Do you want accurate scheduling? Don't forget the stop time!

But your delivery driver's travel time isn't the only factor to consider. For a truly tight schedule, you also need the driver's stop time. In other words, how long does your delivery driver spend handing over the package after arriving at the customer's home? Often, a standard stop time is chosen, for example, always five minutes. But in reality, stop times are always variable. At one stop, the driver might need ten minutes because they have to use an elevator. The next package might be in your customer's hands within a minute.

Race against the clock

Working with a standard stop time not only makes scheduling less accurate, but it can also cause a lot of stress for drivers. If something goes wrong, the schedule becomes unfeasible, and delivering packages turns into an unpleasant race against the clock. Furthermore, you naturally want to inform your customers as accurately as possible about their estimated time of arrival (ETA). If your stop times are incorrect, your pre-communicated time windows might deviate. So, to create a truly effective schedule, you should start measuring the actual length of stops. But how do you do that?

Geofencing

Through geofencing, RoutiGo can make scheduling much more accurate. We precisely draw a virtual line around the contours of the house or building where the driver needs to deliver. As soon as they enter this zone, we start the stopwatch. By measuring how long it takes before they leave the zone again, we know exactly how long they spent there. The only thing your delivery driver needs is a device with GPS. And fortunately, every driver carries one in their pocket these days ;)

Breathing room

By analyzing historical data, we can already provide a more accurate average for your company than the five minutes chosen offhand. We can also identify if, for example, certain neighborhoods have longer stop times or if the number of packages a driver delivers has a significant impact. The next step we're working on is integrating historical data into future scheduling. This way, we can predict stop times for similar stops. And thus, at a company level, make scheduling increasingly accurate. Good for the customer, and a little breathing room for the delivery drivers. Killing two birds with one stone!

Inspired?

Want to get started with RoutiGo? Or would you like more information? We're here to help. Feel free to contact us via the contact form or call us at 030 – 7600 018.