What Is Route Management Software, Really?

Think of route management software as your GPS on steroids. It’s not just about getting from point A to B – it’s about planning your whole week, hitting every customer at the right time, and doing it without burning through gas or wasting hours in traffic.

You might hear it called route optimization, territory management, or field sales software. Whatever the name, it’s basically a smart system that:

• Builds your routes for you  –  figures out the best order to hit your stores
• Adjusts on the fly  –  reroutes you when traffic hits or a customer cancels
• Manages territories  –  keeps everyone’s coverage zones organized
• Connects to your order system  –  especially helpful if you’re taking orders and managing inventory on the go
• Shows you the numbers  –  how much you’re driving, how many stores you’re hitting, where the gaps are

Why Should Distributors & Field Sales Teams Care?

Look, we’ve all been there. Planning routes on a spreadsheet, trying to remember which stores you hit last week, doubling back because you forgot someone. It’s exhausting, expensive, and honestly, it eats into the time you should be spending with customers.

Here’s what changes when you get smarter about routing:

More Face Time, Less Windshield Time

Manual route planning means you’re spending way too much time driving and not enough time actually selling. One study put it bluntly: badly planned routes lead to longer drives, fewer quality visits, and hitting stores at the wrong times.

Translation: You’re working harder but seeing worse results.

With good route software, you flip that equation. Less driving = more selling = more orders = better relationships.

Actually Cut Your Costs

Every mile you don’t drive saves money. Fewer miles means:

• Less fuel burning a hole in your budget
• Less wear and tear on vehicles
• Less overtime pay for drivers
• More profit at the end of the day

If your territories are all over the map or your reps are crisscrossing each other’s zones, you’re literally throwing money away.

Stop Missing Stores

When you’re winging it with manual planning, stores fall through the cracks. Maybe you forgot to visit that one account in two months. Maybe you’re hitting some customers too often and ignoring others.

Systematic route planning makes sure every account gets visited at the right frequency. No gaps, no forgotten customers, consistent service across the board.

Get Data That Actually Helps

Modern route software tells you things like:

• Which stops make you the most money
• How much time you’re driving vs. actually working
• Whether your visit sequence makes sense

Armed with that intel, you can make smarter calls about territories, where to focus, and how to hit your numbers.

Real Stories from the Field

The Beverage Distributor: They were doing direct store delivery with vans, but routes were a mess. After implementing route management with their accounting software, they got vans on optimal patterns, merchandisers capturing shelf data properly, and billing flowing smoothly. Result? Fewer return trips, better fill rates, healthier cash flow.

The CPG Field Team: Reps covering retail outlets now use a mobile app that assigns territories, builds daily routes, shows visit history, and maps the best path. Managers can see when someone’s driving too far or skipping stores. The team can adjust on the fly. Productivity goes up, which means more orders and stronger accounts.

The Market of Route Optimization Is Exploding Software

Route optimization software is blowing up. We’re talking from about $10-11 billion in 2024 to potentially $37 billion by 2033. That’s roughly 14% growth every year.

The US is leading the charge with about 29-38% of the market.

What’s driving this growth?

• Everything’s moving to the cloud and mobile (makes sense – you’re never at a desk)
• AI and machine learning are making routing way smarter
• Real-time visibility is becoming standard – you can see where everyone is, what traffic looks like, and order statuses
• Companies want to be greener – fewer miles means lower emissions
• B2B field sales teams realize they need this to compete

The Challenges?

Sure, there are some speed bumps:

• It costs money upfront, which hits smaller teams harder
• Integrating with your existing systems (ERP, accounting, whatever ancient software you’re using) can be a pain
• Your routing is only as good as your data – garbage in, garbage out
• If the tool is clunky, reps won’t use it, and you’re back to square one

How to Actually Pick & Roll Out Route Software

Step 1: Know What You’re Trying to Fix

Get specific. Are you trying to:

• Cut travel miles by 20%?
• Add 3 more visits per rep per day?
• Improve your fill rate?

Figure out who’s using this (drivers, sales reps, merchandisers) and what it needs to connect to (your ERP, CRM, fleet tracking, whatever).

Step 2: Match Features to Your Actual Work

Don’t just check boxes on feature lists. Think about your real workflow:

• Can it handle your constraints? (Visit windows, vehicle capacity, frequency requirements)
• Does it work offline? (Huge if you’re in rural areas)
• Is the mobile app actually usable? (If reps hate it, they won’t use it)
• Can you see what’s happening in real-time?
• Does it integrate with your accounting and order systems?
• Is it easy to learn?

Pro tip: Pick the tool reps will actually adopt. A simple tool they use beats a fancy one they ignore.

Step 3: Test Before You Commit

Start with one team or region. Track your baseline (miles driven, visits per day, cost per visit) and see what improves. Get feedback from reps. Tweak as you go. Make sure people are trained and bought in.

Step 4: Roll It Out Right

Once your pilot works, scale it up. Integrate it with your order capture, accounting, and CRM so everything flows together. Use the analytics to keep refining territories and routes. Tie your performance metrics to the tool’s data.

Step 5: Prove It’s Working

Keep an eye on the numbers:

• Are you driving less?
• Visiting more customers?
• Saving money?
• Bringing in more revenue per rep?
• Covering customers better?

Share wins with your stakeholders (sales managers, ops, finance) to keep momentum going. And revisit territories regularly – markets change.

How SimplyDepo Fits In as a Route Execution Software 

Here’s a quick look at how some of the main players stack up:

SimplyDepo (~4.7/5)

• Good at: Built specifically for SMB distributors and brands. Order capture, retail execution, route and territory management all in one place. Fast setup, works offline, integrates with QuickBooks and other systems.
• Not so good at: Newer to the scene, so fewer big enterprise references than legacy platforms

Repsly (~4.3/5 on G2)

• Good at: retail execution, route optimization, and field data capture, solid support
• Not so good at: Route optimization isn’t their strongest feature; you might need other tools

Pepperi (~4.4/5 on G2)

• Good at: Enterprise-level commerce platform for field and e-commerce, strong integrations
• Not so good at: More complex setup, steeper learning curve, pricey for smaller companies

Why SimplyDepo Makes Sense for Distribution Route Management

Everything in one app  –  Take orders, manage inventory, capture store data, and follow optimized routes all from the same mobile platform

Route management that actually fits distribution  –  It’s not bolted on as an afterthought; it’s designed for B2B distribution workflows

Works offline  –  Critical when you’re in areas with spotty coverage

Easy to get started  –  Built for distributors and growing brands, not just massive enterprises

Straightforward approach  –  No smoke and mirrors – just practical tools that work

Real Results

Distributors switched from Pepperi to SimplyDepo and saw:

• Onboarding in days, not weeks
• 40% less time on admin work
• 95% order accuracy
• Rock-solid offline order capture

If you’re still planning routes manually, you’re leaving money on the table and burning out your team. The right route management software pays for itself in saved miles, increased visits, and happier reps who can focus on what they do best – selling.