As a restaurant supplier or food distributor, your organization is most likely facing ever-mounting pressure to provide deliveries in a fast and efficient manner. One of the most practical ways to meet your clients’ expectations is to modernize your route management strategies with enterprise resource planning (ERP) software.
With that in mind, let’s examine three route planning best practices that you can leverage after implementing such technology and explore the benefits of adopting ERP software.
Best Practices for Route Planning
While there is a multitude of ways to enhance your route planning capabilities, three tools, in particular, can have the biggest impact on delivery efficiency, which are as follows:
1. Real-Time GPS Tracking
Real-time GPS tracking technology enables you to precisely monitor the location of your entire fleet. You can then use that data to provide up-to-the-minute updates to your customers, notifying them of potential delays well in advance and gauging the performance of your drivers.
Additionally, GPS tracking data can be used to support your process improvement efforts. You can pinpoint consistent delivery issues, identify bottlenecks, and proactively work to enhance the client experience.
2. Auto-Routing Algorithms
Auto-routing algorithms will generate precisely designed delivery routes. Using these algorithms achieves two things: First, automating route generation will save your dispatching and logistics management personnel countless hours each week. Secondly, and more importantly, an algorithm will produce optimized routes that reduce fuel waste, help drivers avoid delays, and expedite delivery times.
3. Computer-Assisted Dispatching
Computer-assisted dispatching technologies enable fewer dispatchers to effectively manage more drivers. In other words, you’ll be able to do more with less.
Adopting computer-assisted dispatching tools will minimize driver idle times and streamline the process of assigning loads. You can also use the software to maximize asset utilization and optimize the productivity of your drivers.
Benefits of Adopting ERP Software
Adopting robust ERP software will have an unquestionably positive impact on your delivery capabilities. By integrating a best-of-breed restaurant supply ERP solution into your business model, you can unlock benefits such as:
Increased Customer Satisfaction
At the end of the day, everything you do is about customer satisfaction. Happy customers will continuously rely on your business to meet their needs, while dissatisfied clients are more likely to seek other suppliers and discontinue using your services.
With feature-rich ERP software at your disposal, you can significantly increase delivery efficiency. Additionally, you can keep your customers in the loop about the status of their orders, minimize the risk of delays, and ensure that the restaurants you serve have the supplies they need when they need them.
Optimized Delivery Efficiency
Route optimization and GPS tracking technologies allow you to improve delivery efficiency, as drivers will have access to carefully generated routes that help them avoid road closures, rush hour traffic, and other impediments that will cause delays.
As an added benefit, optimizing your delivery efficiency through ERP software can contribute to improved team morale and less driver fatigue. Drivers will no longer have to stay late to make deliveries, meaning they will enjoy more downtime to recharge, which, in turn, can lead to less attrition and absenteeism.
Reduced Fuel Costs
Fuel is undoubtedly one of your largest recurring operating expenses. Fortunately, the right ERP software can help you reduce your fuel costs and avoid waste. You can minimize fuel consumption by using the insights gleaned from the GPS tracking and route optimization technology you implement.
Top GPS solutions provide not only location data but also information about a driver’s average speed as well. You can identify which drivers are negatively impacting their fuel efficiency and proactively address these concerns. Route optimization tools further decrease fuel consumption by reducing idle times and helping drivers avoid getting stuck in hours-long traffic jams.
Elevate Your Delivery Capabilities with Advanced Solutions and Consulting
Acumatica offers a complete, modern ERP solution for restaurant supply companies and food distributors to optimize route management, streamline inventory, quickly create orders, and improve customer communications.
Optimizing your route management capabilities and streamlining the flow of shipments to your customers requires the right ERP software, and Acumatica is that software, but before you can embrace its functionality and versatility, you must migrate away from your existing technology stack.
Advanced Solutions and Consulting Co. can ensure that your transition is seamless by providing end-to-end Acumatica implementation services. To learn more about our services or experience the capabilities of Acumatica, connect with our team and book your demo.
Additional Restaurant Supply Resources
How ERP Software Can Improve Inventory Management For Restaurant Supply Companies
How ERP Can Streamline Operations For Restaurant Supply Companies