Using Route Optimization to super-charge performance

Even with the COVID-19 impact it’s estimated that more than half of all sales reps continue to carry out their key tasks in the field in order to cement strong customer relationships.

Optimising the route they travel is a critical component ensuring that company representatives can maximise their time whilst minimising time and distance.Although Consumer-level GPS mapping apps let you input a start and finish location, they become tedious when developing multiple call stops or planning ahead for a week.True route optimization involves planning the order and routes of sales calls in the most efficient way. To do this, specialized route optimization software is needed. Many sales reps have a mobile CRM tool for recording visit details and placing orders but the best in breed applications now combine route optimisation and CRM within the one application.Combining CRM and route data ensures sales reps always have access to correct, up-to-date information. Salespeople can also have all the key information they need to plan and review customer visits at their fingertips.

When you’re on the road, things don’t always go according to plan.

If a meeting runs longer than expected, sales reps can use a dynamic routing tool to easily adjust the rest of the route plan and schedule. Route planners can put multiple stops in the best order to create efficient routes. This leads to shorter travel time, lower fuel costs and less carbon emissions.Field based users can set a one-way route or a round trip with a designated finish location. This caters for the sales reps who travel to largercities, and return to home base or reps travelling inter-State and using a rental car to drive to set a destination where they’ll start the next day from.CRM integration allows salespeople to tap on a call and drill down on all relevant information at that upcoming call. Accessing sales history, calling card history and follow up tasks from previous visits ensures that the business has a unified system for managing their accounts.Salespeople are hired to sell and not be buried in administrative tasks. Maximising time in the field through the utilization of an integrated route planning tool that is built into the CRM solution makes life easier for all parties.Managing a large field team is complex. By balancing accounts and visits based on sales achieved and upcoming opportunities the guesswork can be removed from the equation.If you are interested in learning how your business can benefit from Opmetrix’s Route Optimisation, contact us now.Click here for more information.