Optimization Profiles – Route Planning And Optimization Settings Templates
Route4Me’s Route Optimization Profiles let you create reusable settings that automatically apply to any route, simplifying route planning and last mile optimization. You can build profiles for specific vehicles, drivers, field services, seasonal services, or other business needs, and set rules and constraints to guide optimization. Moreover, sharing a profile with your team ensures everyone optimizes routes the same way, every time. Use this guide to help you create reusable Optimization Profiles.
Table of Contents
Create And Manage Route Optimization Profiles On Your Route4Me Account
To create a new Route Optimization Profile, go to “Optimization Settings” > “Optimization Profiles” from the Navigation Menu. Then, click the “Create New Profile” button.
You’ll be redirected to the “Create Profile” editor here you can customize your new Optimization Profile’s settings.
Open Your Optimization Profiles
To edit an existing Optimization Profile, click the Arrow Button next to the profile, then select your preferred action. You can also click the “Edit” button to adjust any of the optimization settings described in this guide.
NOTE: Sub-users can access, edit, and use the Optimization Profiles of the users they report to, and you can likewise access the profiles created by your manager. Learn more about user permissions and Route4Me’s user types and team hierarchy.
Optimization Profiles – Edit Profiles
Rename
Change the name of the Optimization Profile.
Duplicate
Create a copy of the Optimization Profile.
Set as Default
Set the profile as the Default Optimization Profile. The Default Optimization Profile is automatically pre-selected when planning routes.
Copy Profile ID
Copy the Optimization Profile's ID to the clipboard on your device. This ID is the unique internal identification code of the profile and can be used for troubleshooting and auditing.
Delete
Delete the Optimization Profile. This action can't be undone. NOTE: You can't delete the Default Optimization Profile. If you want to delete the Default Optimization Profile, set another profile as the default first.
General – Assign Route Name, Users, Vehicles And Facilities
From the “General” tab, can assign a Profile name, route prefix, and Facility that will be applied to all routes optimized with the Optimization Profile. See the table below for details.
Optimization Profiles – General Settings
Profile Name
Name the profile. When planning and optimizing routes, you can search for your Optimization Profiles by profile name.
Route Name Prefix
Routes optimized with this profile will inherit the specified Route Name. Split routes will share the name, prefixed with their part number.
Facility
Routes optimized using this profile will be automatically associated with the selected Facility. Use the "Manage Facilities" button to access your Facilities page.
Resources – Assign Users And Equipment To Routes
From the “Resources” tab, you can assign a user to the route and configure the vehicles or equipment used in the optimization. See the table below for details.
Optimization Profiles – Resources
Assignment
Assign a user to the route to ensure proper scheduling and tracking. Use the "Manage Users" button to access your Users page.
Equipment
Use vehicles with different capacity profiles, and Route4Me will optimize routes to maximize each vehicle's utilization. Toggle "Mixed Fleet" to select specific vehicles or equipment types.
If you specify one or more Equipment Types for use in Mixed Fleet routing, they’ll appear as a searchable, filterable list in the “Equipment” field.
Use the filters, described below, to locate specific Equipment Types, or hover over the Information Icon next to an Equipment Type to view its details.
Optimization Profiles – Equipment Types Filters
Narrow the list to equipment types associated with a specific Vehicle Profile.
Show only equipment types tied to a particular Capacity Profile.
Limit results to equipment types configured with a given skill.
Restrict the list to equipment types assigned to a selected Facility.
Schedule – Set Route Start Time And Destination Service Time
From the “Schedule” tab, you can specify the Route Start Time and Destination Service Time for routes optimized with the Optimization Profile. See the table below for details.
Optimization Profiles – Schedule Settings
When enabled, Route4Me will schedule routes for the most optimal dynamic start time within the specified timeframe, accounting for the available Time Windows on your Destinations. NOTE: Optimization Profiles use the time zone of their Departure Address - not the time zone from your Account Settings.
Route Start Time
Routes optimized using this profile will start at the specified time. NOTE: Optimization Profiles use the time zone of their Departure Address - not the time zone from your Account Settings.
Override Service Time
This option enables you to set a time in the “Service Time per Destination” field which will be applied to all route Destinations, replacing any existing Service Time durations with the one you enter.
The time needed to complete a Destination or Customer Order.
Optimization – Schedule Routes And Set Business Rules
From the “Optimization” tab, you can customize the main Optimization Profile settings. See the table below for details.
NOTE: Optimization Profiles can support multiple features and constraints enabled through add-ons and modules. To enable additional features for your Optimization Profiles, use the Feature Manager or contact Route4Me Support.
Optimization Profiles – Optimization
Sequence Optimization
When optimization is disabled, destinations remain in the same sequence as added or uploaded. Toggle "Optimize Route(s)" to enable sequence optimization.
Start Location
Routes will start from the specified Departure Address. For Round Trip routes, the start and end locations will be the same. Toggle "Multiple Depots" to use more than one starting location.
Route End
Optimized routes can end at any address, at the departure address (Round Trip), or at the last address on the route. Select "End Route at Any Address", "End Route at Departure Address", or "End Route at Last Address".
Directions
Choose to navigate by time or by time with traffic, and select a Travel Mode: Driving, Walking, or Bicycling.
Driver Breaks
Automatically schedule breaks into optimized routes based on time, travel duration, or number of stops. Break duration is adjustable. Toggle "Insert Breaks" to define when breaks are triggered, their duration, and how often they repeat.
Business Rules
Input the “per route” maximum number for each constraint. Select "Minimize Routes" or "Balance Routes", then define maximum constraints such as Maximum Route Duration (required), Maximum Weight, Maximum Revenue, Maximum Pieces, Maximum Volume, Maximum Distance Between Destinations, and Maximum Destinations. If you don't have other constraints, we recommend leaving those fields blank for best results.
Ignore Time Windows
Ignore specified Time Windows to visit destinations at the most optimal time when planning routes. Toggle "Ignore Time Windows" (if present) to enable.
Traffic Adjustment
Use the Service Time Slowdown and Travel Time Slowdown sliders to define, as a percentage, how much heavier traffic should slow down service and travel times.
Advanced – Set Distance, Travel Time Or Waiting Time Priority When Optimizing Routes
From the “Advanced” tab, you can fine-tune optimization with a distance, travel time, or wait time priority. A higher percentage gives that variable more weight when calculating the optimal Destination sequence.
You can also add a date to the route name, apply Depots as an advanced constraint, and resolve Drivers by skills. See the table below for details.
Optimization Profiles – Advanced
Optimization Fine-Tuning
Apply a distance, travel time, or wait time priority to fine-tune your optimization. A higher percentage means you prefer to prioritize that variable over others. Use the sliders to set a percentage for Prioritize Distance, Prioritize Travel Time, and Prioritize Waiting Time.
Add Date To Route Name
Append the route creation date to the route name as a suffix. Toggle "Append Date to Generated Route Name" as Suffix to enable.
Match Depots and Users
Enable skill-based matching between depots and users to ensure optimized route assignments that align personnel with depot-specific requirements. Toggle "Use Depot as Advanced Constraint" and/or "Resolve Drivers by Skills".
Bundling – Group Stops On Route Optimization Software
From the “Bundling” tab, you can enable and customize destination bundling. Bundling groups Destinations with the same address or coordinates so that locations in the same area can be visited and serviced together.
To use this feature, toggle “Group Nearby Destinations“, choose your preferred grouping method, and adjust the “Bundle Settings” and “Service Time Bundling” options.
Optimization Profiles – Bundling
Bundle Locations
Bundle the same Addresses or Coordinates to visit each bundle as the same destination. Toggle "Group Nearby Destinations" to group by Address, Coordinates, or ID.
Bundle Settings
Available only when "Group Nearby Destinations" is enabled. Choose to keep separate locations within a bundle, or merge bundled locations into a single destination.
Service Time Bundling
Available only when "Group Nearby Destinations" is enabled. For the first bundled item, keep the original service time or define a custom time. For additional bundled items, keep the original, define a custom time, or inherit the service time from the primary item.
Restrictions – Avoid Highways And Tolls On Last Mile Routes
From the “Restrictions” tab, you can set limits and avoidance options to plan safer, more efficient, and cost-effective routes. See the table below for details.
Optimization Profiles – Restrictions Settings
When enabled, routes planned with this Optimization Profile will avoid highways and toll roads, helping reduce costs and tailor routes to specific vehicle or driver requirements.
Avoid Ferries
When this option is enabled in the Optimization Profile, the route will be planned without using include ferries.
Choose whether routes using this Optimization Profile can include only right or left turns, or both. Avoiding left turns (or right turns in left-driving countries) can improve safety, efficiency, and overall route performance.
Click the "Enable Avoidance Zones" toggle and then select Avoidance Zones to make sure routes planned with this Optimization Profile avoid the selected zones.
Maximum Speed Allowed
Sets the top speed that routes will follow when using this Optimization Profile. Any route planned with this profile will automatically respect this speed limit.
Use Route Optimization Profiles To Optimize Last Mile Routes
After creating your Optimization Profiles, they instantly become available for planning and optimizing routes.
The first Optimization Profile you create automatically becomes your Default Optimization Profile. Your sub-users can also see and use your Optimization Profiles.
To begin, go to “Dynamic Routing” > “Plan New Route” from the Navigation Menu and then select the preferred method for adding or uploading addresses: Interactive Map Editor, Copy and Paste, Upload a File, or Import Data.
Next, you can use the pre-selected Default Optimization Profile or select another preferred Optimization Profile from the list. You can select and use only one Optimization Profile per the set of added or uploaded addresses.
If you don’t want to use Optimization Profiles, you can click the “Skip” button and manually customize your optimization settings.
Optimized routes inherit the Route Name and are scheduled for the Start Time specified in the Optimization Profile.
Additionally, optimized routes are dispatched to the User (driver) and Vehicle specified in the Optimization Profile. You can dispatch routes to other vehicles and drivers by re-assigning them.
Visit Route4Me's Marketplace to Check out Associated Modules:
- Route Optimization
Stops Bundling
- Route Optimization
Mixed Vehicles Routing
- Route Optimization
Max Weight per Route
- Route Optimization
Max Stops Per Route
About author: Kristian Andreev
