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O perating a vehicle fleet involves several challenges that service organisations must track and manage to ensure efficiency and safety, and generate sustainable revenue. Modern challenges include fuel costs, CO2 emissions, and skills retention. On top of that, daily vehicle checklists include restocking and refuelling – and for most fleet operators, this unavoidable time can weigh into critical productivity hours.

Integrating technologies such as telematics, GPS tracking, and fleet management software brings its own rewards. Ensuring these technologies work seamlessly together is vital for effective fleet operations, yet these solutions satisfy only a half of the productivity opportunity.

Genuine resource optimisation requires real-time route optimisation.

DO I NEED ROUTE OPTIMISATION SOFTWARE?

Inflationary pressures are tightening budgets in recruitment, parts, and fuel expenses, making efficiency and productivity a critical focus across your fleet's field operations.

Operators with dynamic fleet requirements, and with numerous field operatives, find point-to-point route planning faces limitations. Unforeseen events like staff absences, appointment cancellations, or emergency deployments frequently disrupt plans throughout shifts. Effective management of fleet operations demands a solution that not only assists dispatchers to plan with transparency, but also allows for swift and adaptable reoptimisation to meet evolving situations. Dispatchers must have the ability to see why a routing decision has been made.

WHY DOES MY FLEET NEED ROUTE OPTIMISATION SOFTWARE?

Fleet management software includes features such as driver behavior and fuel monitoring, plus performance metrics and compliance reporting (such as driver working hours). Some of these fleet solutions also include rules-based allocation for scheduling and routing. These are generally lightweight, and do not produce the same results that an optimisation algorithm can generate.

For example, an optimisation algorithm considers a every level of cost, SLA, and KPI factors, right back to the initial work order and the dispatch. Without optimised scheduling, embedded route plans cannot be calculated for the best outcome.

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WHAT ARE THE FEATURES OF FLEET ROUTE OPTIMISATION SOLUTIONS?

Route optimisation software generally provides three pillars under one solution. Dynamic, algorithm-based route planning can greatly reduce fuel costs, emissions, and wasted time for a significant increase in completed orders per driver per day. Whether the dispatch, in-day field service management, or reporting and audit, ultimately, it is the control and balance of resources. Whilst not exhaustive, this list should provide a checklist of the most in-demand software features:

PILLAR 1

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OPTIMISED DISPATCHING

Automated Dispatch Management - Dispatchers are tasked with distributing orders and appointments optimally among the available resources (drivers or vehicles) during planning, whether for the day or further into the week. The software handles orders and assignments in the most efficient way, ensuring a high level of customer service and field service value.

The fleet dispatch software considers all constraints and organises orders with routes to enhance customer and employee satisfaction. It strikes the right balance between costs and benefits, maximising the effectiveness of your field staff and service outcomes.

Route Optimisation - Dynamic routing is the term given when multiple intermediate appointments need to be reached at specific times within the shift. This is commonly encountered in field services such as technical orders, repairs, assembly, or timed deliveries. In such cases, the planning doesn't revolve around a single major destination but instead involves several customers and/or depots.

This distinction becomes crucial when considering route planning versus tour planning. Dynamic route planning typically involves grouping orders into tours and determining the sequence in which they should be approached. The driver and/or vehicle returns to a starting position after completing the final order in the tour. In contrast, a route usually denotes travel from a starting point to a specific destination, representing transport from point A to point B with little consideration of knock-on effects.

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Driver Management – Over and above working hours, digitalised scheduling calculates the estimated time required to realistically complete an order. Embedded driving routes are meticulously planned based on road types, vehicle specifications, and varying driving speeds across the different times of the day. All information is stored. Geocoded location data (beyond postcodes), provides fleet dispatchers with access to detailed location and parking information. Dispatchers can pull CRM/ERP data from tickets or previous site visits to mitigate lone worker risks, ensuring safety.

Compliance and Regulations Management – Only certified employees can be assigned to specific work orders. Safety instructions are directly communicated to field employees through a dedicated live app, facilitating two-way communication. Inventory items, including original/OEM parts and equipment are tracked with the ticket.

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