· 2 min read
How to Optimize Delivery Routes From an Excel Spreadsheet
A step-by-step guide to preparing your Excel delivery list, spotting data problems and turning it into efficient multi-vehicle routes.
If your dispatcher builds routes in Excel, you already have most of what an optimizer needs. The difference between a sorted spreadsheet and an optimized plan is mostly about data quality and constraints. This guide shows how to prepare your file and what to expect.
Start with a clean stop list
Each row should describe exactly one stop. A good delivery sheet contains:
- A complete address: street number, street, city, region and postal code
- The quantity or load for the stop (units, weight or volume)
- The expected service time at the stop
- An optional time window (earliest and latest arrival)
Most routing problems that look like algorithm failures are really address problems. A missing postal code or an ambiguous street name can send a driver to the wrong place.
Describe your vehicles
List each vehicle with its capacity and where it starts and ends the day. If vans have different capacities, say so; the optimizer will use that information instead of assuming they are identical.
Check the data before you optimize
Validate before planning. Look for:
- Duplicates: the same customer entered twice
- Incomplete addresses that cannot be located
- Orders larger than any vehicle can carry
- Time windows that end before they start, or that cannot be reached from the depot
AIRO automates these checks and reports each problem with a specific message. See how it works on our how it works page.
Run the optimization
An optimizer assigns stops to vehicles and orders them to reduce total distance or time while respecting your constraints. Stops that cannot be served within their constraints should be reported, not silently dropped.
Compare against your manual plan
Optimization is only convincing when you can compare. Record the total distance and duration of your manual plan, run the optimized version and look at the difference. We cover this in how to compare route plans and measure savings.
Export for drivers
The last step is a file drivers can use: one sheet per vehicle, with stop order, address, planned arrival time and any instructions. AIRO exports Excel and CSV for this purpose.
Next step
Join the AIRO waitlist to be among the first to turn your spreadsheet into routes.