Orders List Routing – Plan and Optimize Routes with Orders

Route4Me’s Delivery Management System enables you to easily import, store, manage, and optimize routes with hundreds of thousands of orders. In this guide, you can learn how to use your Orders List to filter orders, plan and optimize routes with orders, dispatch order routes to drivers, and track route progress with order statuses in real-time. Additionally, learn more about Route4Me’s Delivery System Order Statuses and Planning Routes Using Order Territories.

NOTE: Depending on your account configurations, you may have different features enabled. To enable or disable specific features, please contact your Routing Expert or Route4Me’s Support Team.

Filter Orders List by Orders Ready for Route Planning

First, go to “Orders List” from the navigation menu. Next, filter your orders by their scheduled date and those that are ready for route planning. To filter orders scheduled for a specific date, select the preferred date or date range in the “Scheduled For Date” calendar. Next, select the “Ready for Route Planning” View Mode and then select the “Scheduled” and “Sorted” order statuses. Accordingly, orders with the “Scheduled” and “Sorted” order statuses can be used for planning and optimizing routes.

Sorted are the orders that were scanned, scheduled, and sorted by their respective Territory using Route4Me’s Mobile Barcode Scanner. Scheduled are the orders that had a specific status and then were manually rescheduled for another date so that they can be included into routes. Additionally, learn more about Route4Me’s Delivery Management System order statuses.

Select Orders to Plan and Optimize Order Routes

After filtering your orders, select the orders you want to use for route planning by checking the boxes next to them. To select all filtered orders, check the respective box at the top of the list. Depending on the applied filters, you may have hundreds or thousands of filtered orders. To select all filtered orders at once, check the box at the top of the list and then click on the “Select all items that match filters” button. After that, click on the “Plan New Route(s)” button.

Next, select the preferred Optimization Profile to use for optimizing routes with the selected orders. Additionally, learn how to create, manage and use Route4Me’s Route Optimization Profiles.

Alternatively, you can manually specify the preferred route optimization settings. To do so, instead of selecting an Optimization Profile, click on the “Skip” button.

After that, specify the preferred route settings and optimization constraints. First, go to the “Optimization” tab. Then, select the Multiple Drivers route optimization type so the system can plan the most optimal number of routes with the selected orders. Next, you can specify various optimization constraints and business rules. For example, the Maximum Number of Routes/Vehicles, Maximum Route Duration, Maximum Pieces, Weight, Volume, Revenue per Route, etc. Additionally, learn more about Route4Me’s Route Optimization Constraints. After that, specify the rest of the preferred route settings, such as the scheduled start date, assigned driver and assigned vehicle, departure address, etc.

Depending on the number of selected orders and optimization settings, Route4Me optimizes the most optimal number of routes. When the system optimizes a single route, this route is opened in Route4Me’s Route Editor. When the system optimizes multiple routes, they are opened on Route4Me’s Routes Map where you can simultaneously view and manage multiple routes.

Accordingly, each selected order is used as a route stop. Specifically, the order’s address is used as the route stop address, and the order’s details (barcode, customer info, etc.) are attached to this stop.

Dispatch Order Delivery Routes to Route4Me’s Driver Mobile App

Furthermore, you can dispatch optimized routes to drivers and vehicles. When using Optimization Profiles, routes are automatically dispatched to the driver and vehicle specified in the used profile. To manually dispatch a route to a driver, assign the preferred user to the given route. Similarly, to manually dispatch a route to a vehicle, assign the preferred vehicle to the route.

Accordingly, when a user is assigned to the route, this user can open and complete this route using Route4Me’s Mobile Driver App. As drivers complete their routes, the orders on those routes will change their status accordingly in real-time. For example, when orders are loaded on the route, the route is started, when orders are unloaded, etc.

Track Order Delivery Route Progress and Order Statuses

To track the status of the orders included into planned routes, select the “In Progress” View Mode in your Orders List. Next, select the respective date or date range in the “Scheduled for Date” calendar. After that, the system will show the number of routed orders for each date within the selected date range. Specifically, each line represents a date, and the “Routed” column shows how many orders scheduled for this date are included into planned routes. To open the orders in the routes scheduled for a specific date, click on the arrow icon on that date.

Next, make sure that the orders are filtered by the “In Progress” View Mode and the respective date. In the “In Progress” View Mode, you can view orders with the following statuses: Loaded, Manually Loaded, Routed, and Sorted by Route. Additionally, you can learn more about Route4Me’s Delivery System Order Statuses.

Accordingly, as orders are loaded on routes, delivered, and completed, they change their status in real-time. Specifically, once an order is included into a route, the route is dispatched to the driver. Next, the driver can use Route4Me’s Android Route Planning App or iPhone Route Planning App to load the order on the route, deliver, and unload the order. As the driver updates the order’s status using the mobile app, the route progress and the order status is automatically updated in your Orders List in real-time. When the order is successfully completed, it is assigned the “Done” status. Additionally, learn more about Route4Me’s Delivery System Order Statuses and Order Lifecycle.