With the high demand and fast pace of the construction industry, efficiency is everything. One of the key components to keeping projects on track is ensuring building supplies arrive on-site promptly and reliably. This is where route optimization software becomes essential. By determining the most efficient, cost-effective, and timely routes for drivers, this type of technology ensures that last-mile deliveries, the final and often most complex part of the supply chain, run like clockwork.
In the construction industry, delays in delivering materials can quickly escalate into costly project overruns. Timely and accurate delivery of supplies such as bricks, timber, cement, and other materials can make or break a day’s work on-site. Route planning software ensures the last stage of your supply chain, from the warehouse to the site, is not left to chance. Whether delivering to a rural build or a busy urban construction site, optimised routes reduce idle time, fuel usage, and stress for drivers.
Choosing the right route planning solution for your business can improve not just your delivery times, but also your profitability and customer satisfaction. To help you decide, we’ve put together an overview of three leading route planning software providers available in North America that are particularly well suited to the building supply and construction sector.
Descartes
Overview:
Descartes offers route planning solutions for a range of industries, including building and construction. Their fast and optimised software enables you to gain a competitive advantage and has been highly successful in the industry.
Key Elements of the Route Planning Software:
- Increases efficiency by increasing the number of stops and decreasing the number of vehicles needed.
- Helps you adhere to time windows while optimizing for distance, cost and number of routes.
- Strategic and daily route planning to deal with fluctuations in demand.
- Service reliability to ensure that drivers execute their routes, ensuring customer satisfaction.
- Takes into account commercial vehicle restrictions.
- Digital proof of delivery means all orders can be tracked and monitored, reducing fraudulent claims.
Customer-facing notifications, real-time ETA updates and tracking to ensure delivery success.
Benefits for construction suppliers:
Construction timelines are often tight, and delivery mistakes can disrupt entire projects. Descartes ensures that delivery windows are met, even during peak periods, and that supply chains remain flexible in the face of unexpected changes. Their software also integrates well with broader supply chain management tools, making it ideal for suppliers with complex distribution needs.
Paragon
Overview:
Paragon’s advanced routing software helps businesses in the construction industry follow an optimised delivery schedule. Building sites and stores can deliver sand, bricks, fence panels, or more materials. This software provider ensures you are in control of your last-mile deliveries.
Key Elements of the Route Planning Software:
- Increase efficiency and manage costs of delivery.
- Includes a modular order fulfilment system which helps ensure cost effective home deliveries.
- Continuously improve delivery accuracy with live planning data.
- Increased customer satisfaction with proof of delivery.
Benefits for construction suppliers:
Whether you’re delivering to multiple sites or managing a large inventory with tight turnaround times, Paragon allows for flexible and scalable operations. It’s especially useful for construction supply companies that manage diverse product types and face high levels of delivery variability.
Upper
Overview:
Upper offers building supplies distribution software suitable for the construction industry. It enables customers to address and overcome scheduling challenges which happen on route, providing live tracking to increase efficiency.
Key Elements of the Route Planning Software:
- Adaptable in high-demand periods to ensure deliveries happen on time.
- Real-time tracking to show the delivery status of vehicles.
- Optimise vehicle load management for maximum efficiency, reducing costs.
- Track your costs and resource usage to identify trends and increase efficiency.
Benefits for construction suppliers:
Upper is ideal for businesses that need flexible, easy-to-use tools with strong visual route planning features. It’s particularly suited to companies that experience sudden fluctuations in demand or that are growing rapidly and need a solution that can keep up.
Final Thoughts
Our article has provided information about three different examples of companies that provide route tracking software across North America for the construction industry. Now you should be able to make a more confident decision about the route optimization software provider you choose to manage the delivery of your building supplies.