Spreadsheet Formatting Requirements – CSV, XLS, XLSX
Route4Me enables you to plan and optimize last mile routes with millions of addresses and locations. For convenience, you can import all your addresses, customer details, order information, and other route data into a single spreadsheet instead of adding them manually. To ensure a smooth import process, formatting Route4Me spreadsheets is straightforward, just add the appropriate column names and fill in your data. This guide will walk you through the proper spreadsheet formatting, supported file types, available column names, and other details. You’ll even find a downloadable spreadsheet template.
Table of Contents
Route4Me Spreadsheet Formatting Requirements
A Route4Me spreadsheet consists of organized columns and rows. To create a column, simply add the desired column name to the header row and populate the subsequent rows with data. For example, adding “Address” to the header creates an Address column for entering addresses. You can add multiple columns and populate them with relevant data.
The Address column is mandatory for a Route4Me spreadsheet, serving as the foundation for route planning. Other columns can contain additional data assigned to the addresses. A valid address should include the street name, number, city, state, ZIP code, and country. If a partial address is entered, Route4Me will suggest geocoded versions. Alternatively, you can separate the address components into different columns for City, State, ZIP Code, and Country.
Route4Me offers a set of predefined entities and attributes that can be associated with an address, such as an address alias, customer email, order number, order weight, and more. If you need to add extra information not covered by Route4Me’s specified entities and attributes, you can attach it as Custom Data.
To do this, simply add custom column names to your spreadsheet, fill in the data for each address, and upload it. Route4Me will automatically recognize the custom columns. NOTE: You can learn more about using Custom Data in Route4Me.
Supported Spreadsheet File Types and Extensions
Route4Me supports importing data from CSV, XLS, and XLSX files, which can be created using Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, OpenOffice Calc, Apple Numbers, and similar software. For faster upload and processing, we recommend using CSV files.
If your file has multiple sheets or tabs, you’ll be prompted to select only one for upload. NOTE: Route4Me does not support files with macros, formulas, or filters.
When exporting from Apple Numbers to Excel, remove the first row in Numbers to ensure headings remain in place.
Download and Use Route4Me’s Spreadsheet Template
For convenience, you can download Route4Me’s CSV Spreadsheet Template, fill it with your own data, and use it for importing information. You can also add custom columns based on your routing and business needs.
Download Route4Me’s Spreadsheet Template
Route Planning Spreadsheet Requirements – Correctly Format Route Planning Data
When you upload or import a spreadsheet to plan a route, Route4Me automatically verifies and matches header column names to the system’s entities and attributes. Each column header should align with the data in that column. Custom Data columns will be labeled as “Custom” in the system, followed by the column name from your spreadsheet in parentheses.
If any column names don’t match, you can manually match them by clicking the column name and selecting the correct one from a drop-down list.
Route4Me also allows you to choose different “Upload Encoding” options based on your spreadsheet’s format. By default, Route4Me uses “Auto (attempt detection)” to automatically detect and validate the data.
Below is a list of available column names you can add to a spreadsheet based on the route data you want to upload. Route4Me Entities are the system’s predefined entity and attribute names, while Valid Column Names (Headers) are the acceptable header names for your spreadsheet. Select one Valid Column Name to create the corresponding column in your spreadsheet.
NOTE: To use certain columns, the corresponding Route4Me Account Add-Ons must be activated in the Feature Manager.
Route Data Columns
Order Upload Spreadsheet Requirements – Correctly Format New Order Data
To streamline how you add orders, Route4Me enables you to import spreadsheets with thousands of addresses and route data, eliminating the need to add them manually. You can upload spreadsheets directly from your device or import them from cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, and others.
In your route spreadsheets, you can include stop addresses, order details, customer information, time requirements, and route optimization constraints like Time Windows. You can also add various types of Route Custom Data that don’t fit into the system’s reserved entities and attributes. Once your routes are planned and optimized, you can easily access the uploaded data through your Route4Me Route Editor, Routes Map, or Routes List.
To include specific route data, optimization constraints, order information, customer details, etc., in your spreadsheet, add the relevant column names to the header. For example, to include address aliases, use column names like “alias“, “customeralias“, “customer“, “name“, “nickname“, or “address_alias“.
Below is a list of available column names you can add to a spreadsheet based on the route data you want to upload. Route4Me Entities are the system’s predefined entity and attribute names, while Valid Column Names (Headers) are the acceptable header names for your spreadsheet. Choose one Valid Column Name to create the corresponding column in your spreadsheet.
NOTE: To use certain columns, the corresponding Route4Me Account Add-Ons must be activated in the Feature Manager.
Order Data Columns
Address Book Spreadsheet Requirements – Correctly Format Address Book Data
Your Route4Me Synced Address Book is a centralized database storing and managing thousands of customer addresses. You can use it to plan and optimize routes, create address territories, and insert addresses into routes. Instead of entering addresses manually, you can easily import multiple addresses spreadsheets.
In addition to addresses, each entry in your Route4Me Address Book can include additional details like order information, customer details, visitation hours, and more.
Below is a list of column names you can add to a spreadsheet based on your business and routing needs. Address Attributes are the entity names (address fields) found in the Address Book, while Valid Column Names (Headers) are the accepted column names for your spreadsheet headers. Choose one Valid Column Name to create the corresponding column in your spreadsheet.
NOTE: To use certain columns, the corresponding Route4Me Account Add-Ons must be activated in the Feature Manager.
Address Book Data Columns
Visit Route4Me's Marketplace to Check out Various Modules and Add-Ons:
- Route Optimization
Time Windows
- Operations
Advanced Team Management Add-On
About author: Alex Yasko
