.
2. The routing algorithm. The standard routing algorithm used by our software calculates the most efficient route for any customer to receive their package based on the information provided by the customer or dispatcher. However, the algorithm behind our delivery logistics app is so advanced that it can also calculate the best route for a courier to deliver a package — using traffic patterns, destination addresses, and the most efficient route to deliver the package on time successfully. This is an area that is often overlooked in delivery logistics apps — particularly in the case of more minor delivery services. Although your courier will have an intimate knowledge of the local traffic patterns and route planning that goes into your delivery service, it’s also useful for them to have a tool that can optimize the way they drive. At MyWay Route Planner, we’ve developed an in-depth knowledge of local delivery patterns, traffic patterns, and other issues that drivers will face when driving, so our software can calculate the fastest route possible. In addition, the app also allows drivers to check the estimated travel time and distance of a package, before leaving the warehouse and before they start the journey. This can help to optimize the driver’s route before they even head out.
3. Detailed customer instructions. It’s important that the delivery logistics app you choose has a foolproof system for dispatchers or customers to provide detailed instructions to couriers. One of the biggest issues faced by couriers is the fact that customers can have trouble providing detailed instructions. When a courier calls a customer to ask for information such as an apartment number, the customer is often unable to give the courier this information due to being in an area that has bad reception or isn’t familiar with their own address. This means that the courier has to spend time searching for the address, and the customer has to spend time waiting for them to do so. A good delivery logistics app will alleviate this issue by having a foolproof system for providing detailed customer instructions. For example, MyWay Route Planner has a host of detailed customer instructions to guide your couriers on how to find their destination.
4. Time management. If you’re using a delivery logistics app or software, then you’ll know exactly how valuable time can be — especially when you’re running a tight schedule or are working to improve your delivery service for your customers. This is why it’s important that you choose an app that provides a time-saving tool for your team and your customers alike.
5. Other features to consider. There are other features that you should also think about if you’re working on upgrading your delivery logistics app, such as the ability to view maps in two different formats. Other apps might only allow you to view maps as a disjointed collection of markers and pins — but our delivery logistics app allows you to view them as GPS markers or as a collection of cards that present information about locations along your route. To learn more about our delivery logistics app and the other features it offers, contact us today.
Overall, a good route planning app can help delivery businesses improve efficiency, accuracy, and transparency, leading to cost savings and improved customer satisfaction.
