What is a routing software?

A routing software (or a route optimization software) is an optimization tool that assists and enables route planning operations. This essentially plans the number and type of vehicles required to deliver a certain number of orders and the path to be taken by each vehicle in its journey.

How does a route planning software work?

A route optimization software accepts daily planning-related data like order details, location details, fleet details and volumetric data, among others, along with operational constraints like traffic, time windows, skills and resources pre-configured into it to suggest the most efficient way to successfully execute the deliveries or pickups

What to look for in an optimization software?

Ability to accept operational dynamism Flexibility in accepting complex business constraints Efficiency in configuring the business constraints Additionally, it's not just the most optimal route but the most optimal operationally executable route that matters.

What is route scheduling?

Route Scheduling is the process of assigning time slots for deliveries as well as synchronizing it with the availability of both delivery vehicles and customers. This could be a single-day or a multi-day affair. In some systems, route scheduling is interchangeably used for route generation and planning.

How do I map a route with multiple stops?

A route with multiple stops may be mapped using several parameters which may depend on both customer constraints as well as fleet capability. These parameters can be customer time slots, vehicle capacities, traffic conditions, etc. The final outcome depends on what the delivery operation chooses to prioritize.

Why is route planning important?

Routing or route planning is a crucial process of logistics systems, especially due to the high competition and narrowing margins in the global market. Additionaly, the increasing dynamic nature of demand with the customer becoming a part of the supply chain, has made it imperative for supply chain systems to be adaptive, transparent and more efficient.

What are the basic routing techniques?

Basic outing techinques involve solving of one or more of the following problems, in conjucntion, depending upon the business use case : Travelling salesman problem, Vehicle Routing Problem(constraints: capacity, resources, drops and pickups, time window), Knapsacking Problem

Is there an app for delivery drivers?

Yes, we have a custom-made application called 'Locus On the Road' for delivery drivers. This is available on both Android and iOS platforms.

What are the different routing algorithms?

Route planning algorithms can be categorised into- Optimal Algorithms Heuristic Algorithms Hybrid Algorithms

How can Locus Route planning help measure fuel consumption?

Fuel consumption is a factor of distance travelled. Locus finds the most optimal route between a given set of points, hence the delta distance between static and locus plans can give a percentage indicator of fuel consumption savings. Additionally, Locus can take into account several factors like vehiocle Ageing, mileage, fixed and variable costs and come up with proxy metrics to approximate fuel consumption.

Can Locus route optimization help with driver training?

Although Locus does not directly help with driver training, our mobile app enables drivers organize their delivery schedules and keeps them updated on any potential breaches. The app will soon come equipped with guided tours, which will enable drivers get a quick grasp of the app.

Will/ Does Locus Dispatcher help see vehicle and driver movements in real-time?

Yes, you can track your fleet's movements in real time using Locus MotionTrack

Can Locus route planning help reduce car insurance premiums?

No. Unfortunately this is beyond the scope of Locus' present capabilities

Can I integrate my existing telematics solution with the Locus LOTR app?

Yes. We can integrate your existing telematics solution, order management system to the LOTR app, using REST APIs.

I don’t have any route planning needs. Can I just use Locus Geocoding Solutions?

Locus Geocodes is currently not available as a stand-alone product.

Can I use the LOTR app on both Android and iOS?

LOTR apps supports both iOS and Android

Will my data be lost, if the driver loses internet connection?

No. Our LOTR app stores the data offline and updates it when your driver gets internet connection.

Can I use Locus' LOTR app to control vehicle speeding by drivers?

No. At the moment the LOTR app helps in tracking the riders, capturing proof of delivery and organising the pickup for various tasks. Over speeding-based alerts are a part of the Locus product roadmap.

Is the Locus app available only in English?

No. The Locus app can support multiple languages. At the moment we support 16 languages, which includes English, Spanish, Hindi, French, Arabic, Thai, Vietnamese and Bahasa.

Does the Locus LOTR app eat up a lot of cellphone data?

The Locus LOTR app uses data to collect GPS and other order related updates, which are then pushed to the Locus MotionTrack screen. The data consumption is also dependant on the usage of mapping and navigation services.

Does the Locus Route planning & scheduling software have a trial version?

No, but we do offer simulations of our potential customer's logistics operations through the Locus Route Planner

Can I use Locus' delivery route planning for pickups, sales calls, and service stops?

Yes. Locus offers several products that cater to a variety of use cases including, but not limited to, sales beat optimization, on-demand delivery and logistics optimization.

I run a seasonal business. Do I need to pay Locus for the whole year?

No. Our payment structure is flexible and affordable for all types of businesses.

How many routes can I optimize each month?

Locus is capable of optimizing multiple routes at the same time and there is no upper cap on the number of routes you can optimize each month. The number of sites/hubs or customer touch points that can be optimized will be covered under your billing plan.

Can the Locus routing software send alerts to my customers when a field rep is close to them?

Yes. This is a paid service. The mode of communication is SMS.

How secure is Locus? Will my data be safe with you?

All our data is stored on the cloud, powered by AWS servers, with industry-grade security. Locus is an ISO 27001:2013 and BS10012 certified company. These are international standards for information security and data privacy.

How do you determine the optimal route?

Our algorithm solves the Travelling Salesman Problem for a route, which results in the best possible optimization of both cost and distance.

Can I restrict the number of hours my drivers can work in a day, while I am planning the route?

Yes. Locus gives you the option to assign the operating hours for drivers. You can also factor in their breaks.

I know that I can optimize routes by time and distance, but what about weight or capacity constraints?

Yes, Locus can consider weight, volume and other entities like product dimensions to generate optimal route plans.

Can I plan an optimized route by entering or uploading an exact list of geo-coordinates?

Yes, Locus has a Properitry Geocoding engine which can capture geo-coordinates accurately and helps you map addresses even if its wrong/incomplete, with a high precision

What types of routing restrictions and constraints do you support?

Locus Dispatcher is designed to handle every major constraint that any logistics operation may demand. We also have an extraordinary Solutions Team that has been able to model 100% of all our customer's organizational and operational constraints. We are also capable of handling a variety of route restrictions by default, including, but not limited to, area- based constraints, vehicle constraints, customer constraints and SKU-based constraints.

Does the Locus route optimization software work across geographies?

We have clients across five continents using our products.

Can I use Locus' fleet routing software if I have a large fleet of vehicles, with multiple warehouses and thousands of customers?

Yes. Locus Dispatcher is most effective at scale and is capable of handling several thousand orders across geographies, fleets and scenarios.

Is Locus GDPR compliant?

Locus complies with the international standards for the protection of customer data. We are in the process of being 100% GDPR compliant.

Which are the problems that can be addressed by route optimization software?

Locus' software focuses on KPIs like distance reduction, travel time reduction, reduced SLA breaches, efficient resource management, alongside handling any client- specific / region-specific constraints like route restrictions, traffic, vehicle restrictions and time slots.

Can I manually change planned routes?

Yes. You can also reallocate tasks in the routes.

Which industries can benefit from using the Locus routing system?

Any industry that relies on logistics services to fulfil its product or service promises will benefit from the Locus routing system.

Can Locus replace my existing TMS? Is Locus a TMS?

Locus is primarily a logistics optimization engine. Many TMS features like master file management, cost contract management, location and SKU databases are already present in Locus and we will be incorporating other functionalities soon. Locus aims to be a fully functional TMS in the near future.

Dispatcher - Best Route Planning Software

Schedule a Demo

Increase in efficiency and productivity gains using Locus Route Optimization Algorithm

25 %

Increase in efficiency and productivity gains

Increase in order deliveries using Locus Route Optimization Algorithm

45 %

Increase in order deliveries

Increase in SLA compliance using Locus Route Optimization Algorithm

8 %

Increase in SLA compliance

Key Features

Automate your delivery route planning and grow your business. Here are Locus Dispatcher Features:

LOCUS EXCLUSIVE

Autonomous vs Supervised Route Optimization
AI-backed route planning that has a negligible dependency on human intelligence.
Intelligent clubbing of Orders
Allocation based on order priority including provisions that can't be transported together
Locus' Proprietary Geocoding Engine
Distills and converts even the most ambiguous of addresses into precise geographic coordinates.
Schedule + On-demand Dispatch Planning
Optimal handling of on-demand orders along with scheduled orders with rerouting on the go.
Proprietary Vehicle Allocation Engine
Automated recommendation on the best suited vehicles based on traffic, shipment, volume, vehicle type, stop durations,delivery times and more.

FRESHLY BREWED

Cost Based Route Optimization
Delivery Route plans that consider 18+ cost variables and multiple real-life constraints for cost efficiency.
Optimal Fleet Mix
Incorporation of customer preferences & operational constraints with a buffer for fluctuating business demands.
Smart Rider Allocation
Locus takes preferences and skills of existing riders into consideration while creating dynamic route plans in consideration with real-life factors like lunch breaks, driver sick days, and tight time windows.
Predictive Alerts
Issues live alerts in case of deviation, unnecessary halts, exceeding break times or potential breach of plans thus reducing frauds in the system.
Automated Escalation Management
Higher authorities are automatically notified in case of any major contingencies.

STANDARD FEATURES

Electronic Proof of Delivery
Capture customer signature, product image or pin-code at the point of sale/service/delivery for authentication.
Route Tracking Mobile App
Order info, dynamic route plans, route schedules, and navigation in one easy-to-manage app i.e., Locus On The Road App (LOTR App) for faster communication.
Change Management
Locus provides you with a group of field experts who help your on-ground team transition to the Locus platform.
Rider Behavior Analysis And Recognition
Understand the compliance and the justification of the rider’s deviations from the planned route.
Alerts That Auto-resolve
Alerts like battery levels or internet connectivity are auto-rectified once the desired levels are reached.

THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE - (For Your Company)

Enhanced Customer Experience
Inform customers beforehand about potential delays with our predictive alerts and ETAs.
Enhanced Operational Efficiency
Delivery Routes Planned vs. Executed, live view, real-time and end-to-end performance tracking of all legs of the supply chain.
Increase First Attempt Delivery Rate
Save re-delivery costs involved in multiple deliveries, storage of packages and management personnel.
Save On Cost At Scale
Enable clubbing of forward and reverse logistics in a single route plan.
Transparency In Your Supply Chain
Real-time end-to-end performance tracking of fleet, rider & workforce with actionable and meaningful insights.

Locus On The Road

Locus On The Road is now available on both iOS and Android

Detailed & Easy-to-use UI

Hassle free task navigation, with customer details including accurate geocoded locations.

Electronic Proof of Delivery

Capture customer signature, product image, or QR code at the point of sale to authenticate your deliveries.

Reschedule & Cancel Orders

Easily reschedule or cancel orders, basis customer availability within the app, in just a few clicks.

Partial Pickup and Deliveries

Deliver and cancel a part of the order for enhanced customer experience and reduced logistics costs.

Detailed & Easy-to-use UI

Hassle free task navigation, with customer details including accurate geocoded locations.

Electronic Proof of Delivery

Capture customer signature, product image, or QR code at the point of sale to authenticate your deliveries.

Reschedule & Cancel Orders

Easily reschedule or cancel orders, basis customer availability within the app, in just a few clicks.

Partial Pickup and Deliveries

Deliver and cancel a part of the order for enhanced customer experience and reduced logistics costs.

Resources

INFOGRAPHIC

Introducing FADR

What is First Attempt Delivery Rate, and how does it affect your business? Learn in our latest infographic.

Whitepaper

Why Businesses need Route Optimization?

An in-depth look at how Route Optimization can help different industries. Route Optimization is the process of determining the most cost-effective route from point A to point B. However, it is not equivalent to finding the shortest distance between the two points. The best routes for a business will depend on a lot of different factors – where the customers are located, when they want to be serviced and which driver or vehicle is needed to do the job.

DOWNLOAD NOW

BLOG

Hitting The Road Running: Can An App Improve The Life Of The Delivery Executives?

Liam works for a major e-commerce firm in Chicago and delivers about 30-35 orders per day. The number goes up to 70 during peak seasons and festivals. However, in most cases for delivering 35 packages, Liam has to make over 50 trips to the given locations.

Videos

What our client have to say

Locus_Supply_Chain_Optimization_ClientTestimonial_Bigbasket

"Locus provides us with automated route plans in no time that ensure that customers get their orders on their preferred time slots. It also suggests the best fleet combination after considering real-world constraints like traffic conditions and route restrictions. Another benefit for us has been the increase in vehicle space utilization which has resulted in reduced freight costs. With Locus, we can tell our consumers about the ETA of their deliveries, enhance the overall customer experience and maintain an SLA adherence of 99.5%."

- Tejas Vyas Head of Product & Design at BigBasket

Our Clients

Schedule a Demo

Find out why Locus is right for your Business

Comments

By clicking submit, you are providing us with your consent to communicate via email or phone, regarding the demo you have requested.

I would also like to subscribe to the Exclusive Newsletters, Content & Event invitations and notifications by Locus in related areas. You can refer to our Privacy Policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a routing software?

A routing software (or a route optimization software) is an optimization tool that assists and enables route planning operations. This essentially plans the number and type of vehicles required to deliver a certain number of orders and the path to be taken by each vehicle in its journey.
How does a route planning software work?

A route optimization software accepts daily planning-related data like order details, location details, fleet details and volumetric data, among others, along with operational constraints like traffic, time windows, skills and resources pre-configured into it to suggest the most efficient way to successfully execute the deliveries or pickups
What to look for in an optimization software?
- Ability to accept operational dynamism
- Flexibility in accepting complex business constraints
- Efficiency in configuring the business constraints
Additionally, it's not just the most optimal route but the most optimal operationally executable route that matters.
What is route scheduling?

Route Scheduling is the process of assigning time slots for deliveries as well as synchronizing it with the availability of both delivery vehicles and customers. This could be a single-day or a multi-day affair. In some systems, route scheduling is interchangeably used for route generation and planning.
How do I map a route with multiple stops?

A route with multiple stops may be mapped using several parameters which may depend on both customer constraints as well as fleet capability. These parameters can be customer time slots, vehicle capacities, traffic conditions, etc. The final outcome depends on what the delivery operation chooses to prioritize.
Why is route planning important?

Routing or route planning is a crucial process of logistics systems, especially due to the high competition and narrowing margins in the global market. Additionaly, the increasing dynamic nature of demand with the customer becoming a part of the supply chain, has made it imperative for supply chain systems to be adaptive, transparent and more efficient.
What are the basic routing techniques?

Basic outing techinques involve solving of one or more of the following problems, in conjucntion, depending upon the business use case : Travelling salesman problem, Vehicle Routing Problem(constraints: capacity, resources, drops and pickups, time window), Knapsacking Problem
Is there an app for delivery drivers?

Yes, we have a custom-made application called 'Locus On the Road' for delivery drivers. This is available on both Android and iOS platforms.
What are the different routing algorithms?
Route planning algorithms can be categorised into-
- Optimal Algorithms
- Heuristic Algorithms
- Hybrid Algorithms
How can Locus Route planning help measure fuel consumption?

Fuel consumption is a factor of distance travelled. Locus finds the most optimal route between a given set of points, hence the delta distance between static and locus plans can give a percentage indicator of fuel consumption savings. Additionally, Locus can take into account several factors like vehiocle Ageing, mileage, fixed and variable costs and come up with proxy metrics to approximate fuel consumption.
Can Locus route optimization help with driver training?

Although Locus does not directly help with driver training, our mobile app enables drivers organize their delivery schedules and keeps them updated on any potential breaches. The app will soon come equipped with guided tours, which will enable drivers get a quick grasp of the app.
Will/ Does Locus Dispatcher help see vehicle and driver movements in real-time?

Yes, you can track your fleet's movements in real time using Locus MotionTrack
Can Locus route planning help reduce car insurance premiums?

No. Unfortunately this is beyond the scope of Locus' present capabilities
Can I integrate my existing telematics solution with the Locus LOTR app?

Yes. We can integrate your existing telematics solution, order management system to the LOTR app, using REST APIs.
I don’t have any route planning needs. Can I just use Locus Geocoding Solutions?

Locus Geocodes is currently not available as a stand-alone product.
Can I use the LOTR app on both Android and iOS?

LOTR apps supports both iOS and Android
Will my data be lost, if the driver loses internet connection?

No. Our LOTR app stores the data offline and updates it when your driver gets internet connection.
Can I use Locus' LOTR app to control vehicle speeding by drivers?

No. At the moment the LOTR app helps in tracking the riders, capturing proof of delivery and organising the pickup for various tasks. Over speeding-based alerts are a part of the Locus product roadmap.
Is the Locus app available only in English?

No. The Locus app can support multiple languages. At the moment we support 16 languages, which includes English, Spanish, Hindi, French, Arabic, Thai, Vietnamese and Bahasa.
Does the Locus LOTR app eat up a lot of cellphone data?

The Locus LOTR app uses data to collect GPS and other order related updates, which are then pushed to the Locus MotionTrack screen. The data consumption is also dependant on the usage of mapping and navigation services.
Does the Locus Route planning & scheduling software have a trial version?

No, but we do offer simulations of our potential customer's logistics operations through the Locus Route Planner

Can I use Locus' delivery route planning for pickups, sales calls, and service stops?

Yes. Locus offers several products that cater to a variety of use cases including, but not limited to, sales beat optimization, on-demand delivery and logistics optimization.
I run a seasonal business. Do I need to pay Locus for the whole year?

No. Our payment structure is flexible and affordable for all types of businesses.
How many routes can I optimize each month?

Locus is capable of optimizing multiple routes at the same time and there is no upper cap on the number of routes you can optimize each month. The number of sites/hubs or customer touch points that can be optimized will be covered under your billing plan.
Can the Locus routing software send alerts to my customers when a field rep is close to them?

Yes. This is a paid service. The mode of communication is SMS.
How secure is Locus? Will my data be safe with you?

All our data is stored on the cloud, powered by AWS servers, with industry-grade security. Locus is an ISO 27001:2013 and BS10012 certified company. These are international standards for information security and data privacy.
How do you determine the optimal route?

Our algorithm solves the Travelling Salesman Problem for a route, which results in the best possible optimization of both cost and distance.
Can I restrict the number of hours my drivers can work in a day, while I am planning the route?

Yes. Locus gives you the option to assign the operating hours for drivers. You can also factor in their breaks.
I know that I can optimize routes by time and distance, but what about weight or capacity constraints?

Yes, Locus can consider weight, volume and other entities like product dimensions to generate optimal route plans.
Can I plan an optimized route by entering or uploading an exact list of geo-coordinates?

Yes, Locus has a Properitry Geocoding engine which can capture geo-coordinates accurately and helps you map addresses even if its wrong/incomplete, with a high precision
What types of routing restrictions and constraints do you support?

Locus Dispatcher is designed to handle every major constraint that any logistics operation may demand. We also have an extraordinary Solutions Team that has been able to model 100% of all our customer's organizational and operational constraints. We are also capable of handling a variety of route restrictions by default, including, but not limited to, area- based constraints, vehicle constraints, customer constraints and SKU-based constraints.
Does the Locus route optimization software work across geographies?

We have clients across five continents using our products.
Can I use Locus' fleet routing software if I have a large fleet of vehicles, with multiple warehouses and thousands of customers?

Yes. Locus Dispatcher is most effective at scale and is capable of handling several thousand orders across geographies, fleets and scenarios.
Is Locus GDPR compliant?

Locus complies with the international standards for the protection of customer data. We are in the process of being 100% GDPR compliant.
Which are the problems that can be addressed by route optimization software?

Locus' software focuses on KPIs like distance reduction, travel time reduction, reduced SLA breaches, efficient resource management, alongside handling any client- specific / region-specific constraints like route restrictions, traffic, vehicle restrictions and time slots.
Can I manually change planned routes?

Yes. You can also reallocate tasks in the routes.
Which industries can benefit from using the Locus routing system?

Any industry that relies on logistics services to fulfil its product or service promises will benefit from the Locus routing system.
Can Locus replace my existing TMS? Is Locus a TMS?

Locus is primarily a logistics optimization engine. Many TMS features like master file management, cost contract management, location and SKU databases are already present in Locus and we will be incorporating other functionalities soon. Locus aims to be a fully functional TMS in the near future.

COVID-19: Technology Help Guide for Logistics Businesses

Diagnose Your Logistics with Locus Logistics Optimizer

Dispatcher - Best Route Planning Software