What is the Best Route Planner for Proof of Delivery?

Since delivery-based businesses are performing on-time deliveries, it has become necessary for them to capture proof of delivery before leaving the delivery location. For that reason, the search to find an automated app with delivery proof is ongoing. 

That’s why, from local delivery businesses to eCommerce services, everyone wants to switch to the delivery route planner app that collects e-signature from clients. 

Are you looking out for options? Then, you are exactly at the right place to know why you should go after the best route planner.

What is a Delivery Route Planner?

In simple words, it is automated software that helps you plan a delivery route by quickly generating an optimal route. The delivery company would find it easier in dispatching and delivering the package as most of their work will be maintained online. Thus, you would have your delivery route ready in seconds with a route optimization tool.

Let’s suppose you own a delivery business that offers delivery services or in-field services (e.g., cable installation, lawn mowing, etc.) You rely on route planning to manage your deliveries, vehicles or service workers. Route planning involves more than just plotting points on a map to plan your delivery route.

It includes identifying and taking into account numerous factors to design the most efficient route. While some small businesses may rely on Google Maps for creating routes; Google Maps is not a route planner, it is a web mapping service.

It is not designed for planning routes with multiple stops. So, while Google Maps does a great job of mapping an efficient route from Point A to Point B, it doesn’t fare so well when mapping multiple stops on a delivery route.

How to Collect Paperless POD?

To capture paperless delivery proof, one should get a delivery route planner app that has in-built features to collect proof of successful deliveries. Delivery route planners with such advanced delivery features will not only minimize the delivery time but also store the data in cloud storage. This would further help you generate the overall delivery reports for weeks or months. 

Therefore, most business owners or entrepreneurs prefer taking help from the delivery route planner instead of going after the manual route planning method. Nowadays, many delivery route planner apps offer dedicated apps only for drivers. This App helps delivery personnel to understand the overall delivery process and keeps you updated about the delivery status. 

Capturing paperless POD will help you keep the data safe on your route management tool and you would have improved last-mile delivery businesses.

Below is how you can get electronic proof using route optimization and planning software.

• Set up the fastest route for deliveries.
• Hit a dispatch button to start delivering products.
• Let delivery drivers follow the optimized routes using a tracking link.
• Allow customers to check the driver’s location on the real-time tracker.
• Keep customers in the loop by sending automated delivery notifications.
• Handover the package once your driver has reached the destination.
• Following the delivery, collect electronic proof on your smart device.

What Features are Needed in a Proof of Delivery App?

When you are looking out for any proof of delivery app, you must know what it offers or will you get all the necessary features to use? Here, we shed more light on common features available with the proof of delivery app.

1. Cloud Storage for Sensitive Information

Protection of customer data is imperative no matter whichever platform you use. Customers want to be assured that the app won’t sell their sensitive data to third parties. They also want to feel confident that their data is securely protected against data breaches, such as hacking.

When shopping for a delivery route planning software, it’s essential to examine the fine print regarding customer data and ensure that the developer is wholly committed to privacy and protection.

2. Automated Delivery Process

When it comes to delivery operations, there are a few special considerations that need to be considered in the ongoing process. For example, in many instances, it’s required that the customer is at home when the prescription drugs are delivered. 

An app that allows a customer to select a specific time slot for delivery and provides real-time tracking of the delivery driver to ensure maximum efficiency and customer satisfaction. Also, it will send delivery alerts to customers, as well.

Some apps will also offer other valuable features such as organizing a customer’s prescriptions based on the time of day they need to be taken and automated refills.

3. Managing pickups and delivery

The delivery route planning app should have the capabilities of an advanced route optimization engine that helps you rearrange pickups and deliveries. Such proof of delivery feature is significant for the drivers performing daily deliveries. The inclusion of this feature in the routing software means that drivers don’t mess up between pickups and deliveries. 

Moreover, drivers will have an idea of the route plan if they first need to do pickups or deliveries. Whichever option they choose, the system will remind them to record delivery proof documents without wasting time.

4. Driver preference

We know how a driver plays a crucial role in delivering the package safely. So, considering the driver’s job, there should be a driver-friendly app or well-developed delivery management software consisting of driver side features as well.

The reason behind using driver preference is that the admin can ask drivers about their preferred route and then create a route plan as per their suggestions. For instance, if your driver doesn’t want to go by the toll booth, then you create a route plan by avoiding the toll roads.

 5. Importing delivery details

When you are managing big firms, it is likely that you will have long lists of pickups or deliveries. Imagine how time-consuming it will be if you keep entering those addresses manually. This is why you need a routing system that helps you enter addresses more easily.

Most online route planners offer drag and drop features to let the system fetch the data and find the shortest distance. Whereas, few of them also offer a ‘recent address’ option so that you don’t need to go anywhere else searching for the previously added ones.

6. E-signature & Image Capture

The sensitive nature and importance of prescription drugs to a person’s life make it imperative that the driver gets the package to the right customer every single time. Allowing the driver to record a delivery proof has become necessary for delivery startups. 

So, the delivery route planning app should account for the need to capture the customer’s signature upon delivery and photo as electronic proof that the proper prescription order has been delivered. 

By doing so, you can avoid false claim made by the customers. Including that, there should be a dedicated slot for the customers where they can mention the delivery notes if required.

7. Live Tracker

 If your pizza doesn’t arrive on time or at all, what’s the worst that can happen? You have to eat Cheerios for dinner. But when it comes to prescription deliveries, the stakes can sometimes be much higher. 

If you run out of insulin and your refill doesn’t get delivered on time, you may end up at the doctor’s or in the hospital. While customers need to order their prescriptions promptly to avoid the need for emergency deliveries, the fact is that not all customers are going to remember all the time. This is why it’s crucial to give the live time tracker to keep them updated.

8. Planning Routes with Unlimited Stops

Finding a multi-stop route optimization tool with unlimited stops has become almost a minimum requirement nowadays. Google Maps, which has only ten stops, will not cut it. 

The major challenge for delivery companies is to find the best app for their drivers so they can know deliveries, pickups, unlimited stops (or addresses) and unlimited routes. In addition to this, the route monitoring tools also inform you about toll roads and traffic congestion.

These are just a few of the key considerations when shopping for a route planning app for your delivery service. Moreover, you can check out our Route Planning article for other features and general considerations to take into account when choosing a route optimization software solution for your drivers.

How Current Proof of Delivery Apps Work

Delivery apps that have in-built features to capture an electronic proof will make sure you get an electronic proof once the product is delivered. Now, before you wonder how does it work? Let us tell you that it’s an advanced algorithm that keeps the app functioning smoothly.

Whenever you have a purchased order list ready, you can import the excel file to let the delivery management system collect the data. Thereafter, fetching the order’s list, it will alert drivers to begin their delivery jobs. Then, when drivers successfully deliver the package, it will ask them to capture images as delivery proof on their mobile devices.

Hence, you will get electronic proof or digital proof instantly and customers would be satisfied with your delivery services.

Is There a Proof of Delivery Route Planner App Available?

Of course, there are many apps available in the market which allows you to plan effective delivery routes. We recommend Upper Route Planner as your best bet for multi-stop route optimization for delivery drivers who need unlimited stops. 

Planning efficient routes with delivery proof is not the easiest job, and you need an app that will be both user-friendly, allow you to add unlimited stops and routes, and will empower you to navigate with ease.

However, if you are still pondering what is the best way to plan a delivery route? It is suggested that you should try a delivery route planner app like Upper and simply enter the address. That’s it, you will get the optimized route within seconds.

Right then, let’s run through some of its core features that prove why the Upper Route Planner is the best route planner app for delivery drivers.

• Quick Route planning: The user can quickly generate routes and add as many stops as they like. You can create a cost-effective route order with specific time constraints.
• Route Optimization: Whenever you optimize the route, it quickly provides the multiple drivers with an optimized route in less than a minute.
• Proof of Delivery: Upon arrival at any of the stops on any of your routes, you can record delivery proof on your mobile phone. The app offers three options: customer signature, picture, and delivery note. The app will log all the data into your secure back-end, and you will be able to access it at any time in the future.
• Add Unlimited Stops: The app also provides the user with unlimited access to routes and addresses, making it a go-to route optimization software for salespeople, field sales reps, last-mile carriers and other professionals.
• Automated delivery notifications: The admin can customize the customer notification template and then send email notifications for customer updates. 
• Cloud storage: Customers’ data will be safe and secure on our servers with unlimited storage.
• Multi-platform: We are on the web, Apple iPhone’s App Store, and Android Google Play Store. You can create routes in one app and navigate to those routes in the other app. Everything syncs instantly.

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Conclusion

If you are looking for the best planner with multiple stops for your business, you certainly have to look beyond Google Maps (which is suitable for driving directions but not for route optimization). In terms of the best app for the job, you need to look at the critical we named above, including on-time delivery. 

For us, when you want to get as many routes done as efficiently as possible, we recommend Upper Route Planner. There are other delivery route planner apps that will get you on your way to the stops, routes, and addresses that you want. But Upper is designed from the ground up with simplicity in mind. With Upper, your job becomes effortless, and growth is guaranteed. 

When you do so, don’t forget to check the aforementioned features in delivery route planner apps. Meanwhile, you can book a demo to explore features on Upper Route Planner.