Route Management
Introduction
Route Mangement Context
Advantages of Route Management
Route Management is the planning and optimization of routes for the field team.
Route management plays a pivotal role in optimizing field team operations, enhancing visit efficiency, and maximizing coverage. By strategically planning and optimizing routes, businesses can significantly improve their overall productivity and customer satisfaction.
In this section, we'll dive into three key aspects of route management:
Route Module Setup
Sales Recommendation
Activity guide
Setting up the route management feature within a web application is essential for businesses seeking to optimize their field team operations. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Enable the Route Feature:
Navigate to the settings of the desired client and enable the Route Management feature within the Addon section of the web application. Additionally, define roles for mobile users accessing this feature to ensure proper access permissions.
Step 2: Configure Mobile Users:
On the clients setting page, navigate to the Addon page and select the different role defined for the users on the users tab on client setting page.
This ensures that each user has access to the necessary functionalities based on feature and their role within the organization.
As a manager you if you have a defined start point for your users you can add the column Gps on the mobile users on the left side of the web app panel.
To add the defined start point Gps on mobile users, click the 3 dots on the right side of the screen and select the option "Bulk edit". A small screen will pop up, click on link to get the bulk edit template that will guide you on what to input. On the template you will have some column like first name, User start location latitude (optional), User start location longitude (optional) and User start location accuracy (optional).
This is where you are required to add the defined Gps, once done download the file in CSV and upload it on the web app.
Step 3: Configure Customer Details:
Within the customer list schema, configure Customers' Route Day & GPS Location question. Edit customer details to include accurate GPS locations and designate specific route days for each customer.
By including GPS locations for each customer in the customer list schema, enable the feature to accurately plot the locations of customers on maps. This information is essential for generating optimized routes that minimize travel time and distance between visits.
Note: The accuracy of GPS location is crucial for the functioning of Google Maps and other location-based services. Let’s dive into why it matters:
Navigation Precision:
Google Maps relies on accurate GPS coordinates to provide precise navigation, ensuring accurate turn-by-turn directions for users. Inaccurate GPS data could lead to wrong directions or unexpected delays.
Traffic Estimation and Routing:
Accurate GPS information is crucial for Google Maps to calculate optimal routes based on real-time traffic data. Incorrect location data might result in suboptimal routes or longer travel times for field teams.
Algorithms:
Google employs machine learning algorithms to improve map accuracy, analyzing vast amounts of data including GPS traces. Accurate GPS data enhances the training of these algorithms, leading to better map quality and navigation experiences.
Sales recommendation is a pivotal aspect of route management, particularly in optimizing field team operations and maximizing sales potential.
We have developed a system that recommends Van Sales Men (VSMs) on what to load on their trucks for the day based on customer purchase history and purchase patterns within their route. Here's how it works:
Our solution considers the financial targets of sales representatives and customer purchase behavior observed over the last months to compute a daily loading guide for each VSM.
VSMs can access their loading guide directly from the mobile app, receiving sales recommendations per outlet to help manage their product loading and daily visits effectively.
Additionally, we provide insights about adherence to sales recommendations, loading guide adherence, progression of monthly target achievement, and more.
The system takes into account various factors such as distance, traffic, cluster optimization, and monthly target completions to provide the best possible routes for VSMs, enhancing overall efficiency and productivity.
Our Activity Guide is a comprehensive tool designed to empower field teams with actionable insights, guiding them on what products to sell to each outlet based on historical sales data and monthly targets.
In addition to historical sales data, the Activity Guide aligns recommendations with monthly sales targets set for each outlet. By considering both past performance and current objectives, the system ensures that field teams focus on selling products that contribute to meeting or exceeding monthly targets.
This is an optional feature in the route management module.
The Activity Guide also includes performance tracking features, allowing managers to monitor sales activities and measure the effectiveness of recommendations. By analyzing sales data in real-time, managers can identify trends, evaluate performance, and make data-driven decisions to further optimize sales strategies.
Step 0: A pre-defined daily route-plan (weekly recurring) is set for each VSM. Each route contains the number of retailers.
Step 1: The VSM clicks on the "Calendar icon and gets a view of the list of his assigned outlets and loading guide for the day
Step 2: Based on his/her route, the VSM looks at the app and sees a loading guide based on the retailers purchase pattern of his portfolio as well as his/her own sales targets.
Step 3: The VSM starts his route and can then see on the Mobile App the optimal route (retailers order of visit and best way to get there) he needs to follow based on the traffic and distance between the outlets.
- VSM can tap on "optimize" in order for the app to suggest the closest route according to the current traffic via google map.
Optimizing your route enables the app to automatically synchronize with Google map to suggest the closest route to your current location, according to the current traffic at that particular period of time, so it is advisable to always tap on "Optimize" icon after every route visit for better and smoother movement.
- VSM can start visit by clicking on the "Map" icon and follow the map route to the assigned outlets to be visited for the day:
Step 4: The VSM can see a sales guide where he can see the recommended sales for this particular retailer for each SKU at the retailer's premises.
Step 5: The VSM arrives at the retailer's premises, he/she checks-in (GPS + Barcode scanning)
Step 6: The VSM makes his sell and move to the next outlet as suggested by the optimized route.
Dynamic computation - targets are re-computed everyday in order to take into account of sales already done in the month and help the sales reps attain their monthly objective/targets
Easy to implement - minimal data requirements, only Sales data and Sales reps route to market
Easy to use - loading guide and sales recommendations directly accessible from the mobile app for the Sales reps
Customizable - the computation of sales recommendation can be adapted and include other metrics, according to the customers needs.
Reduced Vans Out Of Stocks
Reduce missed-sales opportunities
Avoid vans time loss and cost of needing to go back to warehouse for refill
Reduce vans traveling distances and time spent in traffic through optimized routes
Warns vans mobile users in the event that a wrong activity is conducted on a customer that is not recommended by optimization.
Reduce fuel consumptions (studies show that optimized routes help save up-to 20%-30% of fuel)
Reduce carbon footprint impact (500 VSMs saving 5km of distance traveled per day = 2,500 km saved per day = 0.75M km saved per year = 150T of CO2 saved per year
Route Mangement Context
Advantages of Route Management
Introduction
Route Management is the planning and optimization of routes for the field team.
Route management plays a pivotal role in optimizing field team operations, enhancing visit efficiency, and maximizing coverage. By strategically planning and optimizing routes, businesses can significantly improve their overall productivity and customer satisfaction.
Route Mangement Context
In this section, we'll dive into three key aspects of route management:
Route Module Setup
Sales Recommendation
Activity guide
Route Module Setup
Setting up the route management feature within a web application is essential for businesses seeking to optimize their field team operations. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Enable the Route Feature:
Navigate to the settings of the desired client and enable the Route Management feature within the Addon section of the web application. Additionally, define roles for mobile users accessing this feature to ensure proper access permissions.
Step 2: Configure Mobile Users:
On the clients setting page, navigate to the Addon page and select the different role defined for the users on the users tab on client setting page.
This ensures that each user has access to the necessary functionalities based on feature and their role within the organization.
How to input GPS on mobile Users
As a manager you if you have a defined start point for your users you can add the column Gps on the mobile users on the left side of the web app panel.
To add the defined start point Gps on mobile users, click the 3 dots on the right side of the screen and select the option "Bulk edit". A small screen will pop up, click on link to get the bulk edit template that will guide you on what to input. On the template you will have some column like first name, User start location latitude (optional), User start location longitude (optional) and User start location accuracy (optional).
This is where you are required to add the defined Gps, once done download the file in CSV and upload it on the web app.
Step 3: Configure Customer Details:
Within the customer list schema, configure Customers' Route Day & GPS Location question. Edit customer details to include accurate GPS locations and designate specific route days for each customer.
By including GPS locations for each customer in the customer list schema, enable the feature to accurately plot the locations of customers on maps. This information is essential for generating optimized routes that minimize travel time and distance between visits.
Note: The accuracy of GPS location is crucial for the functioning of Google Maps and other location-based services. Let’s dive into why it matters:
Navigation Precision:
Google Maps relies on accurate GPS coordinates to provide precise navigation, ensuring accurate turn-by-turn directions for users. Inaccurate GPS data could lead to wrong directions or unexpected delays.
Traffic Estimation and Routing:
Accurate GPS information is crucial for Google Maps to calculate optimal routes based on real-time traffic data. Incorrect location data might result in suboptimal routes or longer travel times for field teams.
Algorithms:
Google employs machine learning algorithms to improve map accuracy, analyzing vast amounts of data including GPS traces. Accurate GPS data enhances the training of these algorithms, leading to better map quality and navigation experiences.
Sales Recommendation/Optimization
Sales recommendation is a pivotal aspect of route management, particularly in optimizing field team operations and maximizing sales potential.
We have developed a system that recommends Van Sales Men (VSMs) on what to load on their trucks for the day based on customer purchase history and purchase patterns within their route. Here's how it works:
Our solution considers the financial targets of sales representatives and customer purchase behavior observed over the last months to compute a daily loading guide for each VSM.
VSMs can access their loading guide directly from the mobile app, receiving sales recommendations per outlet to help manage their product loading and daily visits effectively.
Additionally, we provide insights about adherence to sales recommendations, loading guide adherence, progression of monthly target achievement, and more.
The system takes into account various factors such as distance, traffic, cluster optimization, and monthly target completions to provide the best possible routes for VSMs, enhancing overall efficiency and productivity.
Activity guide
Our Activity Guide is a comprehensive tool designed to empower field teams with actionable insights, guiding them on what products to sell to each outlet based on historical sales data and monthly targets.
In addition to historical sales data, the Activity Guide aligns recommendations with monthly sales targets set for each outlet. By considering both past performance and current objectives, the system ensures that field teams focus on selling products that contribute to meeting or exceeding monthly targets.
This is an optional feature in the route management module.
The Activity Guide also includes performance tracking features, allowing managers to monitor sales activities and measure the effectiveness of recommendations. By analyzing sales data in real-time, managers can identify trends, evaluate performance, and make data-driven decisions to further optimize sales strategies.
Ideal steps in Route management
Step 0: A pre-defined daily route-plan (weekly recurring) is set for each VSM. Each route contains the number of retailers.
Step 1: The VSM clicks on the "Calendar icon and gets a view of the list of his assigned outlets and loading guide for the day
Step 2: Based on his/her route, the VSM looks at the app and sees a loading guide based on the retailers purchase pattern of his portfolio as well as his/her own sales targets.
Step 3: The VSM starts his route and can then see on the Mobile App the optimal route (retailers order of visit and best way to get there) he needs to follow based on the traffic and distance between the outlets.
- VSM can tap on "optimize" in order for the app to suggest the closest route according to the current traffic via google map.
Optimizing your route enables the app to automatically synchronize with Google map to suggest the closest route to your current location, according to the current traffic at that particular period of time, so it is advisable to always tap on "Optimize" icon after every route visit for better and smoother movement.
- VSM can start visit by clicking on the "Map" icon and follow the map route to the assigned outlets to be visited for the day:
Step 4: The VSM can see a sales guide where he can see the recommended sales for this particular retailer for each SKU at the retailer's premises.
Step 5: The VSM arrives at the retailer's premises, he/she checks-in (GPS + Barcode scanning)
Step 6: The VSM makes his sell and move to the next outlet as suggested by the optimized route.
Advantages of Route Management
Dynamic computation - targets are re-computed everyday in order to take into account of sales already done in the month and help the sales reps attain their monthly objective/targets
Easy to implement - minimal data requirements, only Sales data and Sales reps route to market
Easy to use - loading guide and sales recommendations directly accessible from the mobile app for the Sales reps
Customizable - the computation of sales recommendation can be adapted and include other metrics, according to the customers needs.
Reduced Vans Out Of Stocks
Reduce missed-sales opportunities
Avoid vans time loss and cost of needing to go back to warehouse for refill
Reduce vans traveling distances and time spent in traffic through optimized routes
Warns vans mobile users in the event that a wrong activity is conducted on a customer that is not recommended by optimization.
Reduce fuel consumptions (studies show that optimized routes help save up-to 20%-30% of fuel)
Reduce carbon footprint impact (500 VSMs saving 5km of distance traveled per day = 2,500 km saved per day = 0.75M km saved per year = 150T of CO2 saved per year
Updated on: 19/06/2024
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