Order Groups Routing – Aggregate Orders Into Groups And Route Grouped Orders

The Route4Me ERP Order Management and Routing System helps medium and large last mile businesses import, store, manage, and optimize routes with millions of customer orders. You can group orders by ZIP Code, custom data values, or Group IDs to create reusable Order Groups for recurring route planning and optimization. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create and use Order Groups, as well as how to plan Order Territories, route from the Orders List and Orders Map, and use Grab & Go driver routing with a barcode scanner.

Configure Order Groups – Aggregate Orders By Custom Parameters

To open and manage your Order Groups, click “Operations” in the Navigation Menu and select “Orders“. Then, click the “Groups” tab.

Select “Configure Order Groups” to edit existing groups or create new custom ones. You can group orders by ZIP Code, custom data values, or Group IDs to generate new Order Groups.

Open Your Order Groups Page

Custom Data Order Groups – Aggregate Orders By Custom Data Values

You can add extra details to orders with Custom Data fields to track information not covered by standard fields. Then, group orders by these Custom Data values to create Order Groups, with each group containing orders that share the same value.

For example, add one Custom Data field name to multiple orders, assign different values, and then group the orders by that field name to create separate Order Groups for each value.

To group orders by Custom Data, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Group Orders By” dropdown and select “Custom Data“.
2. Enter the Custom Data field name in the “Custom Data Field” box.
3. Add Custom Data values in the “Allowed Values” field, separated by commas.
4. Select the allowed order statuses for route planning by checking the boxes in the “Allowed Planning Routes with Order Statuses” section.
5. Click “Apply“.

You can also enable “Allow Planning Combined Routes” for these Order Groups. Later in this guide, you’ll learn how to plan combined and separate customer order routes with Order Groups.

Once created, the new Order Groups appear in the “Custom Data” column of your Groups List, where you can manage them and use them for route planning. Each Custom Data value generates its own Order Group, containing all orders with that value.

Later, this guide also explains how to assign Optimization Profiles, filter group orders, and plan Order Groups routes.

Group ID Order Groups – Aggregate Orders By Custom Order Group IDs

You can assign unique, customizable Group IDs to orders for quick grouping, sorting, and other management tasks. Orders with the same Group ID are automatically grouped into Order Groups.

To add a Group ID when creating or editing an order, open the “Customer” tab in the “Create Order” or “Edit Order” panel, then enter the desired ID in the “Group” field.

To group orders by Group ID, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Group Orders By” dropdown and select “Group“.
2. Enter the preferred Group IDs into the “Allowed Values” field, separated by commas.
3. Select the allowed order statuses for route planning by checking the boxes in the “Allowed Planning Routes with Order Statuses” section.
4. Click “Apply“.

You can also enable “Allow Planning Combined Routes” for these Order Groups.

The new Order Groups appear instantly in the “Group” column of your Groups List, where you can manage them and use them for route planning. Each Group ID generates its own Order Group, containing all orders with that value.

ZIP Code Order Groups – Aggregate Orders By Order Address ZIP Code

Orders in Route4Me’s ERP Order Management and Routing System have geocoded, validated addresses, which include a ZIP Code. Grouping orders by ZIP creates custom Order Groups, with each group containing orders that share the same ZIP.

To group orders by ZIP Code, follow these steps:

1. Open the “Group Orders By” dropdown and select “Zip“.
2. Enter the preferred ZIP Codes into the “Allowed Values” field, separated by commas. Make sure the values are valid ZIP Codes that Route4Me can geocode.
3. Select the allowed order statuses for route planning by checking the boxes in the “Allowed Planning Routes with Order Statuses” section.
4. Click “Apply“.

You can also enable the “Allow Planning Combined Routes” option for these Order Groups.

The new Order Groups appear instantly in the “Zip” column of your Groups List, where you can manage them and use them for route planning. Each ZIP Code generates its own Order Group, containing all orders with that ZIP Code in their address.

Order Groups Routing – Plan Routes with Aggregated Orders

An Order Group combines orders with a shared attribute, such as ZIP Code or Custom Data. You can apply filters like “Scheduled For Date” or “Order Type” to refine groups, adjust included orders, and reuse them for recurring routing.

Filter Orders And Adjust Order Groups Settings For Route Planning

You can filter orders by date or date range using the “Scheduled For” field, then refine by Order Type (“Delivery“, “Pickup“, etc.) and Order Status (“Sorted“, “Scheduled“, or “Accepted“).

After filtering by date, type, and status, the “Total Orders” column shows how many orders in each group match the selected criteria.

You can also assign an Optimization Profile to each Order Group, which will be used when optimizing routes for separate groups. To do this, click the “Select Profile” button, then choose a profile from the menu or enter one manually.

Plan Combined Route With Order Groups

The “Plan Combined Route” option lets you create a single route with all orders from selected Order Groups. Check the boxes next to the groups you want to include, then click the “Plan Combined Route” button.

Next, schedule the route by selecting a date in the “Route Start Date” calendar. Then, choose an Optimization Profile to optimize the combined route. Click “Continue” to optimize the route.

The system will then plan and optimize a route with all orders from the selected Order Groups, using the chosen Optimization Profile and scheduled date. Once optimized, the route automatically opens in Route4Me’s Route Editor.

Plan Separate Routes With Order Groups

The “Plan Separate Routes” option creates individual routes for each selected Order Group without overlapping orders. Check the boxes for the groups you want to use, then click the “Plan Separate Routes” button.

Next, schedule routes by selecting a date in the “Route Start Date” calendar. You can keep or change the assigned Optimization Profile for each Group and remove groups by clicking the X icon next to them. Click “Continue” to optimize the routes.

The system will then optimize one or more routes within each Order Group, with no overlap between groups. Routes are planned based on the assigned Optimization Profile, which may generate single or multiple routes per group.

If multiple routes are created, they automatically open on Route4Me’s Routes Map, where you can view and manage them.

Dispatch Routes To Driver Apps And Track Order Progress In Real-Time

You can dispatch optimized routes to drivers and vehicles automatically or manually. When using Optimization Profiles, routes are sent to the assigned driver and vehicle by default. To dispatch manually, assign a driver or vehicle to the route.

Assigned drivers can open and complete routes using Route4Me’s Android Route Planning App or iPhone Route Planning App. As they navigate and complete stops, order statuses update in real time.

As orders are loaded, delivered, and completed, their status updates in real time. Once an order is added to a route, it is dispatched to the driver, who uses Route4Me’s Mobile Driver App to load, deliver, and complete it.

When the driver updates the status, both the route progress and the order’s status update instantly in your Orders List. Completed orders receive the “Done” status.

Last Updated: January 1, 2025July 17, 2025