How businesses and distributors can navigate Covid-19 tier restrictions

How businesses and distributors can navigate Covid-19 tier restrictions

The government recently announced their new three tiered system of local COVID Alert Levels in England, sparking much confusion and concern throughout the country.

This concern has further increased since the recent move of Manchester and South Yorkshire into Tier 3 – the highest level of alert possible. And therefore the most restrictions faced.

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For many of our customers and prospects, the new Tier system has been a daunting prospect. Throwing up further complications within both their B2B and B2C delivery offering, alongside their route planning.

At MaxOptra, we proudly support over 500 customers with over 5,000 vehicles. That’s over 3 million routes planned every month.

So it’s safe to say we know a lot about planning routes, no matter what the complication or challenge.

Below are just some of the functionality and services we provide that will directly support businesses concerned with the latest governmental Tier restrictions.

 

Covid-19 Tier and Territory functionality

One significant concern for many businesses is how they can restrict the areas they dynamically plan routes within, in case tier restrictions interfere with their delivery plans or customers businesses.

That’s why one feature within the MaxOptra system which is currently proving incredibly popular with our customers is our Territory functionality.

This technology enables businesses to set specific parameters when planning out routes. Stopping the route planning from reaching outside of those parameters and into other areas which a business may not wish to enter due to restrictions of business closures.

 

Streamlined processes

Regular planning and processes currently need regular reviews as rules and regulations change. For businesses who are functioning with a smaller team, or are having to deal with new depots and suppliers, planning processes can quickly become complicated and time consuming.

That is why during any period of change and uncertainty we would recommend streamlining your planning and processes. Not only is this beneficial to navigate the challenges that businesses may experience, but it also helps to future-proof businesses for the unknown.

For any business dealing with logistics and delivery, a great place to start is by streamlining that all-important delivery and route planning. By embracing new technology, systems and algorithms, businesses can produce efficient and reliable routes, fast.

Technology such as MaxOptra automatically plans routes daily, weekly, monthly, or however frequently they require their dynamic schedule.

Algorithms produce efficient and reliable routes, quickly, and automatically take into account traffic conditions and known roadworks, as well as vehicle capacities, live order volumes and delivery time windows.

All of this supports businesses in avoiding any potential inefficiencies of fixed routes or manual planning, reduces their planning time and streamlines their processes. They can even cut operational costs by up to 20%!

 

Customer communication

Keeping your customers engaged right now should be a top priority for any business. Afterall, with Covid-19 tiers changing frequently, customers are understandably concerned as to whether their delivery is going to be affected.

So keeping them in the loop as to where their delivery is and when it will arrive is a further improvement that you can make to benefit your offering, as well as keeping them engaged with your brand.

Customer notifications have advanced at a rapid rate. Gone are the days when customers expect to have to stay home to wait for a delivery. Now they want the delivery schedule to work around their daily routine.

Make sure that customers are constantly kept up to date with where their order is by proactively sending out email and SMS ETA notifications.

You could even implement your own website widget so that customers can keep themselves updated. As well as offering customers immediate updates, this also ensures that you are engaging with your audiences that want to interact on social media.

 

Implementation and support teams

At MaxOptra we have always prided ourselves on offering first class implementation and post-go live support.

However, our implementation and support teams have proven even more invaluable during the Covid-19 crisis. They continually support our customers in setting up their MaxOptra system, alongside helping them make swift changes to their operation due to new restrictions.

You can check out some of our case studies to learn more.

We have invested in great people and solid processes to ensure we meet your business needs, including the following:

•‎ Email support available Monday – Friday, 7am – 7pm, excluding UK Bank Holidays.

•‎ Emergency hotline operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

•‎ An extensive range of support documentation designed to help you and your team get the best from your MaxOptra system.

•‎ Self help tutorials and online videos are available, ensuring you can quickly get to grips with some of our most useful features.

•‎ Every client is assigned both an Account and Implementation Manager who are on hand to help you get the best from your implementation

 

MaxOptra support group

At MaxOptra we know that many businesses are going through a difficult period. Some are experiencing uncertainty, whilst others are struggling to cope with the demand.

If either applies to you, we want to help.

The MaxOptra team are lending a helping hand to struggling businesses by offering the MaxOptra system, plus support and consultancy services, free of charge, no strings attached.

We hope this will relieve the burden of planning, or offer businesses a way to pivot from B2B to B2C, as many of our customers are currently doing.

Get in touch with us for more information.

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