Valid from: 2022.06.00 and later

Automatic route optimisation

Automatic route optimisation of one vehicle means that the route and estimated arrival times are updated continuously. A new calculation is carried out when one of the following occurs:

• An order is saved.
• An order is assigned to a resource.
• An order is deleted from a resource.
• The status of an order changes.

For more information on the conditions and the factors and settings that affect route optimisation, see Route optimisation: preparation and configuration.

General information about automatic route optimisation settings

Route optimisation is configured via two checkboxes at different levels.

• Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time: When this calculation is carried out, only the estimated pickup time and delivery time are updated. The aim is to be able to send out reliable delivery notifications.
• Allow automatic calculation of route sequence and arrival time: This calculation changes both the route sequence and the estimated delivery times. The aim is to make transport operations as efficient as possible.

The checkboxes can be found in the following windows:

• Office (the Weight/Distance tab)
• Vehicles (the Route optimisation tab, used if the vehicle is a primary resource)
• Employees (the Details tab, used if the driver/employee is a primary resource)
• Services (the Dispatch tab)

The office settings have priority over the other settings. The following rules apply:

• If none of the checkboxes are selected in the office settings, no automatic calculation of either the route sequence or estimated delivery time will take place regardless of the vehicle/employee and service settings.
• If only Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time is selected in the office settings, only estimated delivery time calculations are performed regardless of the vehicle/employee and service settings.
• At least one of the checkboxes must be selected on the vehicle/employee for any automatic calculation to take place.
• In order for an automatic calculation of the route sequence to take place, Allow automatic calculation of route sequence and arrival time must be selected in all three places (office, vehicle/employee, service).

This table shows the results of different combinations of settings for the two checkboxes at different levels. The table assumes that both checkboxes are selected in the office settings.

Vehicles/Employees		Service			Automatic calculation
Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time	Allow automatic calculation of route sequence and arrival time	Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time	Allow automatic calculation of route sequence and arrival time		E = estimated delivery time S = route sequence – = no calculation
					–
					–
					–
					–
					–
					S + E
					E
					S + E
					–
					E
					E
					E
					–
					S + E
					E
					S + E

Activate the function

1. Click on Settings > Offices > the Weight/Distance tab.

2. Select the Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time and Allow automatic calculation of route sequence and arrival time checkboxes.

3. Select the set of settings you want to use from the Settings for automatic route optimisation drop-down list. For more information about the settings, see Route optimization settings (window).
4. Click on Register > Vehicles or Register > Employees (depending on what you use as your primary resource).

5. Select the Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time and/or Allow automatic calculation of route sequence and arrival time checkboxes on the Details tab in the Employees window or on the Route optimisation tab in the Vehicles window for the resources on which you want to use automatic route optimisation.

   This makes it possible to exclude certain resources from automatic route optimisation (by not selecting any of the checkboxes), or to prevent the estimated delivery time from being changed for a shipment carried out by a certain resource (by not selecting Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time).

6. Click on Economy > Price lists > Services.

7. Select the Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time and/or Allow automatic calculation of route sequence and arrival time checkboxes on the Dispatch tab for the resources on which you want to use automatic route optimisation.

   This makes it possible to exclude certain services from automatic route optimisation (by not selecting any of the checkboxes), or to prevent the estimated delivery time from being changed for an order that has a certain service (by not selecting Allow only automatic calculation of arrival time).

8. Click on to save all changes.

When an order is changed, the above settings are checked and a new route optimisation is performed (if the settings allow it). The changes are visible in dispatch and the driver can see the updated driving route sequence in Opter Driver.

If you want the new estimated delivery time to be displayed to the receiver in Track & Trace, select Show automatically updated ETA in Settings > Internet > Internet order settings > Track & Trace tab.

Pausing automatic route optimisation

Automatic route optimisation can be paused for individual resources. Right-click on the resource box in dispatch and select Manual routeoptimization. To turn automatic route optimisation back on, right-click on the resource box and select Automatic routeoptimization.

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