Route Optimization System Using Driver Efficiency Metrics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current delivery systems face inefficiencies in load and route assignments, leading to increased costs and complexity as the number of delivery orders grows, particularly in determining optimal routes and assignments for delivery vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A system and method utilizing a coordinate system analysis to determine efficiency metrics for drivers, identifying the most suitable driver for workload assignments based on constraints and metrics such as urgency, priority, empty miles, wait time, and late costs, thereby optimizing route assignments and reducing driver workload waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the number of delivery orders increases, then delivery coverage and customer service are improved, but delivery costs and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system transforms the complex route assignment problem into a coordinate system with multiple dimensions (latitude, longitude, time window, urgency, priority). By changing the problem representation from traditional routing parameters to coordinate metrics, the system can efficiently process and compare multiple delivery orders using mathematical operations rather than complex algorithmic search.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical routing algorithms (which would involve complex graph theory and optimization computations) with a coordinate-based mathematical model. The efficiency metric calculation uses straightforward mathematical formulas that compare coordinates and time windows, substituting complex computational mechanics with simpler mathematical operations.
2Device complexity
If manual route determination is used, then system complexity is reduced, but delivery time and cost efficiency worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service route optimization by automatically calculating efficiency metrics for multiple drivers based on their current locations, time windows, and delivery constraints. The coordinate system automatically determines optimal assignments without requiring manual intervention, allowing the system to serve itself in the route determination process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations by pre-establishing the coordinate system with all relevant parameters (latitude, longitude, time window, urgency, priority) before making route assignments. This preliminary setup allows for rapid efficiency metric calculations when new delivery orders arrive, avoiding the need for complex real-time computations.
3Speed
If drivers are assigned based on simple criteria, then assignment speed is improved, but delivery efficiency and cost reduction worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The efficiency metric serves as a universal evaluation tool that simultaneously considers multiple factors including distance, time window, urgency, priority, and current driver location. This single multi-functional metric replaces the need for separate evaluation criteria for each factor, allowing the system to quickly compare and rank drivers while comprehensively considering all relevant delivery efficiency parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods including one or more processors and one or more non-transitory computer readable media storing computing instructions that, when executed on the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform: receiving workload information corresponding to a workload, driver information corresponding to drivers, and one or more constraints; building a coordinate system based on the workload information, the driver information and the one or more constraints; analyzing the coordinate system to determine a respective efficiency metric for each driver of the drivers for the workload; identifying a driver of the drivers in which the respective efficiency metric for the driver satisfies an efficiency metric threshold; and assigning the workload to the driver to reduce driver workload waste. Other embodiments are disclosed.