What is Dispatch System Software? Types, Features, Benefits & Top 5 Solutions of 2024

Are you a dispatch manager overseeing field service or delivery activities?

If yes, you must be well-acquainted with the problems of dispatch management when done manually. 

Be it planning routes for your field staff, tracking your team’s progress, or making real-time schedule adjustments, everything can turn chaotic. 

The consequences?

Missed stops, delayed deliveries/service appointments, unsatisfied customers, and even worse, loss of business and brand reputation!

You surely wouldn’t want it, would you? So, how do you prevent it?

It is where dispatching system software comes into play. Be it coordinating and planning drivers, optimizing routes, tracking your fleet, or ensuring continuous communication among customers and field personnel, dispatch software streamlines it all. It, thus, paves the way to successful dispatch management.

This massive growth can be attributed to the elevated customer satisfaction this software provides through timely services or deliveries and improved visibility into dispatch operations.  Additionally, it also helps decrease fuel and upkeep costs by creating optimized routes for your delivery or service personnel.

This blog discusses what dispatch software is, its features, how it benefits, and the top 5 dispatching solutions to consider in 2024. So, let’s take a deep dive to explore more about it.

What is Dispatch System Software?

Dispatch system software refers to a set of digital tools and technologies designed to optimize dispatch operations.

It lets you create optimal routes, assign routes to drivers or service agents, track their progress, and conduct backend logistics operations.

Dispatch software helps optimize last-mile delivery or field service operations, allowing fleet managers to ensure a seamless dispatch process. 

Let’s move ahead and discuss the types of dispatch software.

4 Types of Dispatch Software

Dispatch software is primarily of four types as follows.

1. Cloud-based solutions

Cloud-based solutions provide remote accessibility via an internet connection. It eliminates the need for an expensive on-site infrastructure setup, enabling you to scale up fast. You can also update them regularly to get the latest features and security patches.

2. On-premise solutions

On-premises dispatch software works on a dedicated in-house computing infrastructure operating from your premises. It provides absolute control over your data, boosting security. It is typically ideal if you have specific security and compliance requirements.

3. Mobile applications

Mobile applications provide your service or delivery agents with critical information, updates, and communication tools to interact with you on the go. It enables them to stay connected and utilize real-time information to ensure successful deliveries or service completion.

4. Industry-specific solutions

Dispatch software tailored to serve particular industries falls under this category. These solutions have features that address the specialized challenges and requirements of certain sectors. For example, the food delivery industry may require temperature control. So, a solution tailored to this sector may be ideal.

Now that the types of dispatch software are understood, let’s look at their primary features.

5 Core Features of Dispatch Software

The range of functionalities that a dispatching solution offers can vary based on its type and software vendor company. 

While some brands may offer enterprise-level solutions to manage complex dispatching aspects, others may offer fewer solutions or features suitable for small businesses. 

However, below are a few common features a dispatching tool typically comes with.

1. Real-time (GPS) tracking

Integration with GPS technology is a fundamental feature of dispatching solutions. It helps track your delivery vehicles in real time and provides accurate estimated times of arrival (ETAs), enhancing route visibility. Besides, keeping track of dispatch activities helps you stay abreast of every step in the delivery process to identify and address issues proactively.

2. Route optimization

Route optimization generally relies on advanced algorithms to analyze factors, including traffic, drivers’ availability, or delivery time windows, and create the most efficient routes accordingly. These optimal routes help reduce fuel consumption and vehicles’ wear/tear, thereby reducing overall transportation costs.

3. Centralized communication tools

Communication tools facilitate interactions between drivers and customers. Real-time SMS or email notifications for delivery status confirmation or service completion messages help improve transparency and customer satisfaction levels. Internal channels to foster collaboration among dispatchers, drivers, and the support staff also smoothen dispatch operations.

4. Load management (planning & optimization)

Load planning allows dispatch managers to choose the right vehicle for each shipment based on loading constraints. This feature lets you set parameters such as the maximum number of items, weight, and volume for your vehicles. It can then dispatch these vehicles on routes that maximize their payload capacity utilization.

5. Reports & analytics

Reports and analytics are essential to evaluate delivery performances for each route your delivery or service staff takes. This feature gives you an idea of the total number of stops a driver delivered and missed on a given date. This visibility into your day-to-day delivery/service operations helps identify and address performance issues to enhance operational efficiency.

Now that the functionalities of dispatch software are clear let’s explore how it is beneficial.

7 Benefits of Dispatching Software

If you operate a fleet, controlling costs, meeting committed schedules, and optimizing resource utilization are indispensable for you. Doing it manually not only consumes time but also increases the chances of errors. 

Moreover, tasks like determining optimal routes for multiple drivers and vehicles manually would be virtually impossible. 

This is where dispatch software comes in handy. 

It enables you to streamline dispatch operations and keep up with ever-evolving customer expectations in today’s fast-paced era.

7 basic benefits of dispatch software are as follows:

1. Enhances customer satisfaction through delivery notifications

Dispatch software offers real-time visibility into the delivery progress. This software provides your customers with access to all the information, including

• Time of shipping the order
• Locations of distribution centers and local hubs the order passes through
• Estimated time of arrival 
• Changes in the delivery or service schedule if any

Sending all these updates via text or email reduces the need for frequent calls to customer service. This greater control and visibility into field operations through dispatch software makes your customers feel empowered. It also increases their satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Boosts efficiency through collaboration between dispatchers and field agents

A dispatch platform comes with dedicated mobile apps to let your field agents or drivers stay in constant touch with you. It enables conveying full information about the assigned route, types of addresses (domestic, commercial, or industrial), and specific instructions about certain orders.

You can also communicate schedule changes or weather/traffic alerts to your field personnel and answer their questions on the go. All this information can help your staff stay well-prepared and agile, minimizing errors and maximizing service or delivery efficiency.

3. Improves operational performance through reporting and analytics

A dispatch software solution lets you access service/delivery-related data in comprehensive formats like customizable dashboards, reports, and charts.

It also allows you to define:

• Financial metrics such as average cost per stop, mile, or quantity delivered
• Efficiency metrics such as completed/missed deliveries, idling time, out-of-route miles, vehicle capacity utilization, and net promoter score (NPS)

Assessing your delivery or service performance against these metrics can help find out the areas you are excelling and where improvements are necessary. Based on these real-time insights, you can take measures to finetune your dispatch strategy.

4. Fosters agility and adaptability through dynamic scheduling

A dispatch system allows for considering drivers’ working hours, preferred time windows, and traffic constraints to create route schedules. You can also plan routes weeks and months in advance to prevent last-minute scheduling hassles. It also lets you make real-time schedule adjustments to accommodate priority changes, unforeseen situations like road blockages or accidents, and vehicle breakdowns. 

An intelligent scheduling process also allows you to track and determine the shipment loads that you can batch together based on constraints like preferred time windows and destinations. This ability to plan and readjust future schedules effortlessly facilitates efficient delivery operations.

5. Decreases fuel and maintenance costs with route optimization

Dispatch software lets you import multiple delivery/service stops instead of entering them manually. This tool lets you input constraints like preferred time windows, drivers’ working hours, and priority orders. It then leverages sophisticated algorithms to create the most optimal routes for your field personnel and save time. 

Further, it facilitates adjusting pickups and deliveries in a single route. It cuts down the empty miles, fuel consumption, and costs involved in reverse logistics (moving goods back from customers to retailers). Besides, this ability to maximize destinations prevents the delivery fleet from excess strain and wear/tear, reducing upkeep costs. 

6. Enables regulatory compliance through digital document management

Compliance with local or national regulations is a must for fleet managers and field personnel. Dispatch software lets your service/delivery agents report their daily hours of service (HOS) electronically. It reduces the need for paperwork and errors. Additionally, it creates a verifiable record that you can keep for your reference or provide to agencies if required.

Further, this software allows for tracking and recording vehicles’ emission data. It also helps analyze vehicles’ performance and schedule regular maintenance to operate them at their peak efficiency. All these features help operate your fleet while adhering to transportation and environmental regulations.

7. Ensures fleet safety and efficiency through GPS tracking

Dispatch software allows you to track your field agents on the fly. It can help you track routes and address any issues or exceptions proactively, preventing significant disruptions to routes or schedules. 

You can also configure it to send alerts in case of a driver’s involvement in unsafe driving practices like harsh breaking or overspeeding. This tool helps identify poor-performing drivers and create training plans to ensure safe driving behaviors. Hence, live tracking equipped with auto-alerts helps ensure your fleet’s efficiency and safety.

Moving ahead, we’ll take you through how you can pick the right dispatch solution.

Top 5 Dispatch Software to Consider in 2024

Here’s the list of dispatch routing solutions you can evaluate and pick from.

1. Onfleet

Best for last-mile delivery 

Onfleet is a popular and trusted name in the field of last-mile delivery businesses. One of the key features it offers is the ‘Search and Filter’ functionality. It allows you to use text, time, or status-based queries to swiftly find the desired drivers, costumes, or pickup/delivery tasks.

It also creates and empowers your drivers with the shortest and most efficient routes, preventing fuel, time, and exhaustion. Another strong feature is the communication capabilities it provides. Whether it is the interaction between your internal staff and you or sending delivery updates to your customers, Onfleet provides dedicated secure channels for it all. 

Pricing starts at $550/month for the basic Launch version.

2. Upper

Best multi-stop route dispatch software  

Upper is the ideal route planning and optimization software designed to simplify dispatch and delivery operations. The best part is that this software depends on sophisticated algorithms to optimize routes. This automated route optimization takes the manual intervention and errors out of the entire routing process and automates transportation management. 

Another interesting feature is the bulk import of spreadsheets to fast-track route planning. You can add up to 500 stops through a single click instead of adding them manually, saving time. 

The Proof of Delivery is yet another salient feature that lets you keep a verifiable digital record of each successful delivery in the form of photos or signatures. Last but not least, it lets you schedule routes for weeks or even months in advance and archive most recurring routes for quick reference.

Pricing for the Essentials version starts at $100/month for 3 users.

3. Badger Maps

Leading route planner for sales reps

Badger Maps is a prominent name in the sales and field service dispatch software industry. It provides smart algorithms to prepare the optimal routes for your sales trips. One of the salient features is that it allows you to circle a set of points with your mouse or finger-tip to create routes instantly.

Another functionality that may intrigue you is the easy visualization of sales territories. It enables your field personnel to locate the best opportunities based on their location and schedule. You can also send follow-up reminders to your field staff to ensure they complete the assigned visits. 

Pricing starts at $58 for the Business edition.

4. TruckLogics

Ideal for truckload carriers and IFTA reporting 

TruckLogics has carved a niche for itself in the field of trucking dispatch software. It lets you create LTL and FTL dispatches in a matter of minutes. It also lets you expedite the generation of paperwork and check call notifications for each customer’s load.  

It also enables marking the vehicles under maintenance as ‘Unavailable’ and scheduling dispatches based on the availability of the remaining trucks. It allows you to assign trucks, drivers, and trailers to each dispatch route based on constraints, including traffic, type, and even preferences. Moreover, it shows recommended fuel stops along its route, estimated savings, and miles per gallon to facilitate informed decisions. 

Pricing starts at $39.95 for a small fleet of 1 or 2 trucks and increases proportionately to the number of trucks.

5. Omnitracs

Best for fleet delivery management

Omnitracs provides high-quality and secure fleet management solutions to maximize the safety and efficiency of end-to-end transportation. Its USP is the ‘Video-Based-Safety-Program’ feature. It allows for loading vehicles with smart drive-assist sensors to detect the riskiest driving behaviors and avert fatal accidents proactively. 

Another highlight feature you may find useful is ‘Asset Tracking’. It provides dedicated solutions for monitoring your fleet and individual trailers through high-end geofencing. Besides, you can leverage its ‘Fault Monitoring’ to monitor engine faults, direct your drivers to service locations, and prevent expensive breakdowns. Moreover, it also routing and optimization to reduce travel time and associated fuel or operating costs. 

Let’s go through some trends that are set to transform the dispatch software industry.

Choosing the Right Dispatch Software for Your Business

Selecting an ideal dispatching solution is subject to various factors, including your requirements, budget, and scale of operations. 

However, you can follow a general checklist of features that any logistics or field service business may often expect from dispatch software.

So, here is a list of considerations that can guide you through your available software options to the right choice.

1. Consider scalability limits

Managing dispatch operations that expand and become more complex as your business grows may turn challenging. So, checking whether the dispatch software is scalable and adaptable to support your growth is vital. 

Typically, a cloud-based dispatch platform can scale up automatically in proportion to an increase in your server capacity. You can consider modular software architecture as it enables adding new functionalities and modules as required without affecting your overall system.

2. Seek integration capabilities

Integration with existing business systems is crucial to smoothening information exchange and centralized management. Therefore, look for a dispatch platform that can integrate seamlessly with your enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, or inventory planning tools. 

It should also work with third-party tools, such as GPS or comms. Moreover, it should offer an open API for you to develop add-ons and integrations as per your requirements. Integration capabilities help analyze all relevant information centrally and make informed strategic decisions.

3. Don’t forget pricing

Regardless of the software you pick, pricing remains an integral aspect that you must consider.  However, you must not overlook the functionalities and value it brings to the table. While the upfront costs for a product may be lower, it may not serve your purpose eventually.

On the contrary, an advanced dispatching solution may initially incur high expenses but may benefit you with reduced operational expenses, elevated customer experience, and significant time savings. So, walking the tightrope between price and usability is paramount.

4. Prioritize mobility

A field service or delivery business depends on continuous coordination and information sharing between dispatchers and personnel. Your delivery or service agents may need relevant information like customers’ addresses, routes, and distances between stops when on the road.

So, your software should offer access to route-related information on mobile devices. It should let you send optimized routes to them via email or text. This hassle-free and remote sharing of routing information expedites delivery tasks.

5. Emphasize user-friendliness

A complex and hard-to-navigate user interface is sure to put off your customers. Therefore, you should go for user-friendly software that features an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that guides your teams as they learn to use it. 

Your software should exhibit clear and comprehensive visuals, including icons, colors, and appearance. It should also offer easily navigable sections and features to boost its usability.

All these aspects can help you and your team to understand the tasks, routes, and schedules easily and efficiently.

6. Explore customization options

A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work well when choosing a dispatcher software solution. While your business may have several characteristics similar to other logistics companies, your fleet may have unique requirements. 

Therefore, go for the software that allows you to customize features like report formats, vehicle specifications, or dashboards. It must enable you to configure your sorting criteria and search filters to access the desired information based on individual preferences for an optimized workflow.

7. Evaluate customer support and reliability

Smooth onboarding and continuous assistance are vital. Therefore, look for reliable software that provides dedicated account management. It should also provide assistance in the form of tutorials, user guides, and easy access to customer service representatives to answer your queries. 

Getting this comprehensive training and support is integral to maximizing the software’s utility and minimizing downtime or issues. It also helps build trust and security in your software provider.

So, what you need to consider before arriving at your final choice of a dispatching solution is clear.

The next section enlists the 5 leading dispatch software of 2024 that you may want to consider.

5 Trends to Expect in the Dispatch System Software Industry

In the wake of digital disruption and ever-evolving customer expectations, the dispatch system industry is also going through a paradigm shift. 

The following are the top trends that are on the way to reshape the dispatching solution industry.

1. Internet of Things (IoT) and Predictive analytics

The Internet of Things is transforming multiple industries, and the dispatch software solution industry is no exception. Integrating IoT devices helps enhance the tracking accuracy of the dispatch software. 

For instance, FedEx uses SenseAware ID. 

This technology uses a lightweight and compact sensor to transmit accurate parcel location data via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). It tracks packages hundreds of times against conventional tracking protocols that track them only dozens of times.

2. Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine learning (ML)

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are making waves in the field of delivery dispatch software. They are empowering this field with predictive analytics capabilities essential for inventory management and route optimization. 

Consider United Parcel Service (UPS), for instance. This international courier service company headquartered in Atlanta uses On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation (ORION) to create the most efficient routes for drivers. 

UPS rolled out the feature of ‘Dynamic Optimization’ to enhance ORION in 2021. 

It uses advanced algorithms, AI, and ML to deliver more accurate time estimates, enabling drivers to fulfill their daily commitments to customers’ expectations efficiently.

3. Blockchain technology

With dispatch services becoming more interconnected, secure data sharing is indispensable. Integrating blockchain technology is becoming a norm as it ensures the exchange of data or financial information is encrypted, traceable, and immutable. 

Walmart uses the IBM Food Trust to track products through its supply chain. 

This IBM Blockchain Platform is a modular solution built on blockchain that uses an authenticated, immutable, and shared record of food origin, transaction data, and processing details to connect participants. It focuses on supply chain efficiency, security compliance, improved safety monitoring, and fraud prevention.

4. Augmented reality (AR)

Augmented reality is on the path to becoming the norm. It will streamline warehouse management operations and order-picking activities, improving dispatching efficiency.

DHL, the global logistics company, recently tested an augmented reality application in warehousing. 

The aim was to use the technology of ‘vision picking,’ which means picking objects hands-free or without manual intervention. It guided the staff through the graphics displayed on the smart glass to expedite the picking process and reduce errors. This pilot increased the efficiency of the process by 25%, paving the way for further exploration and research.

5. Environmental sustainability

E-retailers and logistics service providers are now looking to minimize their carbon footprint and establish themselves as eco-conscious businesses. Therefore, the trend of ecoconsciousness is far from fading soon. Dispatch software today comes with route optimization to help create the most efficient routes to cut unwanted mileage and, hence, carbon emissions. 

Let’s take the example of Sunbility Solar, a family-owned business headquartered in Florida. It provides residential solar installation services in over 20 countries. 
Sunbility implemented Upper’s route planner software to optimize routes to serve maximum costumes while saving time in transit and fuel costs. It resulted in a 74% fall in the time taken to complete a solar installation project.

Stay on Top of Your Dispatch Management with Dispatch System Software

Dispatch software is unequivocally the cornerstone of a successful dispatch strategy. It plays the role of a ‘digital conductor’ that orchestrates the movement of your drivers, service agents, and deliveries. 

A dispatch platform paves the way to overcoming key challenges of manual dispatching, including scheduling inefficiencies, late deliveries or services, and poor allocation of available resources. Talking of benefits, they are multifaceted! 

Be it reducing your time and fuel costs, adhering to regulations, or maximizing drivers’ efficiency, dispatch software offers it all and beyond.

So, it’s time to overhaul your dispatch strategy and take it to the next level with a smart dispatching solution.