IMC Grupo

Why Good Route Planners Are Crucial in Last-Mile Delivery

Consumer demands are changing rapidly in the current digital times. Unlike a few years back, customers have now shifted to online shopping and want fast and flexible delivery with every purchase. 

As such, businesses that offer delivery services have every reason to streamline operations with route planning solutions. Not only does this make it easy to handle last-mile deliveries, but it makes it possible to meet customer needs. 

But these are not the only things a route planner can do. Here’s more!

Lowers The Cost of Doing Business

Good route planner solutions help you identify unexpected traffic snarl ups or anything else that may disrupt your day-to-day delivery operations. That way, delivery drivers can use the most cost-effective routes in terms of distance. This, in turn, translates to low fuel consumption and more deliveries, which ultimately lowers the cost of doing business. 

The low cost of doing business means that your company has a more considerable profit margin and can afford to give your customers a fair deal keeping you ahead of your competition.

Helps in Settling Customer Disputes

Customer complaints are not unlikely in the delivery business. When they happen, you will need to prove that the delivery was actually done. That’s where the need to invest in the right free route planner available comes in. 

Well-developed route planners feature technologies that allow an e-signature or other electronic proof of delivery. Once a delivery is made, a customer signs electronically to confirm receipt of their item. The result? You’ll be able to prove that every order is delivered safely and verifiable in case of a dispute. 

Improves Customer Satisfaction

Today’s customer is spoilt for choice and only goes for quality and outstanding customer experience. And for that reason, customer satisfaction should be a priority for every delivery company keen on staying relevant. 

A good route planner helps you meet customers’ unpredictable needs, such as last-minute requests and specific delivery time windows. With faster, timely, efficient shipments, your customers will be happier, meaning they will likely come back and possibly refer others.

Route Planners Make It Easy to Monitor Drivers Conduct

Most employees tend to underperform when left unsupervised. Having a good route planner in place ensures that you track and monitor your drivers at all times. As a result, you will reduce or eliminate unprofessional conduct such as running personal errands while on duty or any other that could be costing your business money.

Drivers will also avoid poor driving habits such as over speeding, rash acceleration, and harsh braking other known to impact the cost of doing business.

Helps Modify Routes in Real-Time

Sometimes customers could have a change of mind midway in terms of delivery time or location. Such a situation can be very inconvenient when doing your route planning manually. However, with a reliable route planner solution, re-routing is real-time and reflects on your delivery driver’s mobile app immediately.

Enhancing Personnel and Vehicle Optimization

When your clientele grows, you will most likely want to increase your fleet to handle the growing orders, especially if you do route planning manually. However, that might not be a viable business idea considering you want to rake it in. 

On the other hand, using a route planner helps you optimize your routes, thus doing more work per driver, even when you have lots of deliveries. Therefore, investing in a route planner is critical if you’re a growth-oriented delivery business owner.

Wrapping Up

The world is rapidly changing, and your business should adapt to the changes. With consumer expectations rising by the day, every e-commerce business owner must stay up to speed with the latest business trends. Thanks to technology, you can incorporate revolutionary solutions such as route planners into your business model.