RWS & Routerra: let your powers combine for optimized route planning
Optimized route planning. Part of our mid-year annual service provider review includes seeing where we as bicycle couriers can streamline. Includes routes and providers. And adding them together across the whole of South Africa. With 25+ depots and connecting over 2000 towns. Means that the need to go beyond google maps to visualize and present data. And optimize routes. Now we already use RWS for regional deliveries. Enter Routerra.
Using Routerra to consider RWS coverage
But first, let’s recap, what is RWS and Routerra?
- What is RWS? TLDR: RWS act as an infrastructure multiplier—giving logistics companies an immediate, ready-made regional distribution footprint without having to build depots in every single secondary town across SA. // RWS (officially Regional Wholesale Service) is essentially a “courier’s courier.” Rather than competing directly in the retail, front-facing consumer space like your typical mainstream couriers, they operate primarily as a neutral wholesale partner for other players in the logistics and courier industry. More in RWS is Regional Wholesale Services, but what do they do?
- What is Routerra? It’s an intelligent route planner designed to take the absolute headache out of last-mile logistics. If you’ve ever hit the frustrating 10-stop cap on Google Maps or spent hours manually sequencing a massive list of addresses to avoid backtracking, Routerra is designed to solve that exact headache. It takes a chaotic list of up to 200 stops and reorders them in seconds into the fastest, most fuel-efficient sequence. More in ROUTERRA beats Google Maps for optimized route planning
FIRST: RWS regional depots in SA
RWS has 25 regional depots in South Africa. Here they are:
- GP – JHB, PTA, Vereeniging
- LIM – Polokwane, Nylstroom & Musina
- MPU – Nelspruit, Bethal, Witbank, Lydenburg
- NW – Klerksdorp, Lichtenburg, Potch, Rustenbrug, Vryburg
- FS – BFN, Harrismith, Bethlehem & Welkom
- NC – Kimberley, Kuruman & Upington
- KZN – Newcastle & Ladysmith
- EC – Aliwal-North
- Nothing in WC.
SECOND: Visualize the RWS delivery centers by using Routerra
And yes, Routerra is clever enough to recognize POTCH as Potchefstroom.
Please note 20 stops max for the free version. So, I removed Polokwane which is on the main route to Musina. And removed Kuruman which is on the main route between Vryburg and Upington. Also removed POTCH which is on the main route to Klerksdorp. Plus, Harrismith which is on the main route between Ladysmith and Bethlehem. But I first had to find old ‘what is the old name for iNtabazwe’ because Routerra uses the new names and not the old ones. I also ignored PTA because this is close and obvious. So, the above opened up enough free slots that I could trim it down to 20 stops for the free version of Routerra.
RESULT: RWS coverage
Based only on the top-down view, not necessarily the routes driven
- N14 to Upington
- N12 to Kimberley
- N1 down to BFN and up to Musina
- N4 right to NLP and left to Rustenburg
- N5 between BFN and Ladysmith
- N6 to Aliwal North
- Outlying to Lydenburg
FINALLY: we use Routerra to optimize those 20 stops
And now for the optimized route planning. Rule of 20 for the free version of Routerra. Same as it allows 20 free stops. It also allows optimizing the route for 20 free points. Which is exactly what it did down here below. See the screenshot. All the the single click of 1-button. Brilliant. So smooth and quick and easy. I love the interface and the way it works and looks. And then you can integrate it with your own favourite navigation software. Like google maps for your car.
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Brilliant! All done. Optimized route planning. It doesn’t matter if you send your bicycle to a main centre. Or regional area. Or even remote area. So what about going all the way via Underberg and Himeville up to Sani Pass in Lesotho next time. Why not. With or without RWS and Routerra (even before), we deliver boxed bicycle across the country more than ever. Now where can we send your boxed bicycle today?
