How Ooooby creates delivery routes and how they can be changed within an event
Ooooby uses Google Maps to generate routes for deliveries. As a hub, you have three options to choose from to calculate your delivery routes:
- Prefer Google Maps Shortest Route
- Prefer Previous Route Order, which can be manually changed.
- As The Crow Flies
To choose your desired option, head to Site Admin > 1. Hub Details > Delivery Type > Choose option from drop down (top left of page) > press Save.
If you choose the Prefer Google Maps Shortest Route algorithm, Google Maps will recalculate routes for each event to the shortest route.
This is the option most hubs use, and the option we default to in onboarding a new hub.
Prefer Previous Route Order
If you choose the Prefer Previous Route Order algorithm, and change the route using either Manual Optimisation or Adjust Route Order (see below) to your own preferred route, the system will base the routing on that preferred route for each event.
N.B. there are times when this option is sub optimal. For example, if a customer drops off the route it will just skip that address. However if that customer returns they won't be returned to that position in the routing, and will go to the bottom of the list. Similarly, with a new customer they will need to be added to their correct position within the delivery. This would need to be sorted using Adjust Route Order (see below).
As The Crow Flies
Choosing As The Crow Flies will entirely bypass the use of Google maps to help route your deliveries and calculate the shortest route based simply on straight-line distance. You can then manually adjust your routes.
This is a good option if you have multiple routes which you are going to manually optimise. When it comes to calculating routes (see below) using Google Maps, it can take a while for the routing process to complete. As The Crow Flies will generate your routes in far less time.
This is a good option also if you are using a 3rd party provider that does their own routing.
Calculating Routes
After an Event has been created, Google Maps will start to process the information to create routes for each delivery within that event.
Whilst this is happening all route related buttons will be greyed out, and cannot be used, as below:
If the hub or delivery route is new, it may take some time for the buttons to return to the beige colour. This is because Google is sorting the deliveries for the first time. For a new hub with multiple routes this process can take several hours the first time you do it, so don't panic!
View & Edit Route Details
To view and edit a delivery route head to the "Details" button associated with that delivery route at the top of the Delivery Event Details page (Delivery Event Overview -> View Details (of the Event you are looking at) -> Details (on the right hand side)
For each delivery make sure there is a start address, an end address and a delivery driver See Here.
N.B. You need a start address, end address & a delivery driver allocated for drop sites also.
You can edit the start and end points, change the driver and other delivery details for just this event here.
Methods To Manually Change Route Order
You can change the route order that has been generated by Google Maps by using the buttons at the bottom of the map.
Manual Optimisation Steps
- Click on Manual Optimisation button
- The blue routes (illustrated above) will be removed
- Then click on the red pointers in the order you want them to be delivered in
- Then click Update Route
This is particularly useful if you have local knowledge of road works for example or a tree down on a road.
Adjust Route Order Steps
- Click on Adjust Route Order
- You will be displayed a list of deliveries, ordered [1], [2], [3], etc
- Drag & drop to the order in which you want to delivery them
- Click Update Route
Using Routes
The routes that are calculated are then used for ordering the deliveries for printing delivery sheets, and the sorting (depending on print settings) of labels and packing manifests.
If a driver chooses to use the routes facility on their mobile device they can find the link on their own customer dashboard.
This will take them to the Ooooby deliveries tool.
Whilst the delivery is in progress on the deliveries map, there are houses that turn to green ticks when the driver marks them as complete.
The red cars show (approximately) the location of the driver, at the last time they had the app open. If you hover over the pin it shows the last time they were seen.
The accuracy column shows how far away from the customer's address the driver was when they clicked "Delivered". This can be useful in the event a customer's box was not delivered, but the driver claims it was - perhaps it was dropped at the wrong address. (This won't be useful if the driver delivers a few boxes, then marks them all as delivered in one batch).