5 Steps to Improve Service and Efficiency in Store Delivery

Store delivery is at the front line of your customer promise—and the point where logistics costs can spiral if not managed proactively. Retailers must serve smaller store footprints, more frequent replenishments, and constantly shifting product mixes. Store managers contend with limited space, workforce pressure, and the need to meet narrow delivery windows.

Relying on a TMS alone often isn’t enough. Integrating advanced planning and routing solutions gives you precise control over schedules, dynamic adaptation to daily realities, and transparent execution across your transport network. This approach helps retailers move from reacting to changes, to anticipating and planning for them.

The first step toward efficient store delivery is to use advanced planning technology to create and review smart delivery schedules. Move beyond static routines—analyze each store’s sales patterns, order frequency, seasonal peaks, and service agreements, then balance delivery needs with actual demand and capacity.

Advanced planning and routing software lets you cluster deliveries, optimize timing, and model various delivery scenarios for each store—accounting for constraints like government regulations, environmental zones, and city access rules. By forecasting volumes and using historical data, APS helps create robust, efficient schedules that cut peaks, smooth workloads, and support stable operations.

You can test high- and low-volume weeks in advance, ensuring your network is resilient—while prioritizing both efficiency and transparency.

Key benefits: Reduced idle time and transport costs, staff workload balanced across the week, and compliance with all delivery restrictions.

After establishing store delivery windows, advanced planning solutions enable dynamic route optimization—far surpassing the capabilities of most TMS platforms.

Modern routing software and delivery route optimization tools dynamically build the most efficient transport plans each week, even as needs and constraints change. Instead of relying on static “master routes,” you can adapt on the fly to changes in order volumes, labor availability, and customer requirements.

Dynamic routing protocols and optimization algorithms respect all business, vehicle, and compliance constraints—while maximizing fleet utilization, driver productivity, and service reliability. For complex demands, such as food retail, advanced routing can model temperature controls, multi-compartment vehicles, or specialized loading needs.

By integrating accurate traffic and time window data (sometimes updated throughout execution), advanced planning ensures highly accurate ETAs, maximized delivery density, and mitigated labor rule violations—something a transactional TMS alone cannot deliver.

Key benefits: Lower total mileage, better on-time delivery rates, and improved last-mile efficiency that translates into real savings.

Efficient store delivery depends on modeling the entire supply chain—not just the delivery itself, but also driver shifts, vehicle allocation, and return flows—using your advanced planning toolset.

With APS, you can centrally assign drivers and vehicles across multiple depots, optimizing usage and minimizing empty miles. Features like “driver loops” allow drivers to cycle through DCs, pickups, backhauls, and homecoming routes efficiently—reducing waste and balancing capacity.

Advanced network modeling also allows for smart pallet stacking (leveraging 3D algorithms), dynamic splitting of deliveries, and combined routing of push items and store returns. By tracking rental and third-party resources in the same platform, you ensure contract compliance and avoid overuse or underuse penalties.

Integrating the planning layer with your TMS execution allows real-world data to flow back—as you monitor mileage, service reliability, and resource utilization for ongoing adjustment.

Key benefits: Minimized wait times, higher asset productivity, and truly coordinated, cost-smart store delivery.

Advanced planning becomes even more powerful when complemented by real-time supply chain visibility—a “control tower” approach. This combines planning accuracy with constant adaptation, giving all stakeholders—from central planners to store managers—live insight into current status.

Routing and dispatch software or mobile apps provide updated ETAs, route progress, and incident notifications as deliveries are in motion. If a disruption or delay occurs, planners can quickly re-optimize routes or assign alternative drivers using APS. This closes the gap between planning and execution.

Visibility tools enable store teams to prepare for arrivals, warehouse teams to better sequence dock activities, and everyone to respond quickly to unforeseen events. Unlike typical TMS dashboards, APS-driven tools let you make agile adjustments with minimal manual intervention.

Centralized, up-to-date information improves communication and supports truly multi-day, multi-stop routing—critical for omnichannel fulfillment, B2B delivery, or direct store delivery operations.

Key benefits: More reliable delivery, faster response to problems, and improved stakeholder collaboration.

A robust advanced planning system not only creates better plans—but also provides the analytics foundation for continuous supply chain improvement. Each delivery, schedule deviation, and performance data point enriches your actionable insights.

Compare planned vs. executed routes, use data analytics to fine-tune forecasts for orders and store turnaround times, and apply AI or machine learning to calculate accurate cost-to-serve metrics for each store. This lets you identify high-cost stores or lanes and adjust strategy as needed.

Analyze order patterns, delivery frequencies, driver productivity and incorporate external data—such as weather, events, or competitive promotions. Unlike static reporting in a TMS, APS brings agility: quickly test new scenarios, respond to emerging trends, and continually raise efficiency and service.

Key benefits: Smarter future plans, accountable decisions, and a steady rise in performance and profitability.

Carrefour Italy:

To address growing delivery complexity, Carrefour Italy adopted ORTEC’s advanced planning and routing, mobile collaboration, and real-time traceability solutions. Their APS platform empowers central planners, DCs, and store managers with unified visibility and adaptive route optimization. This shift delivered improved supply chain transparency, vehicle utilization, real-time execution, and measurable reductions in miles traveled and CO₂ emissions.

ASKO (NorgesGruppen, Norway):

For over a decade, ASKO has leveraged ORTEC’s APS to drive routing optimization and continuous improvement. By dynamically planning routes, adapting loads, and synchronizing deliveries across numerous retail chains, ASKO elevates service while containing transport and labor costs—demonstrating the true value of data-driven, adaptive store delivery for modern retail.