Overview
MotionTools offers multiple ways to optimize bookings into tours. More details are covered in the Introduction to tour building article. The Instant merge feature would work best if you adopt the instant delivery model (10 - 60 min), where bookings come in via integration with your shop. As you have a promised delivery time, you might want to show all incoming bookings to drivers right away but merge certain bookings manually where drop-off stops are close by or if merging makes sense due to other criteria.
Step-by-step guide
The instant merge button allows dispatchers to merge bookings with these simple steps:
Select the bookings you want to merge into a tour. You can either select them individually or select all by checking the box next to the display options.
Make sure all the bookings are in the same status (either
Pickable,ScheduledorOn Hold).
Click on Instant merge button.
The status of the bookings will be changed to
Dispatchedand will be not visible as individual bookings in the driver app. MotionTools creates a new tour.
Undispatch the tour if you made a mistake.
Merged bookings (status
Dispatched) can be reverted to their previous state by 'unmerging' the newly created tour. Select the tour and hit the Undispatch button — this action cancels the tour and its bookings will be undispatched. Reselect the bookings and hit Instant merge again to create a new tour.
Instant merge algorithms
Depending on your business decision and promises to customers, you might want to choose between different merging algorithms.
Sorted by first-in
All stops will be merged and sorted by 'first-in'.
For 2-stop bookings, we collect all first stops and sort them by first-in, then collect all second stops and sort them again by first-in.
2-stop bookings instant merge
For bookings with 2 stops, the algorithm starts with all the first stops of the bookings, then it takes all second stops and optimizes their order for the shortest time. This option is best suited for 2-stop bookings that start at a hub.
3-stop bookings instant merge
For bookings with 3 stops, first, the algorithm gathers all the first stops of the bookings. Next, it collects all the second stops and optimizes their order for the shortest time. Finally, it adds all the last stops of the bookings. This option is best suited for 3-stop bookings that start and end at a hub.
Instant merge into On Hold tour
This option allows dispatchers to merge Customer bookings and Driver tours into an existing On Hold tour.
Stops of the selected bookings/ tours are merged into the earliest scheduled On Hold tour that is selected. The stops will be moved to the last position of the tour. You can use the Quick edit feature afterward to perform certain route optimization algorithms for re-optimizing the tour.
Step-by-step guide:
Select at least one On Hold tour.
You may select more than 1 tour. If multiple On Hold tours are selected, we merge stops of the selected bookings into the earliest scheduled On Hold tour.
Select Bookings that are in On Hold or Partially dispatched status.
An En Route tour can also be merged into the existing On Hold tour with this option.
Select the Instant merge into On Hold tour option.
Observe that all new stops are moved to the end of the On Hold tour.
Instant merge as next stops of En Route tour
This option allows dispatchers to merge Customer bookings and Driver tours into an existing En Route tour.
Stops of the selected bookings/ tours are merged into the En Route tour that is selected. Stops are moved to the next available stop the driver is currently at. You can use the Quick edit feature afterward to perform certain route optimization algorithms for re-optimizing the tour.
Step-by-step guide:
Select only one En Route tour.
Select another booking in the On Hold or Partially dispatched status. You may select an On Hold tour as well.
Select the Instant merge into En Route tour option.
Observe that stops from all selected bookings and/ or tours are merged into the En Route tour, and the new stops are inserted as the next stops the driver should head towards.
Instant merge to the end of En Route tour
This option allows dispatchers to append stops from Customer bookings and Driver tours into an existing En Route tour.
Stops of the selected bookings/ tours are inserted at the end of the En Route tour that is selected. You can use the Quick edit feature afterward to perform certain route optimization algorithms for re-optimizing the tour.
Step-by-step guide:
Repeat the first and second steps from the guide above.
Select the Instant merge to the end of En Route tour option.
Observe that stops from all selected bookings and/ or tours are merged into the En Route tour, and the new stops are inserted as the last stops of the tour.