Route Optimization API: NextBillion.ai Streamlined Deliveries for Time-Critical Logistics Provider with Dynamic Multi-Stop Route Planning

About the Company

With over 50 years of experience, this US-headquartered global company is a trusted provider of time-critical logistics solutions, expertly delivering 1.5 million+ annual shipments worldwide. They specialize in the safe and efficient delivery of high-value supplies, particularly medical device transportation.

The Problem

The company faced significant logistical hurdles, including manual distribution processes, inefficient fleet management and the necessity to adapt to real-time route adjustments.

They approached NextBillion.ai with a specific set of challenges, as outlined in the problem statement:

• The need to support the efficient assignment of multiple shipments to multiple drivers within their workflow as new shipments get added into their system.
• The complexity of adding shipments to routes already in progress while also considering several internal constraints.
• Ensure that all drivers deliver all ‘picked up’ shipments without returning them to the central warehouse.
• Overcome the challenge of assigning a job or shipment to a specific route without causing logistical conflicts or reassigning it to a different driver once assigned.
• Match drivers with appropriate job/shipment assignments and vehicles based on skills and other relevant parameters.
• Consolidate stops that happen at the same location and the cumulative service time associated with multiple shipments.
• The ability to customize the sequence of work orders.

Our Solution

The NextBillion.ai Route Optimization API anchored our solution for the global logistics company. The API played a pivotal role in addressing their challenges and achieving several key objectives:

• Real-time traffic updates: They benefited from real-time traffic updates, which helped them to make last-minute route adjustments in response to changing traffic conditions, ensuring efficient and timely deliveries, especially critical for medical device transportation.
• Streamlined distribution process: Our solution automated their distribution process, replacing their previous manual methods. This automation not only saved time but also significantly enhanced operational efficiency.
• Precise driver and vehicle matching: The API allowed the firm to match the right drivers to the right vehicles within their diverse fleet. This included accommodating different types of vehicles and the specific skills assigned to each driver, ensuring optimal utilization of their resources. Constraints defined by them, such as skills, were seamlessly incorporated into the matching process.
• Large fleet optimization: Our solution enabled them to efficiently handle routing optimization for their extensive fleet of vehicles, with a particular focus on time-critical transportation and delivery of medical devices. The Route Optimization API ensured that each route was optimized for precision, taking into account the unique requirements of their shipments.
• Configurable relationships: The firm could configure relationships between jobs and shipments through the relations feature. This feature mimicked real-world constraints, allowing them to control job and shipment sequences based on their specific requirements.
• Pre-optimization adjustments: Our solution addressed the challenge of consolidating stops at the same location and managing cumulative service times. Pre-optimization adjustments were made to ensure that stops were efficiently grouped, contributing to overall route efficiency.
• Reoptimization capability: The Route Optimization API helped the American transportation service provider to reoptimize routes as new jobs were added. This dynamic capability ensured routes remained efficient and adaptable to evolving logistical demands.

NextBillion.ai’s Route Optimization API stood as a comprehensive solution that not only resolved the healthcare logistics specialist’s challenges but also significantly enhanced their operations, particularly in the critical field of medical device transportation.

The company also made use of our Directions and Maps APIs. The Maps API helped them represent the optimized output on interactive maps with various features. At the same time, the Directions API allowed them to find the best routes and plan trips efficiently for different driving modes.

The Outcome

Implementing NextBillion.ai’s location technology solutions brought a transformative shift for the US-based company. Notably, it delivered improved operational efficiency, reducing delivery times and lowering fuel consumption. The automation of shipment consolidation streamlined logistics processes, replacing labor-intensive manual methods.

Real-time traffic updates provided the agility to adapt routes swiftly, ensuring timely deliveries, a critical aspect, especially in the context of medical device transportation. The flexible vehicle and skills assignment feature facilitated the precise matching of drivers to vehicles, effectively eliminating logistical challenges.