Route Optimization is the process of determining the most efficient route on which a vehicle can travel to get to a series of points. Although the distance between each point is important, it is not the only factor. Other considerations include the number of stops and turns along a given path, traffic conditions (which can vary based on time of day), speed limits, road restrictions, and the availability of both drivers and vehicles in relation to the route’s starting point. Additional factors can come into play depending on the materials being delivered. For example, the transportation of hazardous materials includes certain legal requirements that must be satisfied before a vehicle can ever leave the warehouse.
With bcFood, it is possible to plan, schedule, manage, and reconcile your delivery activities from within your Dynamics solution. This functionality is built upon Microsoft’s Truck Routing API, which is designed for professional transportation routing logistics. This API makes it easy to generate delivery route instructions based on up-to-the-minute information regarding truck attributes, road restrictions, legal requirements, traffic considerations, and road conditions. By integrating the extensive capabilities of this API with the rest of your Dynamics environment, you have the ability to plan the safest, most efficient routes for your delivery vehicles, save time and money, and gain a comprehensive level of inventory management.
Route Planning
If you want to get the most out of your delivery vehicles, the route planning features in bcFood make it easy for you to optimize your outbound shipments. Maintained entirely within Dynamics, this functionality gives you a clear picture of your inventory, even after it has left your locations on route to the customer.
Shipment Scheduling – consolidate picked and completed customer orders onto delivery trucks, which can then be scheduled for departure according to availability, capacity, and other factors.
Online Mapping – automatically generate optimized routes based on delivery addresses using Bing Maps.
Mobile Truck Loading – integrate your scheduled shipments with bcMobile’s mobile shipping transaction and record your truck loading activities in real-time.
Usage scenario
Load your trucks according to the scheduled destinations for your outbound shipments, then build an optimized route based on the delivery addresses.
While a truck may travel the same delivery route every day, the individual stops will change, as will external factors such as road conditions and traffic patterns. The shipment planning functionality in bcFood accurately reflects the dynamic reality of delivery management.”
Kirk Southcott, Beck Consulting.