Having the right tools for the job can save your business time and money, primarily when you rely on others to complete their appointments in a timely fashion. Having geographical data can help some companies analyze information and make educated decisions about scheduling and appointments.
Uncovering the Driving Radius Map
Location intelligence brings competitive advantages to businesses, providing demographic analysis, supply chain visualization, and route optimization for in-field representatives. A driving radius map helps measure time and distance from a centralized location. Most companies or businesses use driving radius maps for location intelligence when planning appointments or territories for sales representatives.
The driving radius map determines the fastest route between appointments, whether planning assignments or arranging deliveries throughout the day. It also helps evaluate site selection, territory planning, and catchment area analysis. When cancelations or shifts occur throughout the daily schedule, users can refresh the route, reoptimizing the appointments for the day in real-time.
How do Driving Radius Maps Work?
A driving radius map uses third-party software to determine how long it takes to get from one central location to a boundary. These maps can work with physical distance (kilometers or miles) away from a point or can use time estimates when driving. Maptive is one program that offers real-time estimates of traveling time, according to Google Maps functionality. The integration provides essential considerations most software doesn’t implement, like traffic, construction, speed limits, and the time of day when factoring in your catchment.
Users enter the required travel limitations (for example, setting one hour travel time from the main office to outside locations) and will receive a polygon radius back. All areas within this polygon limit a business set for adequate driving time. From there, any data within this limitation indicates markers on the map. Employees can access these locations in real-time, giving them valuable insight into the service areas for their territory.
Companies requiring logistics, shipping, or customer appointments can quickly optimize their routes using the “route optimizer” function. This tool calculates the best approach to the markers within the radius. Your team spends more time with customers than behind the wheel at the click of a button. As Maptive is a cloud-based service, the map is accessible to anyone with a computer and internet connection.
