AntsRoute lets you create geographical zones with constraints. Unlike sectorisation, which assigns drivers to fixed sectors according to a weekly schedule, geographical zones allow you to add specific constraints over a given period, with exclusion days if necessary. Customised constraints include:
- The period of application
- Days of non-application within this period
- Exclusive zone (deliveries outside the zone cannot be scheduled during the defined period)
- Time slot
- Skills required (in addition to the skills required for deliveries)
💡 This function is available from the Pro package.
1. Activate the ‘Delivery zones’ function
- Go to ‘Settings’.
- Click on the ‘Settings’ tab in the side menu.
- Click on ‘General settings’.
- Enable the ‘Activate delivery zones’ option.
- Click on the ‘Save’ button.
2. Create a first geographical zone
- Go to ‘Settings’.
- Click on ‘Delivery zones’.
- Click on the ‘+’ button in the top right-hand corner.
- Define a ‘Name’ for this zone.
- Choose the application period: ‘Permanent’ or ‘Define a period of application’.
- If necessary, add non-application days by clicking on the ‘+ Add’ button.
- Click on the ‘Next step’ button.
3. Determine the constraints of this geographical zone
- Activate or deactivate the ‘Exclusive zone’ option.
- Select a ‘Time slot’.
- Select the ‘Skills’ that will be added to those of the deliveries.
☝️ Good to know: If you activate the exclusive zone, the planning of deliveries will be prohibited outside the defined zone for the specified period. All existing zones on these dates will also become exclusive.
☝️ Good to know: If a delivery already has a time slot, AntsRoute applies the intersection between this slot and the shortest slot of the active zones.
Here are a few examples to help you understand:
Case 1:
Delivery: 8:00 – 18:00
Zone: 12:00 – 14:00
✅ Time slot selected: 12:00 – 14:00
Case 2:
Delivery: 8:00 – 16:00
Zone 1: 8:00 – 14:00
Zone 2: 12:00 – 20:00
✅ Time slot selected: 8:00 – 14:00 (intersection between the delivery 8:00 – 16:00 and the shortest slot of the zones 8:00 – 14:00)
Case 3:
Delivery: 9:00 – 16:00
Zone 1: 8:00 – 14:00
Zone 2: 12:00 – 20:00
✅ Time slot selected: 9:00 – 14:00 (intersection between the delivery 9:00 – 16:00 and the shortest slot of the zones 8:00 – 14:00)
Case 4 (No intersection possible):
Delivery: 8:00 – 10:00
Zone 1: 8:00 – 12:00
Zone 2: 14:00 – 16:00
⚠️ No time slot selected, as there is no intersection between the delivery time slot 08:00 – 10:00 and the shortest time slot of zones 14:00 – 16:00. AntsRoute will not show availability in this case.
4. Draw the geographical zone
- Click on the paintbrush icon and draw the geographical zone on the map.
- Click on the ‘Save’ button.
☝️ Good to know: If several geographical zones are created on the same dates, they will be ‘merged’:
- The skills of the different zones will be added together and applied to the delivery.
- The time slot selected will be the shortest among the zones concerned.
☝️ Good to know: If necessary, you can duplicate an existing geographical zone by clicking on ‘...’ > ‘Duplicate’. This action will keep all the constraints defined, allowing you to modify the information without having to redraw the zones on the map.