What Is Delivery Management Software? Features to Consider

What if it was easy to find the most efficient routes, assign responsibilities, and track the progress of every package?

It can be, so long as you use the best delivery management software.

Both individual drivers and teams can benefit. It will help you organize your driver’s days and rack their progress.

So you can finish your work faster every time.

Delivery management software is used by logistics professionals to improve delivery service. A comprehensive software solution makes it faster and easier to plan and manage deliveries.

If you’re an ops manager or dispatcher overseeing deliveries — for example, for a warehouse, a distributor, or an e-commerce retailer — delivery management software can make your job easier in a lot of ways.

How is delivery management software different from a distribution logistics tool or fleet management technology? 

Well, it’s more comprehensive.

Delivery management software doesn’t just address one or two components of the delivery process. It gives you a solution for many delivery tasks, from optimizing delivery routes to tracking delivery statuses in real time.

Read on for the fast facts on delivery management software, including how it can help save you money. Plus, review a quick guide on what to look for in this type of software as a service (SaaS) tool so you can assess your options.

How delivery management software helps you grow your business

Sometimes, the smooth running of delivery operations can be a struggle. Especially if you’re still using maps and guesswork to plan and manage your drivers’ schedules. If this is the case, you can benefit from delivery management software.

In fact, a top-quality product can handle many of the complex tasks related to delivery services, like:

• Route planning: You want your drivers to make their stops as fast as possible. For this to happen, you need to plan logical routes that take them quickly from A to B, avoiding hurdles like traffic jams. A well-planned route also helps drivers avoid time-wasters, like having to double-back to deliver a package.
• Driver tracking: If you oversee a bunch of drivers, you want to make sure they’re hitting their stops on time and avoiding delays. Delivery management software lets you track drivers’ movements in real time so you always know where they are without having to check in through SMS notification or a phone call.
• Communication: Communication is essential for a successful delivery business. Delivery management software makes it easy to give customers real-time updates about their packages, even sending updates by text message and email.

So how does using delivery management software for these tasks benefit your business?

First, it saves dispatchers and ops managers like you time and stress, freeing up your energy to focus on more complicated jobs or a better work-life balance.

Second, a delivery management system can help cut operational costs. Having optimal routes can help keep drivers on track and stop them from doubling back, which wastes both hours and fuel (a major expense).

Finally, a delivery management tool can benefit the people you want to impress above all else: your customers!

For instance, delivery management software can automatically set delivery time windows and notify customers when they can expect their packages.

This improves customer satisfaction, creating more loyal customers who are more likely to champion your business and support it financially. 

The result? Fewer expenses plus more money equals greater profits! Ultimately, this can contribute to your company’s long-term growth and financial success.

Delivery management software for last-mile deliveries 

Delivery management software is especially useful in structuring last-mile delivery — the final step in the supply chain that brings the package to the customer’s doorstep.

Last-mile delivery is notoriously complex and costly — more than other steps of the logistics process. But why?

It comes down to the huge number of packages that last-mile delivery involves. 

For example, if you’re shipping goods from China to New York in a cargo carrier, you have all of your items in one vessel to go from point A to point B.

With last-mile delivery, though, you’re not just going from point A to point B. You have hundreds or even thousands of packages going to multiple locations with multiple drivers and vehicles — sometimes, all in a single day!

Needless to say, it’s a lot to keep track of. 

Delivery management software can make it easier, helping with everything from determining the priority of packages to deciding the best routes drivers should take.

Key delivery management software features to consider

If you’re going to invest in delivery management software, you want to make the most of it. 

Of course, there are obvious factors to consider, like affordable pricing and solid customer support. But you also want to make sure you’re getting a good bang for your buck. 

So, what makes for a great tool? Keep an eye out for these features.

Manage multiple routes and drivers at once 

How many drivers do you have in the field service at one time? Depending on the size of your organization, it could be anywhere from just a few to upward of 100. 

Managing all of those drivers at once is a headache waiting to happen.

You can put away the painkillers, though.

A top-quality delivery management software allows you to easily manage multiple drivers and their routes, simplifying both the planning and the oversight.

In the past, dispatch or ops managers may have planned routes by hand, using a map and a list of addresses to figure out the fastest way to get through all the stops. 

Today, this is practically stone-age technology.

Look for delivery management software where you can upload your delivery data, including customer names and addresses. For example, some tools allow you to upload CSV or Excel files.

The software should then take care of the actual route planning. 

Look for products that optimize routes, giving drivers the fastest and easiest order of drop-offs to complete.

Track deliveries with ETAs 

Planning delivery routes is only half the battle for any dispatcher or ops manager. 

You also have to oversee those routes and make sure your drivers get the job done.

The best delivery management tools offer real-time tracking so you can check driver location at any time. This means you don’t have to call or text your drivers to see where they are in their routes.

Delivery tracking is on demand with the click of a button in your software tool, saving you time and hassle. This can also give your drivers peace of mind, as they don’t have to check in with you for updates.

Real-time tracking also means you can give customers an estimated time of arrival, improving customer experience. Customers like knowing the ETA for their delivery orders so they can be around to collect them.

The best delivery tools will even automate ETA notifications. For example, they’ll send your customers emails or text messages telling them when they can expect their package — with no extra effort on your part.

Route optimization for individual drivers 

Route optimization isn’t just meant to help dispatchers and ops managers. It should also help drivers — after all, they’re the ones making that last-mile delivery.

Great delivery management software is easy for drivers to use with a mobile app. When drivers can access their routes on the road, they can add or delete stops — and the optimization tool will update their routes accordingly.

The best tool should empower drivers. For instance, look for perks like hands-free functionality. This allows drivers to keep their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel while using the tool.

Also, think about which perks your drivers could benefit from beyond route optimization. The whole point of delivery management software is to overcome many common delivery hurdles.

Examples of perks that drivers can benefit from include the ability to mark priority packages, keep delivery notes, and set delivery time windows. A package finder feature (for example, with barcode scanning) is also a big plus, making it easy to find packages in a crowded delivery vehicle.

Delivery management software can help streamline your company’s operations and save you money. But it’s important to remember that this tool should help your drivers, too. 

Keep their needs in mind when shopping around.

How can Circuit for Teams help me save time and increase profits?

For a delivery management solution that can streamline your company’s delivery operations, trust Circuit for Teams. The delivery software offers all the essentials you need.

Circuit’s route optimization software gets your drivers from A to B as fast as possible, avoiding wasted time and gas. By logically sequencing routes, Circuit for Teams helps drivers avoid hassles like doubling back to deliver packages.

On top of that, the software tool’s API integrations with GPS tracking apps like Google Maps can help drivers avoid time-wasting hurdles like traffic jams. That means even more time, gas, and money saved!

Features like proof of delivery (POD) and the package finder can further help minimize the risk of lost packages — a major issue that can cost your company valuable dollars.

Finally, Circuit for Teams can lead to a greater delivery experience for customers with delivery time windows and SMS notifications about order status. This means customers are less likely to miss packages and drivers are more likely to fulfill deliveries on the first try.

Best of all, the software comes with an easy-to-use driver app (compatible with Android and iOS), so your delivery agents have constant access to real-time updates.