We are an IT service provider and are looking for suitable software for route optimization and dispatching for a B2B trading company (furniture) with 30 trucks. In the first phase, dispatching processes are to be improved and automated as far as possible. In a second phase, an expansion for the drivers is planned (automatic route calculation or adjustment based on traffic, equipping drivers with tablets, scanning products (barcodes) for automated warehouse management, absence and complaint reports).
The software should meet the following requirements:
- Equipping the trucks (calculation of weight and volume)
- Planning the route per truck or area – in phase 1, drivers will still receive a printed list of their route; further optimizations are planned in later phases. At the end of the entire project, the software should include scheduling, drivers, and customer communication (registration via text message).
- When optimizing routes, it must also be defined where and when returns are to be loaded on the return trip.
- There are a few special features that need to be covered. For example, if an order comes in from the canton of Geneva and a driver delivers to this area, the system should automatically report that an order has been received from this region. This delivery then takes priority, even if other orders on the route were received earlier.
- There are numerous such special functions that simply need to be covered or parameterized.
- The customer is looking for the most cost-effective tool possible that can cover specific and unique needs and can be continuously expanded in a flexible manner in the future. Are there standard solutions, or does something need to be programmed? What is the expected cost range?
- The customer is looking for a flexible solution that can be easily adapted to their needs.
- A cloud solution is to be used.
Six to ten software workstations are planned.