Choosing the delivery time or day
When to use
Several delivery slots have been agreed with the client, and you need to pick the one that is the most profitable for you and for which performers are available.
Slots may last from minutes to days.
For example:
- There is a reward scheme with the client: if the delivery is late for the time window, you get a penalty, which reduces the reward for the order.
- The client says that on one day they are at home and can accept the goods themselves, while on another day their parents are at home, but the goods will have to be carried up to the apartment (the location stays the same, but the time spent at that location changes), or they ask for delivery to another location (their office).
Under all these conditions, the most optimal option is chosen, both in terms of labor costs and of logistics.
How to implement
In the demand, list several delivery windows (via possible_events).
During planning, the most suitable one is chosen based on all these parameters and on the capabilities of the performers included in the calculation.
Example 1
Planning selects the slot from 10 (UTC+0) to 12 (UTC+0), because the reward for completing the order is the highest at that time.
Example 2
There are 3 windows for completing the order: from 8 to 10, from 6 to 8, and from 10 to 12 (all times UTC+0).
Planning selects the slot from 8 to 10, because traffic on the way from the depot to the order location is the lightest at that time, and after 10 the driver is unavailable.