Today we’re lucky technology has advanced to the point where certain software can have delivery routes designed in just seconds. Prior to this, businesses often dealt with the stress that came with manually planning time-efficient routes for their team members.
Whilst Google Route Planner has helped smaller operations complete their bookings, this platform is severely limited. From the number of stops you can add to making last-minute adjustments, Google Route Planner is an option for those wanting a basic experience.
Locate2u is the Delivery Management Software that can take your businesses to the next level, no matter if you have 1 vehicle or an entire fleet. This all-in-one platform optimises your routes, arranges your bookings, and gives you insight into your customer’s experience through driver rating software.
What Is Google Route Planner?
Google Route Planner is a free route planning tool used for public transit, road trips etc. This platform can create routes for delivery and offers traffic information and GPS navigation for users.
Because this app is significantly limited in terms of features, it’s mostly used by individuals needing to reach a single destination or small businesses with a limited number of vehicles to carry out deliveries.
What Are The Limitations Of Google Route Planner
Using a google route planner can be somewhat useful for drivers needing to reach a restricted number of locations absent of additional features. However, drivers requiring a more advanced solution will unlikely benefit from this type of route planning.
Saving money by using free software like a google route planner sounds like the perfect option. Consequently, where this technology lacks in terms of features can end up costing your business more money.
A significant limitation of google route planner is that you can only plan a limited number of stops, causing difficulty for businesses with more than 20 stops to complete in a day. Google doesn’t have the ability to add in more than 10 stops at a time, and add in last minute stops without disrupting your schedule.
Alternative software such as Delivery Management Software has become increasingly valuable to relevant businesses like transportation and logistics, courier services, food delivery etc. This is because it takes the stress away from business owners and fleet managers, keeping business operations efficiently managed to improve the overall delivery process.
Other Route Planning Software
Locate2u is a Delivery Management Software that optimises your routes, manages your bookings and provides users with a quality proof of delivery system. This platform is essential for operations wanting to minimise stress and improve their team member’s productivity whilst saving money and time.
Locate2u eliminates the need for pen and paper, with its groundbreaking technology that plans efficient routes in only seconds. Unlike google route planner, this software allows you to plan dozens of stops and modify routes to accommodate last minute alterations. In doing so, improving your business’ productivity and allowing your drivers to complete as many bookings as they can.
Google Route Planner vs Locate2u
Businesses using a Delivery Management Software like Locate2u can expect improved visibility for customers, faster deliveries, peace of mind with proof of delivery and a better insight into your customer’s experience.
1. Improved Visibility
Customers want to be involved throughout the entire delivery process and what better way to achieve that than with Locate2u’s real-time tracking. This feature allows you to track your team member’s whereabouts throughout the day in real-time. Send your customers a live tracking link through SMS and let them see where their order is and how long until its arrival.
Having this level of visibility is exceedingly important for advancing the amount of customers using your services and establishing return customers too.
2. Faster Deliveries
Today is all about how fast and efficient you can make your deliveries. Customers now aren’t satisfied with waiting an additional day or week to retrieve their item, so businesses are having to find ways to accommodate this shift in consumer expectations.
Locate2u’s route optimisation software reduces time between deliveries, reducing fuel consumption and time spent on the road. You also save hours spent manually planning time-effective routes for your drivers.
Optimising your routes allows you to give your customers more accurate ETAs and faster deliveries. This means your customers don’t have to wait a significant length of time for their goods to arrive.
3. Peace Of Mind With Proof Of Delivery
Don’t rely on intuition that your team members are completing their bookings. Locate2u’s proof of delivery allows drivers to capture e-signatures and digital confirmation of the delivery’s completion.
This information can be accessed by any team member in your business to avoid any confusion on the status of each booking. This gives both you and your customers peace of mind on when and where the item was delivered.
4. Better Insight Of Customers Experience
Do you ever wonder exactly what your customers are thinking about in regards to their delivery experience? Or what you can do to improve your service? Locate2u’s driver rating system allows customers to rate their experience and leave a review. They can share whether they encountered issues like delays, missing or damaged parcels. With this knowledge, you can make improvements to avoid these incidents from occurring again.
What Businesses Will Benefit From Locate2u?
Locate2u provides a number of benefits to small, mid-sized and large businesses that helps achieve optimal functionality.
Small and midsize businesses usually possess a smaller number of drivers that require software that offers real-time tracking, delivery dispatch and automated pickup. Locate2u offers just that, allowing businesses to keep on top of their drivers and ensure their customers are satisfied with their experience. Whilst every business strives to look after their customers, smaller businesses are under more pressure to meet their customers demands to ensure their continued success.
When it comes to larger businesses, more advanced features are needed to make sure each delivery is completed successfully. Locate2u’s proof of delivery system allows you to collect photo evidence of the delivery, electronic signature from the customer, time stamps and any other notes. Any member of your business can access this information, that way if a customer calls wondering the status of their delivery, you can provide them with accurate knowledge.
Locate2u also offers GPS tracking which helps keep bigger fleets accountable when they’re on the job. Having access to route replay will reduce complications such as lost or missing parcels, or team members utilising company vehicles for personal use.
Go Further Than Google Route Planner With Locate2u
As you can see, Google Route Planner might seem like the easy option, however, investing in a reliable software will help improve business operations more than any free route planner can.
Locate2u is the solution your business needs to better the performance of your fleet. This software will give you access to route optimisation, real-time tracking, proof of delivery and driver ratings, all of which will enhance business productivity whilst saving time and money.
Click here and book a demo today!
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About the author
Marketing Coordinator at Locate2u having completed a Bachelor of Creative Arts, majoring in English Literature and Creative Writing. I have extensive experience in editing and proofreading, as well as creating content for a range of audiences.
