PODFather multi drop route planning, how it works

What is Multi Drop Route Planning? 

As the name would suggest Multi Drop Route Planning is the process of organising more than one delivery or collection onto a vehicle route.  Vehicles leave the depot, complete multiple stops, and finish, usually by returning to the point they started from.

How does the PODFather Multi Drop Route Planning solution work?

When considering how to plan and manage your multi drop routes there are a lot of factors that need to be taken into consideration.  From order volumes and customer time window preferences, to driving time and vehicle capacities there are a whole host of parameters that need to be factored in as part of the process of creating an efficient multi stop route plan.

PODFather’s multi drop route planning solution helps you make short work of what is a very complicated task.  Our advanced algorithms, developed over our 21-year business history, are helping over 30,000 users to plan and manage their multi drop routes every day.  Our multi stop solution offers a whole host of functionality.

Here we look at how PODFather tackles the challenge of planning and managing the multi stop routing process:

Step 1: Upload your Job Information

If you are using PODFather to plan your multi drop routes you can upload your job information into the system in several ways – API, SFTP, CSV upload or manually.  Our job management functionality allows you to capture job specific information including delivery instructions and store it against each of your customer accounts.  Once your customer information is in your PODFather system you will never have to re-enter it again when a repeat booking is made.  Find out more about PODFather’s Job Management functionality. 

Step 2: Plan and optimise your routes

With PODFather you can manually or automatically plan (auto is best) your multi drop routes.  Our routing algorithm will automatically take customer time windows, vehicle capacities and driving time into consideration and build you a route plan that is both cost effective and resource efficient.  Find out more about our Multi Drop Route Planning engine. 

Step 3: Release the routes to your drivers

Once routes are planned, checked and ready to release to drivers you can send job information to driver handheld devices with the client of a button.  Once released, all route information will be visible on the driver handheld, eradicating the need for paper tickets. Our driver app runs on the most basic of smart phone and is available for both Android and iOS users.  Find out more about the PODFather driver app.

Step 4: Track progress in real time

Once you have created your multi stop routes, optimised them and released them to drivers you can use the PODFather system to track and monitor route execution.  Our driver app collects location information which is displayed in our cloud-based back office system.  Any delays or discrepancies will be highlighted, enabling you to take immediate action.   Find out more about our Driver Tracking functionality. 

Step 5: Get feedback on item discrepancies or cancellations

The PODFather driver app allows your drivers to capture information on exactly what items have been delivered, or collected, at a particular location.  Set up item cancellation codes that are specific for your business.  In addition, get real time visibility of cancelled jobs, and cancellation reasons.  Find out more about the functionality available in the PODFather Driver App.

Step 6: Collect electronic proof of delivery

As our company name would suggest PODFather specialises in Proof of Delivery Technology but ePOD is just one element of what we do.  Using our Driver App you can collect electronic Proof of Delivery with ease, with options for both photo and electronic signature capture.  All ePOD information is automatically transmitted straight from the driver handheld to the back-office system giving you full time visibility of delivery confirmation. Find out more about PODFather’s ePOD capabilities.

Step 7: Issue your customer invoice

Historically many of PODFather’s customers would have been running their transport operations using paper tickets.  Once tickets were returned to the transport office they had to be sorted and scanned, and then passed to accounts so that invoices could be issued.  This process could take up to a week.  With PODFather in place our customers have real time visibility of exactly what was delivered where which reduces accounts admin time and means invoices can be issued much faster than before.  Find out more about our invoicing and accounts integration.

Step 8: Report on how you’ve performed

PODFather offers many real time elements that enable you to track and monitor your multi stop routes in real time. In addition to real time monitoring, we also offer a suite of reports which give you an overview of operational performance.  Our live dashboards and associated reports give you access to real life data which can be analysed and shared with others within your business.  Find out more about our reporting capabilities.

For more information on our multi drop route planning and optimisation please visit the following pages.

• What we do – Multi Drop Route Planning
• PODFather multi drop route planning features
• PODFather multi drop route planning benefits