Optimizing a Route with the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta
After you have completed your data entry in the Workbook Interface, use the Optimize button (in the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Menu) to optimize your route.
Optimizing Your Route
How to Optimize Your Route:
- Once you have completed your data entry in the Workbook Interface (See Completing the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Workbook in Using the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Workbook Interface), click Optimize in the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Menu.
The optimization algorithm initializes and optimizes your route. You will see the status (see below) of your optimization on the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Map.
Once the optimization algorithm completes, your results are displayed on the screen.
The potential savings graph featured in the bottom right corner of the screen (see below) is only available immediately after the route is optimized. If you click on a tab or leave the page, you will not be able to return to the potential savings graph.
If you have a signficant number of stop locations and/or vehicles, your route may take a few moments to optimize. If at any time you would like to stop the optimization algorithm, click Stop.
Viewing Your Optimized Route
After your route is optimized, you may view your route results in the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Map, Menu, and Workbook Interface.
How to Review Your Results:
- From the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Map, the Forecasted Route Profit/Cost (indicated with a negative sign) is provided in the top right-hand corner.
Additionally, your Attribute Score (if you entered attributes) and Time Window Score (if you entered time windows) are provided under the Forecasted Route Profit/Cost. These scores are displayed as the number of attributes/time windows successfully met over the total number of attributes/time windows entered.
- From the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Menu, the per-vehicle routes are displayed under Per-Vehicle Routes and are organized by vehicle name.
The vehicle name is followed by the corresponding alphabetical route identifier in parentheses with the number of stop locations (visits) on the route displayed underneath.
Click on the link icon next to the alphabetical route identifier to open a new browser tab with the vehicle’s route overview. The URL from the new browser tab can be copied and pasted in an email to share with a driver, dispatcher, or other personnel. The receiver will NOT need valid login credentials to view the received route overview.
- From the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Workbook Interface, click the Profits Tab.
- Review totals for profits, costs (indicated by a negative number), and more from the optimized route. Available fields include the following:
- Profit – Total dollar amount that may be earned from the optimized route.
- Cumulative Route Time (Hours) – Total time (displayed in hours) it will take to complete the optimized route based on visit durations and driving time.
- Total Miles Driven – Total miles that vehicle operators will drive to complete the optimized route.
- Total Time Driving (Hours) – Total time (displayed in hours) that vehicle operators will drive to complete the optimized route.
- Total Time Stopped (Hours) – Total visit duration time (displayed in hours) for all stop locations entered on the Locations Tab.
- Gross Job Profit – Total amount (in dollars) from all job profits entered in the Locations Tab before any applicable deductions.
- Attribute Profit – Total amount (in dollars) earned from required job/vehicle attributes after any applicable penalities are deducted.
- Driver Cost – Total cost associated with drivers entered for the optimized route based on hourly driver pay entered in the Vehicles Tab and driving time total and/or shift time per driver (if entered).
- Driver Overtime Cost – Total cost of overtime pay, if applicable, for all drivers included in the optimized route, based on driver overtime pay, shift time, and total time driving for the optimized route.
- Gas Cost – Total cost of gas for all vehicles in the optimized route, based on gas price entered in the Settings Tab, miles per gallon entered in the Vehicles Tab, and total miles driven.
- Vehicle Activation Cost – Total activation costs entered in the Vehicles Tab for all vehicles included in the optimized route.
- Vehicle Usage Cost – Total cost of using all vehicles included in the optimized route for the time window span.
- Computation Time (Seconds) – Total time taken for the algorithm to complete optimization for the route.
- From the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Workbook Interface, click the Results Tab.
- Review populated results and data in spreadsheet format for all stop locations in the route from the optimization.
You may sort the spreadsheet by column. To do so, click on the column header (e.g., Subroute, Gross Profit, etc.,).
- You may export the Workbook Interface of the optimized route using the instructions provided under Exporting a File in Using the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Menu.
If you make any changes to the file after exporting, the optimization results may no longer apply. To see new optimization results on an edited exported optimization, you may import the file (see Using the GPS Insight Route Optimizer Beta Menu) and click Optimize to re-run the optimization algorithm.
The Profits Tab displays.
The Results Tab displays.
If the cell corresponding to the arrival time of a vehicle to a stop location is blank, this may indicate that the vehicle may have started at this location (did not have an arrival time).