Route Optimization + Salesforce

Route Optimization Software for Salesforce

Salesforce Field Service Lightning assigns appointments to technicians but cannot optimize the travel sequence. For high-volume delivery operations, Locate2u adds the multi-stop route optimization that Salesforce is missing.

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Salesforce Schedules Appointments. Locate2u Optimizes Routes.

Salesforce Field Service Lightning is excellent at matching appointments to available technicians based on skills, territory, and scheduling capacity. But assignment and optimization are different problems. FSL answers "which tech handles this job?" -- it does not answer "what is the fastest sequence for visiting all 40 assigned stops while hitting every time window?"

For delivery operations where drivers visit 20-80 locations per shift, the travel sequence matters enormously. Visiting stops in the wrong order can add 30-40% more driving time than necessary. Locate2u connects to Salesforce, pulls delivery stops from orders, service appointments, or custom objects, and produces mathematically optimized routes that minimize drive time and ensure on-time arrivals.

Scheduling vs. Route Optimization FSL: Appointment Schedule 9am Stop A - 12 Oak St 10am Stop B - 88 Pine Rd 11am Stop C - 5 Elm Ave 12pm Stop D - 41 River Dr 1pm Stop E - 23 Main St Drive time: 3.2 hours Route not optimized Locate2u: Optimized Route D E C A B D Drive time: 2.1 hours 34% faster
The Problem

The Route Optimization Gap in Salesforce

FSL Assigns Tasks, Not Travel Sequences

Field Service Lightning determines which technician or driver handles each appointment based on skills and availability. But it does not solve the routing problem: given 35 assigned stops, what is the fastest order to visit them? Drivers end up following the appointment list chronologically, ignoring geographic efficiency entirely.

High-Volume Delivery Exposes the Gap

For field service with 5-8 appointments per day, the scheduling-only approach is tolerable. But delivery operations running 30-80 stops per driver per day cannot afford the 30-40% extra drive time that unoptimized sequencing creates. At scale, the difference between scheduling and true optimization is thousands of dollars in wasted fuel and labor monthly.

No Vehicle Capacity Awareness

Salesforce scheduling does not consider vehicle load capacity. When assigning delivery stops, FSL does not track how much weight or volume each vehicle can carry. The result: drivers discover mid-route that not all packages fit, forcing return trips to the warehouse or last-minute reassignments that break the schedule.

No Dynamic Re-Optimization

When a delivery is cancelled or a rush order arrives mid-day, FSL cannot re-sequence the remaining stops for a driver already on the road. The dispatcher must manually figure out how to insert or remove stops, recalculate the order, and communicate changes -- a process that takes 15-20 minutes per disruption.

How It Works

From Salesforce Record to Optimized Delivery Route

1. Import Delivery Stops from Salesforce

Locate2u pulls delivery orders, service appointments, or custom object records from Salesforce via REST API. Addresses, time windows, package details, and priority levels flow into the optimization engine automatically.

2. Optimize Stop Sequence and Fleet Assignment

The AI engine determines which driver handles which stops and in what order. It minimizes total fleet drive time while respecting every time window, vehicle capacity limit, and driver availability constraint. Results return in under 60 seconds.

3. Execute Routes, Sync Completion to Salesforce

Drivers receive optimized routes in the Locate2u mobile app. As each delivery completes, the confirmation, timestamp, GPS location, and proof of delivery write back to the corresponding Salesforce record instantly.

Feature Highlights

Route Optimization That Complements Salesforce

AI-Powered Optimization

Goes beyond scheduling to solve the vehicle routing problem algorithmically. Processes all stop permutations across your fleet to find the sequence that truly minimizes drive time, not just the schedule that looks reasonable on paper.

Time Window Constraints

Reads delivery time preferences from Salesforce records and enforces them during route sequencing. The optimizer guarantees each stop is visited within its specified window while minimizing total fleet travel time.

Capacity Constraints

Tracks vehicle load based on order weight and volume from Salesforce, preventing overloading. The optimizer distributes deliveries to ensure every vehicle operates within its physical capacity limits.

Real-Time Re-Routing

Mid-day changes in Salesforce -- new orders, cancellations, priority shifts -- trigger automatic re-optimization of active routes. New stops are inserted at the most efficient position without disrupting the remaining schedule.

Multi-Vehicle Planning

Assigns Salesforce delivery records across your entire fleet in one optimization run. Balances workload, respects territories, and ensures each driver's route is individually optimized for minimum drive time.

Drag-and-Drop Adjustments

Dispatchers can manually adjust routes after AI optimization. Drag stops between drivers, reorder sequences, or lock specific stops in place. ETAs and metrics recalculate instantly with each change.

Route Optimization Results for Salesforce Users

36%

Less drive time compared to schedule-order routing

22%

More deliveries completed per driver per day

98%

On-time delivery rate with window enforcement

45s

Average time to optimize 100+ stops

FAQ

Route Optimization for Salesforce -- Common Questions

Salesforce Field Service Lightning provides appointment scheduling and technician assignment, but it does not optimize travel sequences. It assigns appointments to available technicians based on skills and availability but does not calculate the most efficient driving order for visiting multiple locations. For delivery operations with 20-80 stops per driver, this scheduling-only approach leaves significant drive time and fuel savings on the table.
Appointment scheduling assigns tasks to workers based on availability, skills, and territory. Route optimization determines the most efficient travel sequence for visiting all assigned locations, minimizing total drive time and distance while respecting time windows and vehicle constraints. Scheduling answers "who does what" while optimization answers "in what order and by what path" -- both are needed for efficient delivery operations.
Locate2u connects to Salesforce via REST API and can be embedded as a Lightning Web Component within the Salesforce interface. Delivery orders, service appointments, or custom objects with delivery addresses are pulled into Locate2u's optimization engine. The optimized route sequence, ETAs, and completion data sync back to Salesforce records automatically.
Yes. Orders placed through Salesforce Commerce Cloud that require physical delivery can be imported into Locate2u for route optimization. The integration pulls shipping addresses, order quantities, and delivery preferences from Commerce Cloud and sequences them into optimized routes. This is particularly valuable for retailers offering same-day or next-day delivery from local stores or warehouses.
Locate2u can optimize hundreds of delivery stops from Salesforce across multiple vehicles in under 60 seconds. Whether you have 15 stops for a single driver or 500 stops across a fleet of 20 vehicles, the algorithm processes all constraints including time windows, vehicle capacity, driver hours, and live traffic data simultaneously.