Plan Routes – Optimize Routes On The 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 addresses, use Optimization Profiles, schedule routes, and use different optimization types and custom route settings. You’ll also learn where and how you can manage planned routes with Route4Me.

Plan, sequence, schedule, and dispatch delivery driver, field service, and sales routes using Route4Me

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. Learn how to use the Feature Manager to customize your Route4Me Account.

 

Table of Contents

 

Quick Steps To Plan And Optimize Routes On Route4Me’s Web Platform

With Route4Me’s 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:

  1. Go to “Dynamic Routing” > “Plan New Route” in the Navigation Menu and select an address import method.
  2. Select a ready-to-use Optimization Profile or manually configure Route Settings.
  3. Add your addresses for Address Verification and Geocoding using the previously selected method.
  4. Check your automatically geocoded addresses on the map and click one button to optimize routes according to your preferences.

Route4Me will automatically plan and optimize the most optimal number of efficient routes based on the specified settings.

Click To Plan A New Route

Route4Me Routes Page with planned routes in different stages of completion showing a Routes Map and Routes Timeline with Destinations that have multiple different statuses.

NOTE: Some countries and regions may have limited commercial truck routing possibilities. Before planning commercial routes in such areas, see where Route4Me provides commercial navigation for truck-safe routing.

 

Add Route Addresses Using Spreadsheets, Cloud Drive, Interactive Map

To plan a new route, go to “Dynamic Routing” > “Plan New Route” in the Navigation Menu. Next, you can select your 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.

Upload spreadsheets with addresses, import addresses from cloud drives, enter addresses, or pick addresses from the map to plan last mile routes.

Address Import Methods

2 columns · 5 rows

 

Customize Route Settings, Schedule, Optimization, Drivers And Vehicles

After selecting a method for adding addresses, you can specify optimization settings. In detail, you can select a ready-to-use Optimization Profile with predefined settings or click “Skip” and manually customize route and optimization settings.

To use an Optimization Profile, simply select a profile and click the “Continue” button to proceed to adding addresses. Additionally, you can learn more about creating and using Route4Me Optimization Profiles.

Select a custom Route Optimization Profile to automatically plan and optimize routes with predefined route settings.

 

When you skip selecting an Optimization Profile, you can manually schedule your routes, assign Users and assign Vehicles to routes, select where the routes will start and end, etc. Additionally, you can use Route4Me Business Rules and Optimization Constraints to customize your route optimization.

Below, you can learn more about the available manual route optimization settings categories.

Route Settings drawer with all setting categories collapsed in the left-hand list and the General category open on the right.

NOTE: Depending on the features, add-ons, and configurations enabled on your account, you may have different settings available. To enable additional features and settings for your account, use the Feature Manager or contact Route4Me Support.

Route Settings Reference Table

3 columns · 28 rows

 

Route Settings (Classic) – Configure Routes In The Classic Interface

If you don’t have access to the updated Route Settings interface, you’ll see the classic settings window instead. See the table below for a full list of its corresponding route optimization parameters.

NOTE: Get in touch with Route4Me Support if you need access to the new Route Settings UI.

Customize route settings, optimization type, departure address, route scheduled start time, business rules, optimization constraints, and more.

Route Optimization Settings

2 columns · 30 rows

 

Verify Imported Route Data And Geocode Addresses On The Map

After configuring Route Settings, you can proceed to review and verify addresses. When using spreadsheets, you can add additional data to Destinations like Time Windows, Order details, customer information, etc. Accordingly, your trusted route planner will automatically validate and match column headers from your spreadsheet to the corresponding system values.

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.

Route4Me automatically verifies addresses and route data such as order details, Time Windows, customer information, and more.

 

Then, your best route planning software will automatically geocode and validate addresses. You can review them directly on the map. Addresses marked in green are geocoded with high confidence, and addresses marked in yellow require review.

After adding and reviewing addresses, click “Finish Import” to plan and optimize routes based on your settings.

Automatically geocode and autocorrect route addresses using the interactive map.

 

Manage Planned Routes – Route Editor, Routes Map And Routes List

Planning routes automatically creates a unique Optimization linked to them, saved to your account’s Optimizations Page. When the system finishes optimizing one or more routes, it automatically opens the corresponding Optimization Snapshot.

A Route4Me Optimization is a unique, automatically generated record created when you plan routes that stores the their parameters, settings, and linked destination data.

Finished route optimization snapshot showing the planned route and its associated optimizaiton parameters.

 

After that, you can easily manage planned routes using the Routes Page. Route4Me automatically saves routes to your Routes Page which is your primary tool for opening, viewing, and managing planned routes.

In detail, you can edit routes, track route progress in real-time, check destination and order statuses, reschedule routes, dispatch routes to Users and Fleet Vehicles, etc. Learn more about Route4Me Route Management.

Route4Me Routes Page with planned routes in different stages of completion showing a Routes Map and Routes Timeline with Destinations that have multiple different statuses.

 

For more in-depth management of individual routes, destinations, and addresses, you can use the Route Editor.

It enables you to check route progress and KPIs, change optimization settings, synchronize route changes with our mobile driver apps, etc. Learn more about Route4Me’s Route Editor Route Management.

Open and manage individual planned and optimized last mile routes in Route4Me

 

 

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About author: Kristian Andreev

Kristian AndreevKristian is a Technical Writer at Route4Me. With over a decade of experience in writing and localization, he's an expert at communicating complex technical data in a clear, concise, and user-friendly way. Passionate about bridging the gap between engineers and users, he specializes in creating documentation to streamline onboarding, enhance product usability, and support global teams on the path to success.

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About Route4Me

Route4Me has over 40,000 customers globally. Route4Me's Android and iPhone mobile apps have been downloaded over 2 million times since 2009. Extremely easy-to-use, Route4Me's apps create optimized routes, synchronize routes to mobile devices, enable communication with drivers and customers, offer turn-by-turn directions, delivery confirmation, and more. Behind the scenes, Route4Me's operational optimization platform combines high-performance algorithms with data science, machine learning, and big data to plan, optimize, and analyze routes of almost any size in real-time.