Plan Routes – Optimize Routes On Route4Me Web Platform
With Route4Me, you can easily plan and optimize the most optimal, efficient, profitable, and sustainable multi-address routes. In this guide, you can learn how to plan and optimize routes using Route4Me’s fastest route planning software. Specifically, add, upload, and import route addresses, use Optimization Profiles, schedule routes, and set custom route settings and available optimization types. Additionally, you can learn how to manage planned routes and dispatch routes to drivers and vehicles with the best route dispatch software.
NOTE: Depending on the add-ons and modules enabled on your Route4Me Route Planning Solution account, you will have the respective set of available features and capabilities.
Additionally, you can learn how to Use the Feature Manager to Customize Your Route4Me Route Planning Software Account.
Table of Contents
Quick Steps To Plan And Optimize Routes On Route4Me’s Web Platform
With Route4Me’s best route optimization software, the entire route planning and sequencing process is extremely fast and easy. Follow these steps to plan and sequence profitable and efficient routes using Route4Me’s Business Route Planner Software:
- Go to “Routes” and then “Plan New Route” in the main menu and select the preferred method for adding route addresses.
- Next, you can select a ready-to-use Optimization Profile or set up custom route and optimization settings.
- After that, you can add your addresses using the previously selected method, i.e., upload a spreadsheet with addresses, pick addresses on the interactive map, import addresses from a could drive, etc.
- Finally, check your automatically geocoded, validated, and autocorrected addresses on the map.
Route4Me will automatically plan and optimize the most optimal number of efficient routes based on the specified settings. Further, you can learn more about these route planning steps in detail.
Add Route Addresses Using Spreadsheets, Cloud Drive, Interactive Map
To plan a new route, go to “Routes” and then “Plan New Route” in the main menu. Next, you can select the preferred method for adding your route addresses. For your convenience, Route4Me supports multiple methods for uploading, importing, and adding addresses. Below, you can learn more about the available methods for adding route addresses.
| Options | Description |
|---|---|
| Interactive Map Editor | Pick addresses or exact location coordinates (latitude and longitude) on the interactive map and add them to your routes. Accordingly, Route4Me automatically geocodes locations and validates addresses picked from the map. |
| Copy and Paste | Copy and paste a list of addresses into Route4Me’s route mapping software. Route4Me will automatically geocode and validate the pasted addresses. |
| Upload a File | Upload a CSV, XLS, or XLSX spreadsheet with addresses from your computer or device. Route4Me will automatically detect and validate addresses in the uploaded spreadsheet. In addition to addresses, you can add to your spreadsheets such data as order details, customer information, Time Windows, etc. |
| Import Data | Import a CSV, XLS, or XLSX spreadsheet with addresses from a cloud storage or cloud drive. For example, you can upload spreadsheets from Google Drive, Dropbox, or Box. |
| Upload Scan(s) | Upload a scan with your addresses, and Route4Me will automatically detect, geocode, and validate your addresses. |
Customize Route Settings, Schedule, Optimization, Drivers And Vehicles
After selecting the preferred method for adding addresses, you can specify the preferred route and optimization settings. In detail, you can select a ready-to-use Optimization Profile with predefined settings. Alternatively, you can skip selecting a profile and manually customize your route and optimization settings.
To use an Optimization Profile, simply select the preferred profile and then click the “Continue” button to proceed to add addresses. Additionally, you can learn more about Creating and Using Route4Me’s Optimization Profiles.
Alternatively, click the “Skip” button to customize your route and optimization settings manually.
Next, you can specify custom route and optimization settings that best fit your unique routing requirements and business needs. Accordingly, you can schedule your routes, assign drivers and vehicles to routes, select where the routes will start and end, etc. Additionally, you can use Route4Me’s Business Rules and Optimization Constraints to customize your route optimization.
Below, you can learn more about the available route and optimization settings.
| Tabs | Available Settings |
|---|---|
| Name | Name your routes. You can then search for routes by name in the Routes List and Routes Map. |
| Departure | Enter the address from which your planned routes will start. Accordingly, round-trip routes will start and end at the same Departure Address. Equally important, if you leave this field empty, your routes will start from the first address you added or uploaded in a spreadsheet. |
| Schedule | Schedule your routes to start at the preferred date and time. Additionally, you can specify the custom Route Service Time and enable the Dynamic Route Start Time. Furthermore, you can adjust custom Service Time Slowdown that extends the Service Time of each route stop by the specified percentage. Similarly, you can adjust Travel Time Slowdown that extends the Total Route Travel Time by the specified percentage. For example, you can use the Service Time and Travel Time Slowdowns to account for heavy traffic, time of day, extreme weather conditions, etc. |
| Sharing | Share a public link to planned routes via email. Accordingly, recipients can use a public route link to open and view the shared route without the ability to edit or manage the shared route. |
| Optimization | Specify custom route optimization settings. Accordingly, depending on your account’s enabled add-ons and configurations, you will have the respective multi-stop route planning software settings available. Further, you can learn more in detail about optimization types, constraints, settings, etc. |
| Driver Breaks | Enable and customize Driver Breaks settings. Accordingly, Route4Me will automatically insert driver break stops into planned and optimized routes based on the specified settings. |
| Avoidance Zones | Select and use custom Avoidance Zones. Accordingly, planned and optimized routes will not include addresses located within the selected Avoidance Zones. |
| Directions | Select the preferred travel mode for driving, walking, or bicycling. |
| Turn Restrictions | Enable or disable the preferred turn avoidance settings. Specifically, you can avoid right turns on planned routes and avoid left turns on planned routes. |
| User | Select the preferred driver or user the routes will be dispatched to once planned. Similarly, you can select the preferred GPS vehicle the routes will be dispatched to once they are planned. |
In the “Optimization” tab, you can select, add, and enable the preferred optimization type, Optimization Constraints, Business Rules, and advanced route optimization features and settings. NOTE: Depending on the features, add-ons, and advanced configurations enabled on your account, you will have the respective settings available. To enable additional route optimization features and settings for your account, you can Use the Feature Manager or Contact the Route4Me Support Team.
Below, you can learn more about the available route optimization settings.
| Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Optimization Type | The Single Driver Route Optimization plans a single route with all added and imported addresses for a single driver or vehicle. Accordingly, the Multiple Drivers Route Optimization plans the most optimal number of routes based on the specificed Optimization Constraints, Business Rules, and other settings. Additionally, you can use the “Disable Optimization” option to disable optimization and plan a route with the exact same address sequence that was added or uploaded in a spreadsheet. |
| Stop Distribution | Plan and optimize a specific number of balanced routes with the same distance, duration, or number of stops per route. To do so, enable the “Plan Specific Number of Balanced Routes” setting and then select the preferred route balancing option. Next, specify the preferred number of routes you want to plan in the “Maximum Number of Routes/Vehicles” field. |
| Minimize Routes | Optimize the most optimal number of routes based on the specified Business Rules, Constraints, and other settings. First, enable the “Minimize Number of Routes/Vehicles” option and then specify the maximum number of routes to be optimized in the “Maximum Number of Routes/Vehicles” field. After that, you can customize other route optimization settings. |
| Business Rules | Specify custom Business Rules and Optimization Constraints based on your unique routing requirements, vehicle capacity, and business needs: Max Route Duration, Max Route Distance, Max Number of Stops per Route, Max Weight per Route, Max Cube per Route, Max Revenue per Route, Max Pieces per Route, etc. |
| Ignore Time Windows | To disable and ignore all Time Windows in the uploaded spreadsheet, check the “Ignore Time Windows” checkbox. |
| Route End | Select where you want planned and optimized routes to end. Specifically, the “End Route at Any Address” option automatically ends optimized routes at the most optimal address. Accordingly, the “End Route at Departure Address (Round Trip)” option starts and ends optimized routes at the same address (depot). Equally important, the “End Route at Last Address” option (for Single Driver Route Optimization only) ends the planned route at the last added address or the last address in the uploaded spreadsheet. |
Additionally, you can use the following advanced logistics route planning software features:
| Settings | Description |
|---|---|
| Mixed Fleet | Optimize the most optimal number of routes for vehicles with different capacities, maximizing the capacity of each vehicle. First, check the “Enable Mixed Fleet Vehicles” checkbox. Next, select the preferred vehicles with a preview of their respective Vehicle Capacity Profiles. |
| Advanced Optimization Fine-Tuning | Customize the Optimization Fine-Tuning settings to prioritize shorter Route Distance, Travel Time, or Waiting Time. Accordingly, you can select the preferred prioritization percentage for each available option. |
Verify Imported Route Data And Geocode Addresses On Map
Next, after specifying your route and optimization settings, you can proceed to review and verify addresses. Equally important, when you upload or import spreadsheets, you can add additional data to your route stops. For example, Time Windows, order details, customer information, etc. Accordingly, the trusted route planner will automatically verify, validate, and match column names in the header of your spreadsheet to entities and attributes in the system.
Furthermore, you can manually match data columns from the uploaded spreadsheet to the system’s reserved entities and attributes. Additionally, learn more about Route4Me’s Spreadsheets Formatting Requirements.
After that, Route4Me’s best route planning software will automatically geocode and validate the added and uploaded addresses. Next, you can review the geocoded addresses on the address routing map. Accordingly, addresses with a green marker are geocoded with high confidence, and addresses with a yellow marker require review.
After adding and reviewing your addresses, you can plan and optimize your routes based on the previously specified settings.
Manage Planned Routes – Route Editor, Routes Map And Routes List
Accordingly, Route4Me will automatically plan and optimize one or multiple optimal routes based on your specified settings. After that, you can easily manage your planned routes using Route4Me’s Route Editor, Routes Map, and Routes List.
When Route4Me’s Enterprise Route Optimization Software plans a single route, it is automatically opened in the Route Editor. Route4Me’s Route Editor is the primary tool for opening, viewing, and managing individual planned routes. You can use the Route Editor to manage stops and addresses, check route progress and KPIs, change optimization settings, synchronize route changes with mobile driver apps, and more. Additionally, learn more about Route4Me’s Route Editor Route Management.
Equally important, when you plan multiple routes, Route4Me’s enterprise route management software automatically opens them in the Routes Map. There, you can simultaneously view and manage multiple routes on the same interactive map. In detail, you can compare routes, check route start times, move stops between routes, track route progress in real-time, track multiple drivers and vehicles on the map, and more. Additionally, learn more about Route4Me’s Routes Map Route Management.
Furthermore, Route4Me will automatically save planned routes in your Routes List. Your Route4Me Routes List is the best route management software database where you can store and easily manage hundreds of thousands of optimized routes. In detail, you can edit routes, track route progress in real-time, check stop and order statuses, reschedule routes, dispatch routes to drivers and GPS vehicles, and more. Additionally, learn more about Route4Me’s Routes List Route Management.
Dispatch Planned And Scheduled Routes To Drivers And GPS Vehicles
Also, Route4Me delivers seamless and continuous real-time route synchronization across the Route4Me Mobile Driver App and trusted Delivery Routing Software. In detail, field teams and drivers can use Route4Me’s Android Route Planner and iOS Route Planner mobile apps to open and navigate dispatched routes, add stop statuses, attach proof of visit and delivery, etc. Route4Me automatically synchronizes any changes across every connected account, device, app, and route planning website in real-time.
To dispatch a route to a driver or user, simply assign the user to the preferred route. After that, the route will become available on the user’s account in real-time. After that, the driver or user can open, start, navigate, and complete the route using the mobile app. Similarly, to dispatch a route to a GPS vehicle, assign the vehicle to the preferred route. Accordingly, you can then track the user and vehicle assigned to the route on the interactive map in real-time.
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