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How to deal with the unforeseen events using a delivery software?

9 September 2021 | 4 min read

Are you responsible for organizing deliveries for your company? From unexpected customer requests to delivery driver absences, not to mention traffic jams, your day-to-day life is often not a smooth one.
However, dealing with these issues using only maps and Excel spreadsheets is very difficult, if not impossible. Fortunately, artificial intelligence, combined with new communication technologies, helps route managers make the best decision without wasting time. A delivery management software such as AntsRoute, for example, offers efficient solutions to respond to unforeseen events and provide customers with a smooth delivery!

Integrate last-minute customer request into a route

A priority customer wants a package delivery or an extra pickup – express, of course? To meet this request, a good delivery management software must allow you to easily insert the operation into a current route, without disrupting the smooth running of the business.
In such a configuration, AntsRoute has several features to choose the right route and quickly reschedule tasks:

• Ranking of preferred routes to limit the time and cost of the extra task.
• After your validation, integration of the new stop in the route of a deliveryman.
• New optimization of the delivery driver’s route, informed in real time via the mobile application.

Cope with the absence of one of your delivery drivers

One of your delivery drivers must be absent or can no longer provide his service, due to a breakdown? In order to deliver all your customers on time, and thus avoid disappointments and cancellations, you can assign his orders to one or more of his colleagues. AntsRoute software allows you to choose between two solutions:

• The first method, which is fully automated, consists of registering the delivery person as absent for the entire day. The software then reassigns a maximum number of deliveries or pickups to his colleagues. The orders not carried out are added to a “basket”, to be rescheduled for the following days.
• You can also manually assign some deliveries to other drivers. Although less optimized, this solution is still interesting if the driver is absent for a short period of time, the time to find a replacement vehicle for example.

Reorganize the route in case of traffic jams

Difficult traffic conditions are another common reason for route disorganization. When creating routes, a delivery management software like AntsRoute obviously takes into account the history of known traffic jams, in order to avoid them as much as possible.

But this preventive effort is not always enough, and a road accident can quickly has consequences on a route. In this case, our software offers two complementary solutions:

• Thanks to the integrated GPS (Google Maps or Waze), the software provides a new optimized route in real time, in order to quickly leave the traffic jammed area.
• If road difficulties continue, in the event of a pile-up or serious crash for example, you can also reassign some deliveries to other drivers, according to the priorities and traffic conditions recalculated in real time.

React quickly in the event of an absent customer or an incorrect address

Despite your best efforts to provide a perfect customer experience, it’s usually in the home stretch that the issues occur:

• Unexpected absence of the customer during the appointment, despite emails and SMS reminders.
• Incorrect address or insufficient information.
• Incorrect GPS coordinates, etc.

If necessary, the delivery driver can contact the customer directly from the AntsRoute mobile application, without even having to dial the number. He just has to fill in the end customer’s phone number.
Despite all these attempts, the client remains unreachable? The delivery management software allows you to inform your client of the failure of this first attempt, while providing proof of the delivery driver’s visit (note of absence on the door, photo of the unopened mailbox, etc.). You also have the possibility to send a link to the end customer by email or SMS to reschedule a new presentation from the application.

Communicate with the customer in all circumstances

Regardless of the cause of the issue, AntsRoute delivery management software always offers a solution for proactive communication with customers, thus preventing signs of frustration or aggression.

• Even before the departure of the delivery driver, we suggest that you send an automatic e-mail or SMS to the end customer, in order to limit as much as possible the absences during the first presentation.
• As soon as the driver starts his route, our delivery management software allows you to send a tracking link to your customers. This way, they can follow the progress of the driver in real time on a map, without the need for customer service. Did your driver get delayed because of a delivery that took longer than expected? For the more impatient, just click on this tracking link to see how many more customers the driver has to visit, and discover the new estimated time of arrival (ETA).

As you can see, we have already developed many useful solutions to help you manage the many unforeseen events that too often disrupt the last mile. And it’s not over yet! Every month, we add new features to our software to help you improve your performance and quality of service. Do you want to see for yourself? Try our delivery management software for free during 7 days. Go to this page to sign up !