Overview
The Route optimization feature is designed to improve route planning and execution. This new feature helps to efficiently plan technician routes by optimizing the job schedule for a certain day, reducing costs, and improving customer satisfaction.
How to access Route Optimization
The Route Optimization feature can be accessed by navigating to Operations → Jobs → Route Optimization or through the Technician Action button.
Route Optimization page:
Click on Operations
Select Jobs
Click on Route Optimization
Technician Action button within the Calendar day view and the Calendar Month view (group by technician)
How to Use the Route Optimization Tool
1. Select the technician and date you want to optimize. Click on the technician's name to select it and click on the calendar date picket to select a date.
2. Start configuring the route by defining the start time and start and end location for the day.
If a home address has been added for the technician, this will be the default starting and ending points.
You can choose whether to include travel time in the route optimization by toggling the 'Include travel time in the optimized route' switch.
This will add the travel time between jobs based on the optimal route, otherwise, only the job duration will be considered.
3. Click on the Optimize route button once you have decided on a start and end locations.
Once optimized, the tool allows you to compare the original route with the optimized one by switching between tabs.
If you want to change the routing, click on the reset route button.
4. Once you are good and settled with the route, click on the 'Use this route' button
The jobs will be rearranged and rescheduled according to the proposed route and schedule.
Troubleshooting
Some factors hinder the inclusion of a certain job for optimization:
Pools Without Coordinates - Jobs associated with pools that lack coordinates will prevent optimization. To resolve this, update the pool’s address using the search address field to add the necessary location data.
Finalized Jobs - Jobs that have already been finalized cannot be rescheduled, and thus their routes cannot be optimized.
Store not showing correctly on the map - The organisation's address may been entered manually and lacks location data. Go to Setup → My Business → General. Utilize the search address field to update the store's address.
