Flowtlas · Guide
The data you need before optimizing a route
A useful route begins with a faithful description of the work. Prepare these inputs before comparing plans so missing information does not become a hidden operational assumption.
Discuss your planning workflowThese examples explain planning capabilities. Contact us to confirm availability and integrations for your workspace.
Prepare a representative planning request
| Input | Prepare | Common mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Places | Stable identifier and verified coordinates | Confusing a customer record with the actual service location |
| Work | Task identity, ordered stops and service duration | Supplying only addresses with no time for the work |
| Visit windows | Actual dates, times and offsets | Treating opening hours as all-day availability |
| Vehicles | Capacity, supplied skills and availability | Mixing kilograms and tonnes under one capacity name |
| People | Skills, availability and applicable limits | Assuming every selected team can perform every task |
| Tours | Vehicle, people, start/end requirements and work windows | Expecting the horizon to define everyone's shift |
| Load | Starting quantities and signed stop changes | Removing goods that were never on board |
| Policy | Required/optional work and commitment behavior | Relaxing a real requirement solely to obtain a result |
| Replanning state | Previous plan, recorded state and completion data path | Reusing stale locations or assuming completion is transferred |
Start with a representative example
Use a small, realistic set of work with synthetic or appropriately sanitized data for a demonstration. Keep hard requirements intact, then inspect coverage and estimates before comparing efficiency.
Compare like with like
Use identical work, resources, constraints and travel assumptions when comparing plans. Record the planning engine version, search budget, runtime and unassigned work. Any claimed saving needs a measured baseline.
Frequently asked questions
What information should I prepare for a planning discussion?
Bring a representative list of locations and work, expected service durations, visit windows, available vehicles and people, capacity requirements and the rules that cannot be changed. Use synthetic or appropriately sanitized examples when sharing data for a demonstration.
How much time or distance will this save?
That depends on the operation and the baseline. Use the same work, resources, constraints and travel assumptions to compare plans. A percentage saving or fixed solve-time guarantee needs measured evidence from a representative run.
Does “NoSolutionFound” mean the job is impossible?
No. It means the bounded search did not find a solution. Review the inputs, constraints and search budget. This differs from an infeasible result based on an established hard contradiction.