Route Optimization + Microsoft Dynamics

Route Optimization Software for Microsoft Dynamics 365

Dynamics 365 manages your orders and supply chain but has zero route planning. Locate2u adds AI-powered multi-stop delivery optimization that turns D365 orders into the fastest, most efficient driver routes.

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D365 Manages Orders. Locate2u Optimizes the Delivery Route.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a comprehensive ERP and CRM platform for managing sales, finance, supply chain, and operations. But when it comes to physically delivering goods to customers, Dynamics has a significant gap: there is no route optimization engine. Orders are created, picked, packed, and marked as shipped -- but the critical question of how to sequence those deliveries across drivers for maximum efficiency goes unanswered.

The typical Dynamics 365 user exports delivery addresses to a spreadsheet, manually groups them by area, and plans routes using Google Maps. This approach breaks down at scale. Locate2u connects directly to D365 via Dataverse APIs, imports delivery orders, and produces optimized multi-stop routes that account for time windows, vehicle capacity, traffic, and driver availability.

The Problem

Delivery Route Challenges for Dynamics 365 Users

The Spreadsheet Export Bottleneck

Dynamics 365 users typically export pending delivery orders to Excel, manually sort them by geographic area, and then copy-paste addresses into Google Maps one batch at a time. For operations running 30-50 deliveries daily, this export-sort-paste cycle consumes 1-3 hours every morning before a single driver leaves the depot.

Drivers Covering Unnecessary Distance

Manually planned routes regularly send drivers past the same intersections multiple times. A human dispatcher grouping 40 stops by suburb will miss the fact that visiting Stop 3 before Stop 7 saves 12 minutes of backtracking. These inefficiencies compound across every driver on every route, every single day.

Time Windows Ignored or Violated

D365 can store requested delivery times on sales orders, but without an optimization engine to enforce them, dispatchers have no way to sequence stops so that every customer is reached in their specified window. The result is frequent missed windows, customer complaints, and failed delivery attempts that require costly re-runs.

Power Automate Cannot Optimize

Some D365 users try to automate delivery workflows with Power Automate, but Power Automate moves data between systems -- it cannot solve vehicle routing problems. Triggering an email when an order ships is automation. Determining the optimal sequence for 40 stops across 4 vehicles with constraints is optimization. They are not the same problem.

How It Works

From D365 Order to Optimized Route in Three Steps

1. Import Orders from Dynamics 365

Locate2u connects to D365 via Dataverse APIs or Power Automate triggers to pull sales orders, delivery addresses, item quantities, and customer time windows. No spreadsheet exports or manual data entry required.

2. Optimize Routes Across Your Fleet

The AI engine assigns orders to vehicles and sequences every stop to minimize total drive time. It respects time windows, vehicle capacity, driver hours, and real-time traffic. Hundreds of stops are optimized in under 60 seconds.

3. Dispatch Drivers, Sync Back to D365

Optimized routes push to the driver app with navigation. As each delivery completes, the status, timestamp, and proof of delivery write back to D365 automatically, keeping your ERP records current without manual updates.

Feature Highlights

Route Optimization Designed for Dynamics 365 Users

AI-Powered Optimization

Evaluates millions of route permutations to find the stop sequence that minimizes total drive time and distance across your fleet. Replaces hours of spreadsheet work with a 60-second algorithmic solution.

Time Window Constraints

Pulls delivery time windows directly from D365 sales order fields and uses them as hard constraints during optimization. Every stop is sequenced to arrive within the customer-specified window.

Capacity Constraints

Uses item weight and quantity data from D365 to calculate load per vehicle. Ensures no driver's vehicle exceeds weight or volume limits while distributing deliveries as evenly as possible across your fleet.

Real-Time Re-Routing

When new D365 orders arrive after drivers depart, Locate2u inserts them into active routes at the optimal position. Cancellations trigger instant re-sequencing of remaining stops to recover time.

Multi-Vehicle Planning

Optimizes across your entire fleet in a single run. The engine determines not just the best stop sequence for each driver, but which driver should take which orders based on location, capacity, and schedule.

Drag-and-Drop Adjustments

Fine-tune optimized routes with a visual editor. Move stops between drivers or reorder the sequence, and watch ETAs and route metrics recalculate instantly. The dispatcher keeps final control.

The Impact of Route Optimization on Dynamics 365 Operations

35%

Reduction in total driving distance per route

28%

Fuel savings from eliminating wasted mileage

96%

On-time delivery rate with time window constraints

2.5h

Planning time saved per dispatcher each morning

FAQ

Route Optimization for Microsoft Dynamics -- Common Questions

No. Microsoft Dynamics 365 -- including Business Central, Finance, and Supply Chain Management -- has no route optimization capability. D365 can manage sales orders, inventory, and warehouse operations, but it cannot determine the optimal delivery sequence for a driver visiting multiple customers. Most Dynamics users export orders to spreadsheets and plan routes manually.

Locate2u integrates with Dynamics 365 through Microsoft's Dataverse APIs and OData endpoints. Sales orders, delivery addresses, and shipment data flow from D365 into Locate2u automatically. Power Automate connectors can also trigger route optimization when order status changes. After deliveries complete, status updates and proof of delivery sync back to D365.

No. Power Automate can trigger workflows and move data between systems, but it cannot solve the traveling salesman problem or vehicle routing problem. Optimizing the sequence of 40 delivery stops across 5 vehicles with time windows, capacity limits, and traffic data requires a specialized optimization engine. Power Automate can trigger Locate2u's optimization, but cannot perform the optimization itself.

Locate2u integrates with D365 Business Central for small and mid-market businesses, D365 Supply Chain Management for enterprise operations, and D365 Sales for field-based delivery from sales orders. The integration pulls delivery-relevant data from any module and returns completion status and proof of delivery after route execution.

Dynamics 365 users who add Locate2u route optimization typically see 20-35% reductions in total driving distance, 25-30% fuel savings, and the ability to complete 15-20% more deliveries per driver per day. Dispatcher planning time drops from 1-3 hours to under 10 minutes because route creation is fully automated.