Should You Use Free Mapping Software?

Should your business depend on free mapping software? Or should you use advanced mapping software like EasyRoutes?

Who doesn’t appreciate the benefits of free software? We utilize a variety of free applications on a daily basis, from Google Drive for storage to WhatsApp for communication, from YouTube for amusement to Google Maps for navigation.

Is Google Maps one of the most used apps on your smartphone when it comes to traveling? According to research, over 77 percent of smartphone owners use navigation applications on a regular basis, and nearly 70 percent (of this 77 percent) of navigation app users say Google Maps is their preferred navigation program. Google Maps is one of the greatest free mapping software available.

But, should your business depend on it?

Table of Contents

• The Perceived Strengths of Free Mapping Software
• The Limitations of Free Mapping Software
• What’s the Difference Between a Route Planner and Free Mapping Software?
• Conclusion

The Perceived Strengths of Free Mapping Software

So, why do individuals prefer online free mapping software? It’s because they’re simple to use, can be viewed on a smartphone, provide real-time ETAs based on real-time traffic data, and employ GPS navigation to automatically reroute you depending on actual road conditions, such as detours. If you prefer a toll-free or more scenic route, the mapping tool also allows you to select an alternate route. If you don’t feel like driving, you can use real-time transit information to discover the best public transportation option by bringing up walking or bike routes.

If you’re looking for the quickest or shortest route between places A and B, practically any web-based free mapping software will perform an excellent job of locating the finest roads for you. These freebies will not only show you the best route from point A to point B, but they will also offer you an accurate time estimate.

You should use Google Maps or any other free mapping software, if…

• …you only have five or fewer stops to make.
• …you only have one driver.
• …you don’t have any constraints like delivery time windows.
• …you are able to manually figure out the most efficient route for your stops.

A great use case for free mapping software is if you’re planning a holiday trip with your family.

The Limitations of Free Mapping Software

When it comes to acquiring turn-by-turn directions from one location to another, free GPS mapping software is the favoured alternative… But what if you need to plan a route that is both fuel-efficient and has several destinations? As you add more addresses to your travel plan, free mapping apps become less useful.

Assume you manage a delivery service and have 100 parcels to deliver in a single day. Free mapping software will not be able to tell you the best route to any of those addresses. It will just generate a map in the order in which you supplied the addresses.

When it comes to running a delivery business, there are a number of aspects to consider, including:

• Specific delivery time windows
• Multiple drivers
• Delivery areas
• Delivery vehicle capacity

Free mapping software works great for most delivery service owners in the beginning when they have minimal demands, such as one or two drivers and a few hundred parcel deliveries each week. As a company grows and its customer base expands, owners begin to look for better solutions to deal with rising customer demands and an ever-increasing amount of parcels.

Consider the following scenario: Your delivery driver gets behind the car and drives off to make his or her planned deliveries, but how will he or she know which package to deliver first? How can they ensure that all delivery time expectations are met while using the least amount of fuel possible?

To help in this situation, you’re going to need to look at advanced route planners with premium route mapping features.

What’s the Difference Between a Route Planner and Free Mapping Software?

The routing issue is a difficult one. In the end term, attempting to solve it manually or using free mapping tools is pointless. The efficiency of Google Maps or Bing Maps and a premium route optimizer are vastly different.

Google Maps or Yahoo! Maps are excellent resources for finding the quickest and most accurate route from point A to point B. However, It is unable to take into account client delivery time requirements or other constraints that your company may face. Free mapping software isn’t meant to assist you improve your delivery processes.

A route optimizer, on the other hand, uses algorithms to assist you schedule deliveries for many vehicles while still accommodating client requests and other constraints.

The capacity to optimize a multi-stop route is the most major advantage an advanced delivery route planner, such as EasyRoutes, has over free mapping software. EasyRoutes can quickly construct effective multi-stop routes that take into account a variety of data and constraints.

It also has a Proof of Delivery feature that allows drivers to take images of the things they bring to a customer’s doorstep using their mobile devices.

EasyRoutes will help you save money on gas and improve customer satisfaction by ensuring on-time delivery.

Conclusion

If you’re just getting started, a free mapping program will suffice, and you should take use of it. When your company grows, however, you’ll need a solution like EasyRoutes that’s more strong, versatile, and efficient. Amazon has upped the bar for delivery, and your customers are expecting at least the same, if not better, efficiency from you. Invest in powerful route optimization software today so you’ll be ready to deliver when the time comes to step up your game.

Try EasyRoutes for free for 14 days! Click the button below to install EasyRoutes from the Shopify App Store now.