Route optimization is simply determining the most efficient driving route between multiple destinations, and can be applied to complex delivery systems as well as Saturday afternoon errands.
The advantages are pretty obvious. Reductions in fuel use, the savings in employee travel time, and the goodwill created with a truly effective, earth-friendly conservation program are significant. Route optimization provides a truly win-win opportunity for everyone. But the critical question, particularly for small business, is: What's the return on investment?
The cost of optimization software, as well as employee time to learn and run the software, must be weighed against its benefits. That's one of the reasons why we've developed a simple "one-click" Microsoft Excel template for route optimization, which provides no-risk testing of route optimization so organizations of all sizes can see its benefits firsthand before making any investment. The template can be downloaded free from our website, and works with free trials of the software (CDXZipStream supplied by us at CDX Technologies, and Microsoft MapPoint).
The template is very easy to use, and can be run on any PC that has Microsoft Excel. Just enter the addresses in the route, make a selection regarding the preferred optimization type, and the optimized route is calculated. It will even create a file that's compatible with many GPS systems. No outside consulting or special training is required, and just about anyone with basic computer skills can use it. See it here for a quick demonstration:
or watch the YouTube version: Route Optimization with One Click