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How to Manage Delivery Routes in Business Manager Dispatch

Create, manage, and monitor delivery routes from the Business Manager and Driver App.

Written by Euri

How to Manage Delivery Routes in Business Manager Dispatch

Dispatch in Cents Business Manager lets you plan delivery routes ahead of time, assign stops, optimize the order, and watch live routes, all without opening the Driver App. Routes you build in Dispatch show up in the Driver App automatically for your drivers.

Before you start

  • You have access to Dispatch in Cents Business Manager.

  • Your location has delivery set up with delivery windows.

  • Your drivers have the Cents Driver App installed and are logged in.

Create a route in Business Manager

Step 1: Open Dispatch

  1. Log in to Cents Business Manager.

  2. In the left navigation, click Dispatch.

  3. You'll land on the Map View, which shows all current stops color-coded by delivery window.
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Step 2: Create a new route

  1. Click the Routes tab.

  2. Click New Route.

  3. Select the date for the route. You can create routes up to 7 days in advance.

Step 3: Set start and end points

  1. By default, the start and end points are your store address.

  2. To change them, pick a saved address or enter a custom address (for example, a driver's home or a hub).

Note: Current Location is only available as a start point in the Driver App, not in Business Manager.

Step 4: Select stops

  1. Select stops from your available delivery windows. Use Select All to add every stop, or pick them one by one.

  2. Use Search to find a stop by name.

  3. Use Filters to narrow stops by Pickup or Delivery, delivery window, or Unrouted status.

  4. Click Save Stops.

Step 5: Name and save the route

  1. Enter a route name (for example, "Johnny's Route, Feb 13").

  2. Click Save.

Step 6: Optimize the route

  1. Click Optimize to sequence stops automatically based on current traffic.

  2. If you built the route in advance, have your driver re-optimize in the Driver App right before starting, since traffic may have changed.

Important: Once a route is started, it can't be re-optimized. After that, reorder stops manually with drag and drop.

Manage an existing route

  • Edit stop order: Open the route, click Edit, then drag and drop stops into the order you want.

  • Add stops: Open the route, click Add Stops, select the stops, and save.

  • Flip a route: Use Flip Route to reverse the stop order.

  • Delete a route: Click Delete Route. All stops go back to Unrouted so you can add them to another route.

Monitor live routes

  1. Go to Dispatch and open the active route.

  2. See the driver's progress and the remaining stop order.

  3. If needed, edit the route in real time, such as removing a stop and moving it to a future window.

This is handy when a customer calls about their ETA, since you can see exactly how many stops are left before the driver gets to them.

From the Map View, click the Filter icon to view routes by delivery window, saved routes, routes by service zone, or unrouted stops.

What your drivers see in the Driver App

Everything you can do in Dispatch is also available in the Cents Driver App. The Driver App home screen is built around routes and a map, and drivers can use Current Location as their start point.

  • Switch locations: Drivers who work at more than one location tap the address at the top of the screen to switch.

  • Create a route: Go to Stops, select stops, create the route (up to 7 days ahead), and adjust Start and End if needed.

  • Start a route: Routes made in Business Manager appear automatically. Tap the route, then tap Start. Every customer on the route gets a text that the driver is on the way, with their place in line.

  • Complete a stop: Tap a stop, then tap Go to open navigation (Google Maps, Waze, and so on). That customer gets a text with the driver's ETA. On arrival, tap Complete and take a photo. The photo can be skipped, but we recommend training drivers to always take one.

  • Mark a missed pickup: Tap the ! icon on the stop and choose the reason. If the customer becomes available before the route ends, go back and mark the stop Completed.

  • Delete a route: Deleting a route doesn't delete the stops. They move back to Unrouted so they can be routed again.

For more detail, see How to Manage Routes in the Driver App and How to Complete a Delivery in the Driver App.

Troubleshooting

  • The route doesn't show up in the Driver App?
    Check that the driver is viewing the right location (tap the address at the top to switch) and the right date. Then close and reopen the app to refresh.
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  • A stop is missing from the stop list?
    It may already be on another route. Filter by Unrouted to see what's still available. Also check the date, since you can only plan up to 7 days ahead.
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  • The Optimize option is gone?
    The route has already been started. Started routes can't be re-optimized, so reorder the remaining stops with drag and drop.
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  • Customers didn't get the "on the way" text?
    That text goes out when the driver taps Start in the Driver App, not when the route is created in Business Manager. Customers who replied STOP won't receive texts.
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  • ETAs are off on a route planned days ago?
    Have the driver re-optimize in the Driver App right before starting so the order reflects current traffic.
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  • Deleted a route by mistake?
    The stops aren't lost. They're back in Unrouted. Create a new route and add them again.

Need assistance?

Feel free to text our Cents Support team at 888-302-8809.

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