Nov 11
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The RouteOptimiser.com interface has had a major facelift over the past few months, adding plenty of new features along the way (the implementation of Google Maps being a personal favourite). The aim of this was to make the service more intuitive and attractive to use for the lower-volume Route Optimiser user.
This has been achieved by implementing major features, such as adding waypoints by finding them on a map, to minor features, like being able to colour-code your depots and vehicles.
The feedback we’ve had so far suggests that these changes have improved the service significantly.
Although this tool is of great benefit to the ‘man with a van’, some larger organisations have expressed an interest in integrating the service into their own application. Some systems integrators have also come to us to enquire about adding Route Optimiser as a feature of their own offering that they are providing to their clients. This is why our development team have published a whole pallet of APIs to make this possible.
As well as being a more attractive option for those with more complicated route optimisation requirements, there are a number of features which are exclusive to the API. To name a few:
Dynamic Scheduling: You’ve already optimised your route, but halfway through the day you get more orders that you would like to send out that day. Previously you would have to optimise a brand new route, but now you can dynamically add new waypoints into a route that has already been optimised. Not only does this make things more flexible, but it also cheaper for those who use the credit pack licensing option as the eight-credit charge for optimising a new route wouldn’t apply.
Speed Profiles: A particularly popular feature which contains information on the average speed on particular roads around the UK. For example, the average speed of a road during rush hour is usually several mph lower than at 3pm in the afternoon. The optimiser knows which roads to avoid at particular times of day, and will calculate its route accordingly.
Vehicle Tracking: By using our ‘log’ APIs, you are able to find what time your vehicles start and finish their routes, as well as when they arrive at each delivery point. You are also able to log the geographic position of a vehicle while they are on the road. These APIs are perhaps most effective when used in collaboration with dynamic scheduling, and are most popular with larger courier companies who need to keep track of their drivers to make sure they are on the road, and not enjoying an extended lunch break!
Integrations: As well as working on these new web services we have also been beavering away at some ready-made integrations into existing platforms, such as Salesforce. One particular feature within the imminent release is a prospect heat-map. If you’re a travelling salesman meeting a number of leads from within your Salesforce CRM, you can optimise the visits and we will tell you which other leads are within a certain radius, giving you the option of adding them to your day’s visits. Affectionately christened in the office as the ‘Route Op Sausage’, this is a feature that we are particularly excited about, and think will add an extra dimension to users of our Salesforce app.
To conclude, if the Route Optimiser.com website doesn’t quite meet your needs then our versatile web service platform may well have the answer to your routing problems. If you have any bespoke needs then please let us know – we’d be very interested to hear your thoughts!
