Zapiet + AntsRoute: faster and more efficient deliveries

Published on 9 February 2024 • Reading time: 5 min read

85% of online shoppers say that a bad delivery experience could prevent them from making future purchases from online stores. These are the findings of a study conducted in 2022 in several European countries by Ipsos and Octopia.
Yet delivery is the key moment that must not be overlooked to guarantee consumers an experience that is as positive online as it is in-store. It is during delivery that the purchase becomes tangible for the shopper, and that you can build long-term loyalty.

Last-mile management solutions aim to deliver goods to the end customer as quickly as possible. AntsRoute software helps many e-merchants to organise their deliveries with ease, while respecting delivery times. This integration with Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery for Shopify enables companies to develop their online sales activities and offer a quality delivery service, while controlling the operational costs associated with these shipments.

Zapiet + AntsRoute to optimise local deliveries for Shopify stores.

Shopify online stores: optimising local last-mile deliveries and respecting delivery times

In 2022, a first integration was developed to facilitate the management of local deliveries for merchants who run an online shop using Shopify. As your needs have evolved, we’ve decided to enhance this integration with new features.

Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery gathers all the data relating to orders. AntsRoute is used to plan delivery routes, automate dispatch to delivery drivers and manage communication with end customers.

Sending Shopify orders for delivery to AntsRoute

Once a customer confirms payment for an order on Shopify, the data is automatically transferred to the AntsRoute platform:

• Customer details;
• Delivery date;
• Duration of delivery;
• Time slot for delivery;
• ID for the delivery;
• Quantity to be delivered (number of items + weight);
• Customer comments;
• Payment status;
• Currency code for the order.

Access to new custom fields

The new version of the integration offers additional custom fields:

• Payment method used by the customer.
• Price of the order.
• Total shipping price of the order.
• Total discounts applied to Shopify order.

☝️ Good to know: Depending on your needs, you can translate or modify these custom fields.

The new version of the integration manages the deliveries and pickups in shops.

Optimisation of standard delivery routes or Pickup & Delivery routes

The biggest addition is that we can now manage not only deliveries to your end customers, but also pick-ups from your shop.

The tool plans a first stop to pick up the goods at your shop’s address, then a second stop to deliver them to your customer’s address.

The e-merchant simply needs to start optimising the routes, taking into account the time slots selected by the end customers and the many business constraints entered.

Dispatch routes to delivery drivers

Delivery drivers then retrieve their daily itineraries directly from the AntsRoute mobile application, available on iOS and Android. Using the app, they can start the navigation to the next address, validate the various stops and collect proof of delivery.

5-star communication with end customers

Retailers can also set up the automated sending of alerts and links to enable end customers to live track the status and delivery of their orders. This guarantees an excellent customer experience.

Validate the delivery of items from Shopify orders

For a few months now, AntsRoute has offered functions that make it possible to manage an item database. If the option is activated on the AntsRoute account, items from Shopify orders will automatically be included in this database.
The list of items in an order is then displayed in the details of a delivery on AntsRoute.

Thanks to the mobile application, delivery drivers can indicate the quantities of items actually delivered when validating the delivery stops.

AntsRoute is used to validate the delivery of items of Shopify orders.

Setting up AntsRoute integration with Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery for Shopify

To benefit from this integration, make sure you meet the requirements below:

• Have an AntsRoute account from the Essential offer or a 7-day free trial.
• Retrieve an API key from AntsRoute.
• Have access to the Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery app.
• The “Delivery date and time picker” option activated in “Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery”.

Note: AntsRoute is now available in “Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery” > “Settings” > “Fleet Management”.

To sum up, here are the main steps involved in setting up the integration:

1. Retrieve an API key from your AntsRoute account.
2. Connect AntsRoute with Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery from your Shopify account.
3. Set up the AntsRoute module from the Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery app.
4. Set up the Zapiet Location Custom Attributes (only if Pickup & Delivery is enabled).
5. Create “Number” and “Weight” capacities and determine the loading capacities of each vehicle on AntsRoute.
6. Add custom fields to AntsRoute — Price, Currency code, Payment status, Payment method, Total discount, Total shipping price.
7. Activate the “Item management” functions on AntsRoute.

To find out more about integrating AntsRoute with Zapiet – Pickup + Delivery for Shopify, please read our support article. From this article, you can access step-by-step guides on how to set up this integration. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to contact our support team by email at [email protected]

We’re offering a 7-day free trial of our delivery management software, AntsRoute. It’s easy to sign up here, and no credit card is required. You can also get a free trial of the Zapiet app on Shopify. Go to this page.

About Zapiet
Zapiet is a leading developer of Shopify apps for store pickup, local delivery, and shipping solutions. Their apps empower retailers to offer exceptional flexibility and convenience to customers, enabling previously brick-and-mortar-only businesses to leverage the potential of an integrated online store. Founded in 2015, Zapiet currently supports over 10,000 stores in more than 150 countries, ranging from pop-up stands to Fortune 500 brands.

About AntsRoute
AntsRoute is one of the leading SaaS software developers for last-mile route planning and optimisation. The solutions developed by AntsRoute enable companies to boost their productivity and make the day-to-day work of field staff easier, while providing a quality experience for end customers. Founded in 2015 by French start-up Antsway, AntsRoute simplifies the daily lives of more than 5,000 delivery drivers and technicians in over 15 countries.