Instant merge

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
• Instant merge algorithms

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, Scheduled or On Hold).
• Click on Instant merge button.
  • The status of the bookings will be changed to Dispatched and 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.

• 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.

• 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.