Route Planning: Optimizing Your Daily Schedule

The Route Planning tool calculates the most efficient driving sequence for your daily appointments. The system analyzes all Reports and Tasks assigned to a specific user on a specific date to determine the best order of travel.

How it Works

• Web app: Provides a full map visualization of the route, lets you fine-tune the stop order, and lets you reassign or move a whole day.
• Mobile app: Focuses on the sequence of stops. Each stop includes a shortcut to launch your phone’s preferred GPS app (Google Maps, Apple Maps, etc.) for turn-by-turn navigation.

Setting Start and End Locations

To calculate a route, the system needs a beginning and ending point. You can customize these for each user in Settings → Account (open the user and fill in the Route starting address and Route ending address). The system follows this logic:

1. User-Specific: Uses the start/end addresses saved on the user.
2. Fallback (Start = End): If no end address is found, the system uses the start address for both.
3. Company Default: If no personal addresses are set, the system defaults to the Company Address for both points.

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Web app: Planning the Route

1. Navigate to Reports/Tasks, select the Routing tab, and make sure Day route is selected. (Route calendar, next to it, shows the whole week by route — see Routes and the Route Calendar.)
2. Select Date & Assignee: The system defaults to today, but you can plan for future dates. Select the specific team member from the Assignee dropdown — only people with open reports on that date are listed.
3. Calculate: If a route has already been generated, it appears automatically. If not, click Calculate Route.
4. Processing: Please allow a moment for the system to optimize the sequence. Once finished, the map and the stop list appear, with the total stops, distance and driving time under Best Routing.
5. Fine-tune (optional): Drag rows in the stop list to change the order, then click Save Order. The route is marked as a Custom order rather than the Optimized order.

You can then move on to the next person, if desired.

If a visit is moved to another day or another person after the route was calculated, the route shows Out of date — recalculate. Click Calculate Route to bring it up to date.

Reassigning or moving a whole day

Two buttons on the Routing tab act on every stop for the selected assignee and date:

• Reassign day — moves all of the day’s stops to another technician and recalculates their route. Useful when someone calls in sick.
• Move day — moves all of the day’s stops to another date and recalculates. Useful for a weather day.

Mobile: Using the Route in the Field

When working in the field, accessing your plan is simple:

1. Open the mobile app and go to Reports → Route.
2. View your stops: Your optimized sequence for the day is displayed.
3. Navigate: * Tap the item: Opens the specific Report or Task details.
   • Tap the Route Icon: Automatically exports the address to your device’s map application for turn-by-turn driving directions.
4. On-the-Go Calculation: If a route hasn’t been planned yet, you can tap Calculate Route to generate it on the spot (requires an active internet connection).

Important Distinction: Sequencing vs. Navigation

• The Route Planner is designed to provide the optimal sequence (the best order) to visit your clients to save time and fuel.
• Turn-by-Turn Directions are handled by your mobile device. Use the Route Icon at each stop to get live traffic and navigation data as you move from one location to the next.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What happens if I add a new Task to a user after a route is already calculated? If a new Report or Task is assigned to a user mid-day, the system will not automatically inject it into the existing sequence. You will need to go back to the Routing tab and click Calculate Route again. The system will then re-optimize the day’s plan to include the new stop in the most efficient position.

Can I manually reorder the stops if I disagree with the sequence? Yes. On the Routing tab, drag the rows of the stop table into the order you want and click Save Order. In the field, you can also simply visit stops out of order by tapping the address of the client you wish to visit next.

Does the system account for traffic or road closures? The Route Planning feature calculates the best sequence based on geographic distance and typical routing logic. However, live conditions like accidents, construction, or heavy traffic are handled by your phone’s local map application (Google/Apple Maps) once you tap the Route Icon.

What if a client is missing a valid address? If a Report or Task does not have a valid, geocodable address, the system will be unable to include it in the calculation. You will see a warning or the stop will simply be omitted. Ensure all property records have a complete address (Street, City, State, Zip) for the best results.

Does this work if I lose cell service in the field? You need an active internet connection to calculate or refresh a route. However, if the route was already calculated while you had service, the list of stops will remain visible. Note that launching your map application for turn-by-turn directions may require a data connection depending on your phone’s offline map settings.