OptimoRoute Reviews - Is It Time to Go for a Different Solution?

Wondering whether OptimoRoute is a route management and optimization platform that can get the job done for you?

In that case, all you need to do is read on, as in this blog, we’ll:

• Analyse OptimoRoute’s UX/UI and key features;
• Explain its best use cases;
• Dissect its pricing policy;
• And, as a bonus, we’ll offer an alternative solution for all the folks who feel OptimoRoute leaves much to be desired when their particular needs are concerned.

TLDR

• OptimoRoute is a feature-rich tool with a primary focus on route planning and optimization
• Its biggest strengths are routing-related capabilities, whereas some more advanced delivery management options mostly stay out of OptimoRoute’s reach
• OptimoRoute charges clients on a per-driver basis, has a cap on the number of orders that can be planned at a time and includes most of its best features only in the more expansive plans
• Due to its pricing policy and the omission of cutting-edge delivery management features, OptimoRoute is best suited for the smallest of businesses and companies providing on-field services, sales reps, etc.
• eLogii is the optimal alternative for businesses of all types and sizes that need a more advanced, customisable and versatile solution

OptimoRoute reviews - Our methodology

To get a grasp of what OptimoRoute has to offer to prospective users, we have done the following:

• Tested the platform during its free trial period - and as we’re in the route planning & optimization space ourselves, we knew exactly what to pay attention to;
• We’ve talked to numerous previous and current users - we’ve picked their brains to find out what they like the most about this platform and where it fell short;
• Combed through clients’ ratings and reviews on reputable SaaS rating sites, such as G2, Capterra and GetApp.

That enabled us to conduct an in-depth analysis of OptimoRoute’s core functionality and, as a result, to figure out its best use cases and evaluate its value for money.

So, let’s dive right in!

OptimoRoute reviews - Ease of use

No software analysis would be complete without an estimation of its overall user experience, and ease of use plays a vital part in it.

OptimoRoute’s interface does have a slightly dated appearance, so it could definitely do with an update.

Moreover, it can get cluttered with tons of smaller windows opening one over the other.

Other than that, OptimoRoute is reasonably easy to use.

Its dashboard is pretty intuitive, so you won’t have to be particularly tech-savvy to wrap your head around it.

Moreover, OptimoRoute has a decent number of help articles and video tutorials on their website to help new users get onboarded and help existing users get the hang of the more advanced features.

Their customer support is pretty responsive and promptly answers their clients’ questions and dilemmas.

The verdict

So, although OptimoRoute’s interface does look like it desperately needs to be refreshed a little, it’s intuitive, fairly easy to navigate around, and won’t pose an issue for most users, even the less experienced ones.

Moreover, judging from customers’ reviews, it seems their support team is spot on since they give their best to help clients whenever and with whatever issue they may have.

OptimoRoute reviews - Core functionality

1. Routing capabilities

As its name would suggest, OptimoRoute is primarily focused on routing and not so much on other areas of delivery management as such.

When it comes to routing options, OptimoRoute does have some pretty nifty features, such as:

• Live tracking of your vehicles and pinpointing their precise location in real-time;
• Live rerouting in case the route has to be changed or adjusted;
• Away-from-depot pickup (for on-demand services);
• Multi-day long-distance route planning that is still in beta as we speak.

Moreover, OptimoRoute can consider things like driver work times and delivery/service time windows when planning routes to get the most precise results.

However, there’s a pretty significant downside to OptimoRoute’s routing ability - it cannot incorporate live traffic data in its routing and optimization. That means the routes won’t be as optimal as you’d like them to be. In turn, that will affect other things, such as ETAs.

2. Weekly planning

This is a handy feature for businesses with fixed schedules for weeks or even months ahead, as they can easily plan out the routes, assign tasks to available drivers, and ensure that the suitable vehicles are matched with the proper load.

3. It’s customisable

Unlike similar software that offer little to no customisation options, OptimoRoute enables setting up and customising certain parameters that can help with your overall efficiency.

For example, you can set up:

• Different vehicle specifications to make sure each load will be matched with the vehicle that ticks all the necessary boxes;
• Flexible driver start, end, break times and working hours;
• En-route pickups without returning to depot;
• Coordination between multiple drivers on jobs;
• Delivery time windows that are based on your customers’ desired time and date ranges, etc.

4. It’s good on analytics

OptimoRoute helps you track vital information such as drivers’ performance ratings, delivery arrival accuracy, predominant types of orders, etc.

Moreover, its breadcrumbs feature is excellent for seeing in close-up detail where the actual routes that were taken differ from the planned routes.

Shortcomings

However, OptimoRoute is not without its downsides. It suffers from the same issues most slightly older platforms have, as it’s been primarily designed for route planning and optimization alone.

Features that are supposed to allow a more versatile use and an all-around delivery and other complex logistics operations management were only developed and added on later, on the go.

As such, they’re not as advanced and sleek as the features of newer software that are more oriented toward delivery management.

So, some of the shortcomings that could be a problem for more advanced users include the following:

• It has a minimal number of POD methods - there are only options for photos and customer signatures, while it omits barcode scanning, which is one of the most sought-after POD methods today;

• The driver app doesn’t support driver-dispatcher live chat;
• Has no cash on delivery collection/confirmation capabilities;
• Lacks structured processes for handling failed deliveries - it just lets drivers add notes, which have to be reinterpreted later;
• It doesn’t effectively incorporate live traffic data, meaning you can forget about dynamic routing and up-to-the-minute ETAs.

The verdict

All in all, OptimoRoute has a truly great set of features that can give your route planning some serious leverage.

However, businesses that have demands for more complex logistics operations and need better integration with the entire supply chain, or are primarily focused on deliveries rather than field services, sales and similar industries, will find OptimoRoute lacking in several points.

The fact that it has just two POD collection methods, its inability to incorporate live traffic data in its route calculations, and no live chat options between drivers and dispatchers particularly stand out.

These omissions on its part are not that strange, though, once you consider that OptimoRoute is a route planning software first and foremost.

OptimoRoute reviews - Pricing

OptimoRoute has fixed pricing plans that don’t consider a business’s specific requirements and characteristics and charges users on a per-driver basis.

What’s more, if you need more advanced features (e.g. POD collection, real-time order tracking, customer feedback, analytics reports etc.), you’ll have to opt for the Pro plan at $49 per driver per month when billed monthly.

Given that OptimoRoute is priced on a per-driver basis, your costs will stack up real high real fast if you have a larger fleet or are planning on expanding it.

And to make matters even more aggravating, there’s a cap on the number of orders (a pickup or a delivery) that can be planned and stored at once - which will be a significant obstacle for bigger businesses, as the limit is set at just 1,000.

So, if you manage a fleet of about 30 vehicles, expect to pay as much as $1470 in just one month and for a meagre 1000 orders at that.

OptimoRoute reviews - When is OptimoRoute the right choice

OptimoRoute’s team is pretty straightforward about its best use cases.

They find it most suitable for small businesses, various on-field services (e.g. technicians, plumbers, exterminators, waste collectors, etc.), as well as sales representatives and real estate agents who have to drive around a lot and need help with saving time and cutting costs.

That means that OptimoRoute is not a great fit for larger businesses that predominantly deal with deliveries and need a platform with more advanced features aimed at delivery management.

Moreover, businesses with a bigger fleet and a significant number of drivers will also do better with some other software, as OptimoRoute can get really pricey due to its per-driver pricing.

So to cap it all, small businesses and individuals who need route optimization first and foremost will benefit the most from using OptimoRoute.

On the other hand, medium and large businesses with more advanced needs for all-around delivery management and optimization should steer clear of OptimoRoute as its pricing policy and lack of advanced delivery-related functions make it inadequate for them.

OptimoRoute reviews - Alternative solution

We’ve already written a blog on best OptimoRoute alternatives for various use cases, so here’s just a brief recap of the one tool that offers the most versatility.

So, if you’re a medium or large business or are a smaller firm that still wants to get a hold of cutting-edge delivery management features, what’s the best alternative?

Well, eLogii is one such platform that offers all the features you will ever need, as it effortlessly tackles customer satisfaction and overall delivery management and has excellent routing capabilities.

eLogii has a wide range of highly-customisable features that make it a perfect choice for various types of businesses - from field service providers to retailers, pharmaceutical companies, restaurants, couriers, on-field service providers, etc.

Some of its most notable features include:

• Various advanced routing options, including dynamic, multi-day, multi-stop and return to depot routing;

• Several methods of ensuring customer satisfaction, such as real-time SMS and/or email notifications from every stage of the delivery process, live ETA notifications (with updated recalculations if something unexpected happens when vehicles are already in motion), easy web-based live-tracking of every delivery, etc.;
• Vehicle live-tracking - so that you’ll know where each vehicle and driver is at any given moment;

• Numerous highly customisable operational parameters that enable things such as vehicle load optimization, which help you cut costs and make the most of your fleet;
• A designated mobile app that allows seamless live communication both between drivers and dispatchers and drivers and customers, in addition to its other functionality;

• Flexible tasks that allow dispatchers to easily set and change their order and priority and notify drivers straight away via the mobile app;

• Widest range of POD methods on the market (including barcode and QR scanning, among others);

• A well-documented API allows integration with all the other tools and technologies you use and helps you manage your entire supply chain that way.

Moreover, eLogii doesn’t have one-size-fits-all pricing packages, which makes it an ideal solution for small, medium and large businesses alike.

And since its pricing is task-based, the price won’t depend on the size of your fleet, which is a critical factor in deciding - particularly for larger businesses.

eLogii comes with custom-tailored pricing plans that are based on your business’s particular configuration and needs, with the typical entry-level price starting at around $359 per month for 2500 tasks, with unlimited drivers and vehicles.

And what’s even better, most of the features we’ve mentioned above are included in the Starter plan, meaning you won’t be conditioned to opt for the most expensive choice straight away, as is the case with OptimoRoute.

Compare each plan’s features.

OptimoRoute reviews - Key takeaways

1. OptimoRoute is primarily a route planning software that has, over time, added some other features to enable more comprehensive delivery management.
2. Most of its vital features are still related to routing, including live rerouting, route optimization, live vehicle tracking, weekly planning, etc.
3. When it comes to features regarding more complex operations, OptimoRoute does leave a lot to be desired, as it has no wide variety of POD collection methods, no ways of amortising the damage from failed deliveries, and no live communication between drivers and base, etc.
4. As such, OptimoRoute is the best choice for small businesses or individual sales reps or real estate agents whose primary need is route planning and optimization
5. Medium and larger businesses of various types and smaller companies that require a more advanced delivery management solution will find that eLogii is much more suitable for their needs.