Previously, all dashboard members could view and modify all account activity. Consequently, dashboard members from one depot could accidentally make changes that affected another depot.

The latest update to dashboard permissions means that Owners and Admins who have the highest level of permissions remain able to view and edit anything across their entire Circuit for Teams account.

Depot managers, Dispatchers, and Read-only roles can now only see and change activity for their assigned depots. This allows each depot to be managed independently and prevents unintentional changes.

How to assign depots to dashboard members:

Drivers sometimes tap start on their route so they can view the details of their journey several hours before actually beginning their route. This can have a knock-on impact on recipient ETAs, which are triggered when a driver taps start on a route.

When drivers tap start to look at their route but don't actually start their route for a while, recipients will receive incorrect ETAs based on the time the driver tapped start, not when they really began their route.

New notifications in the Driver app provide drivers with a clear warning before they start their route about the impact of that action on recipient ETAs. When a driver receives a new route notification, they are now guided to look at it in their routes list rather than tapping start.

Editing stops on a route, in the client portal, or on the unassigned stops list was possible but not always easy. The level of detail associated with a stop can vary, and visualizing all stop details in a clear and usable design becomes difficult as the number of stop settings expands.

The redesigned stop details card, with its new streamlined design and tooltips for each element, makes it easy for users to discover all the stop editing actions available.

Occasionally, Drivers mistakenly deliver the wrong package to an address. This can be a difficult and costly problem to resolve, as it impacts two recipients.

Dispatchers can now prevent this by importing stops with barcode IDs. When a driver arrives at a stop with an associated barcode ID, the driver can mark the stop as delivered and is now given the option to scan the package barcode to confirm the correct item was delivered.

This feature is enabled by default, but Dispatchers can disable it in their account settings so that it is not visible in the Driver app.

How Drivers can scan barcodes at the point of delivery

When dealing with large tables of delivery data, it can be tricky and time-consuming to find a specific driver, delivery, or unassigned stop.

Now, tables can be sorted chronologically or alphabetically.

You can sort your data by clicking the sort icon in the top right corner of a table. Order information in a way that works best for your needs, and find the information you’re looking for faster.

How to sort tables

Managing multiple drivers in a single delivery zone can become visually confusing if it’s hard to differentiate between individual driver routes.

Dispatchers can now choose from 18 colors when color-coding individual drivers. This makes selecting contrasting route colors for drivers in the same delivery zone easier.

Once a color has been assigned to a driver, this color will persist unless the driver is paused or assigned to a new depot.

How to color code individual drivers

Many courier companies use barcode scanning for various steps along the last-mile delivery journey. Our latest feature allows Dispatchers to upload unassigned stops via spreadsheet or the API and include package Barcode IDs.

Now, when a Driver creates a route, they have the option to scan the barcode label attached to a package, which will automatically move that stop from the unassigned stops list onto their route.

Barcode scanning was not previously supported, and this is the first step towards building more comprehensive barcode functionality.

How to import barcode data and scan barcode labels

The complexity of delivery routes means that sometimes, certain stops need to take place before or after others for the route to be effective.

Now, Dispatchers can manually set an order for stops on a route and place them at a convenient point relative to other deliveries.

For example, it’s now possible to set a package collection stop to happen before that package’s eventual delivery stop later in the route.

How to manually order stops on a route

It’s now possible to send recipient notifications via a mix of SMS and email.

Send important pre-delivery notifications by SMS for a higher chance of recipient awareness, and follow up with less time-sensitive post-delivery notifications via email.

Reach recipients using the most effective communication method for each stage of the delivery process.

Recipients can now also be notified when their stop is next on the driver’s route, and sending this timely reminder can increase the chances of a successful delivery

Previously, all team members were grouped and managed in the same way, with no distinction between operational and driver roles. Due to the number of drivers and the changeable nature of their role, drivers require more regular management, unlike operational roles.

Now, all drivers can be added, paused, or removed from a single Drivers page, and new profile pages make it easier to edit settings and monitor individual performance.

Driver settings and route overrides are also more accessible, and a snapshot of driver performance from the last seven days provides instant performance visibility.

How to use the new Drivers dashboard view

With multiple clients, it can be difficult for courier companies to satisfactorily meet each client’s delivery needs. Some clients may require specific forms of POD to be collected, while others may be happy with a simple signature.

For example, a client who ships high-value items may not want delivery drivers to have the option to ‘leave the package in a safe space’ and may insist on capturing a signature and photo as POD.

It’s now possible to specify what delivery method is permitted for a stop and what type of POD needs to be collected for that method.

How to set POD and delivery method preferences

Formerly, drivers who used navigation while delivering had to use the Circuit driver app along with a navigation app of their choice. Using two apps simultaneously isn't easy or stress-free for the driver.

Drivers can now navigate using Google Maps within Circuit Route Planner so that they can carry out every task along their delivery route with just one app.

How to select Internal Google Maps for navigation

Until now, users had to create a route before being able to import stops, which would then be assigned to that route. This meant that time had to be spent organizing stop data into routes before being able to upload it.

The latest unassigned stops list feature allows stops to be imported without creating or assigning them to any route.

Simply import stops directly into the unassigned stops list and use the list's functions to filter, select, and assign stops to a route as and when required.

Stops already assigned to a route can also be moved back onto the unassigned stops list, ready to be reassigned to a different route.

Future versions of this feature will enable dispatchers to bulk upload unassigned stops and drivers will be able to scan a barcode to automatically pull an unassigned stop from the list onto their route.

Previously, all operational team members had access to change global account settings.

With the introduction of a new Depot Manager team role, restrictions have now been placed on the level of settings access each role type has.

Depot Managers can only manage settings related to their assigned depot. This prevents team members in various locations from changing settings that have an account-wide impact.

When tracking updates are sent, recipients can add delivery instructions for their driver. When used correctly, this is a beneficial feature, and the recipient can provide useful delivery instructions.

However, some recipients submit unrealistic and demanding delivery requests, which can delay and disrupt drivers. Our latest update lets you turn off the ability for recipients to add delivery instructions.

How to turn recipient delivery notes on/off

When customers are provided with detailed tracking information, they can accurately anticipate when and how their delivery will arrive, which leads to higher delivery success rates and happy customers.

Our latest update allows you to select the level of tracking information shared with customers. These preferences can be set for individual stops or complete routes.

Choose what level of tracking detail to share in your customer notifications:

Previously drivers had to select and set a map view type, which they could only change in the driver app settings.

Now, drivers can tap a button in the driver app on the map to switch between a detailed satellite map view and a simplified route view, making it easier than ever to see more or less detail when needed.

Changing to a satellite map view when approaching a stop provides additional visual context, and drivers can instantly switch back to a simplified view when navigating longer distances between stops where photographic imagery is not required.

Some stops require delivery to a pickup point, such as a parcel locker or retail partner who takes in deliveries. Previously, drivers could not specify this type of stop when collecting proof of delivery.

Now, proof of delivery can be collected for pickup points and automatically shared with dispatchers and recipients.

How to collect proof of delivery for pickup points

Previously, dispatchers could only copy stops from one route to another. A copied stop could be added to an alternative route and would also remain on the original route unless manually deleted.

Dispatchers can now move stops between routes. When a stop is moved from one route to another, it is automatically deleted from its original route.

Depending on their needs, Dispatchers may want to keep a copy of stops on their original route and they can do this by toggling the relevant settings on or off.

How to move stops

On busy routes with many similar deliveries, it can be tricky for drivers to remember when certain stops have special conditions attached to them.

Now, drivers can choose to color-code specific stops with special requirements to help highlight them better on their route.

Within the driver app there are four different colors to choose from, and when a stop is color-coded, the pin on the map and progress bar change color.

This feature is currently only available within the driver app.

How to color code a stop in the driver app

Some businesses rely on their drivers to create delivery routes because it is more efficient than requiring dispatchers to create and allocate routes to drivers.

Drivers now have even greater flexibility over route creation with the option to manually select the order in which groups of stops are attempted.

How to enable drivers to create manually ordered routes

Dispatchers

Drivers

When real-time changes impact delivery, dispatchers need to edit routes quickly. Often, this means moving one or more stops from one driver's route to another to stay on schedule.

The batch editing function makes it easier and faster to select a group of stops and copy them from one route to another.

How to copy stops from one route to another using batch editing

Finding one particular item in a delivery vehicle full of similar looking brown packages can be confusing at times.

Now drivers can choose to take a photo of a package as they add that delivery address to their route. Upon arrival at the stop, the driver can view the package photo again to remind themselves what the package looks like.

How to add a stop and take a photo of the package

Previously there were no restrictions on a driver’s ability to make changes to routes. If changes were not communicated to dispatchers or had an unforeseen knock-on effect, this could cause problems.

It’s now possible to specify which aspects of a route drivers can edit by setting specific driver route permissions. Manage what drivers can and cannot do in order to suit your delivery process.

How to set driver route permissions:

Days with many routes in the same location can create a cluttered and hard-to-read map view.

Now, you can toggle on and off which routes appear on the map for a more streamlined view. For example, you can toggle off finished routes as the day progresses to view only the active routes.

How to toggle routes on/off the map view:

Minor changes to existing routes previously took a few minutes to reoptimize, which slowed down dispatchers.

A significant increase in processing speed has reduced the amount of time it takes for edited routes to be recalculated. Modified routes can now be reoptimized up to 10 times faster.

Watch our latest product update video and discover more about the following features:

Understanding how long routes should take your drivers helps determine capacity and manage daily workflow.

Using the most recent analytics report, compare the actual route duration time with the average route duration time.

Find out how much the average and estimated duration differ. Examine performance factors and make changes to improve these values.

How to compare estimated and actual route duration:

Knowing if you are achieving good business margins on delivery operations is difficult because there are so many variables.

Now, you can set a custom cost per delivery, taking into account the cost per hour and cost per mile.

Create a cost per delivery that accurately reflects your business expenses and stay on top of outgoings.

How to set a custom cost per delivery

Not being able to set a maximum number of stops per driver per route can lead to dispatchers having to edit routes manually. Moving stops between drivers to ensure those with the right vehicle capacity receive the correct number of deliveries is tricky and time-consuming.

The ability to set a maximum number of stops per driver per route is possible in two ways.

How to set a default maximum number of stops per driver:

How to set a custom maximum number of stops per driver:

In the past, dispatchers had to format delivery data or make changes to optimized routes if they wanted to assign stops in specific locations to selected drivers.

It is now possible to create custom delivery zones. Any stops within a zone are automatically added to a route in that area. The route is then sent to the driver assigned to that zone.

How to create delivery zones

How to use delivery zones

Earlier versions of the Circuit for Teams API did not facilitate the optimization and distribution of routes to drivers.

The latest version allows users to integrate their existing systems with the Circuit for Teams API for end-to-end automation of delivery operations. From data import through to optimizing and distributing routes to drivers.

How to integrate with Circuit’s API

Go to Settings > Integrations to read the complete technical documentation and best practices.

It was previously only possible to access detailed delivery data by performing a global account search. This would only provide results for the specific information that was searched for.

Now monthly reports containing detailed delivery data can be exported at the touch of a button, giving you instant access to granular performance information.

How to download detailed delivery data:

With four new delivery analytics reports, you can further analyze delivery costs and performance metrics.

Understand the most common reason for failed deliveries, monitor the percentage of late stops, and track the average cost per delivery over time.

Filter each report by depot, team, or driver for a more granular view of activity.

Go to Settings > Analytics to access the delivery reports dashboard.

Watch our latest product update video and discover more about the following features:

Now you can safely and securely provide read-only access to your account, allowing specific roles the ability to view and search all account data without being able to make any changes.

Read-only roles have access to view all available account information as it happens but cannot make any edits or access account settings.

This restricted role can be useful for teams looking to safely outsource their customer support to a third party or share the real-time route tracking view with partners.

How to create a read-only role

Dispatchers can sometimes encounter incorrectly located addresses on a route due to inconsistencies in mapping data provided by third parties. These can be corrected by reporting the issue to Google Maps or Open Street View, but those updates take time.

Now dispatchers can instantly correct or pin the location of a stop simply by clicking on the map.

How to pin a stop anywhere on the map:

Managing multiple routes in the same geographical region can create a visually crowded map, making it hard to see individual stops and route progress clearly.

Now dispatchers can toggle between detailed and simplified stop markers on the map view.

Simplified stop markers reduce each stop on the map to a small square.

How to toggle between detailed and simplified stop markers:

Every business model handles delivery in a different way and has unique needs when it comes to how routes are optimized. Companies that pay their drivers by the hour may want to optimize routes based on speed.

It’s now possible to customize your route optimization settings to suit your delivery style better.

How to set route optimization objectives

Dispatchers often need to make the same change to multiple stops on a route, but individually updating stops is inefficient and prone to human error.

Now dispatchers can save time managing stops with batch editing. It provides a quick and easy way to apply the same change to a group of stops.

How to batch edit stops:

Manually adding stops or batch-uploading route data using a spreadsheet can be time-consuming and inaccurate.

The latest version of the Circuit for Teams API is two-way. This allows you to import and manage data using the API and subscribe to published event-based information.

Integrate your existing systems with the API to automate processes and speed up your delivery operations.

How to integrate with Circuit’s API

Go to Settings > Integrations to read the complete technical documentation and best practices.

Identifying areas where delivery performance can be improved without access to the right data can be difficult.

Circuit for Teams users can now access and run a range of delivery analytics reports to gain deeper insight into performance.

How to access delivery analytics reports:

How to view a daily analytics snapshot

Go to Overview > At the top of the page, the daily analytics snapshot displays:

Some drivers may be more experienced than others or drive a more suitable vehicle, making them better equipped to carry out certain stops.

It’s now easy for dispatchers to only allow certain drivers to carry out specific stops.

How to allow certain drivers to make specific stops:

POD requirements can now be turned on or off for specific stops. Drivers can skip POD collection when it is not needed, which helps them to save valuable time across the duration of their route.

How to specify proof of delivery requirements

Dispatchers can now see the real-time status of stops on an active route and make live changes to increase the chances of successful delivery.

How dynamic stop status icons work

Dynamic stop status icons are live indicators of a stop’s delivery progress:

Hover over each icon for additional detail about:

Dispatchers can now choose to add customer service contact details to the delivery information available to customers, providing a better delivery experience to customers who need help.

Delivery tracking information provided to customers now includes:

Dispatchers who need to modify routes that are already in progress can do so whilst automatically notifying drivers about the changes that have been made.

A dispatcher or admin can now:

Same-day updates to routes are now easily carried out by Dispatchers and communicated instantly to drivers.

Toll roads can contribute to increased delivery costs, affecting profitability.

New account-wide settings now allow dispatchers and drivers to create delivery routes that automatically avoid toll roads.

How to set avoid toll preferences:

Previously, large teams with multiple drivers and routes may have experienced a slight lag as the Overview Dashboard page loaded.

Page loading performance has been improved so that large amounts of data can be quickly retrieved, processed, and displayed.

The Overview Dashboard page loads 50% faster for small teams and 3x faster for large ones, giving almost instant access to a view of daily delivery activity.

In addition to the default map view, dispatchers and admins can now select satellite view for a photographic bird's eye view of routes.

This provides detailed satellite imagery of the landscape, which can help when trying to pinpoint hard-to-find or incorrectly mapped stops.

How to select satellite view

Circuit for Teams users can now access and benefit from Circuit’s Webhook API V0.1b

The API enables two different software programs to communicate and provides access to useful event-based data.

API Data

The API publishes data relating to three key events:

How to integrate with Circuit’s API

Go to Settings > API to read the complete technical documentation and best practices.

On a route, dispatchers can select:

This allows drivers to complete priority deliveries at the beginning of their route and leave less urgent deliveries until the end.

How to select single/multiple stops to be attempted first or last

When there is a problem with a delivery, dispatchers and admins often have to find proof of delivery and forward that to the concerned client or customer.

You can now easily find and copy all the POD information from a specific stop in one click.

How to copy and share POD info

View the POD info your recipient sees

Dispatchers who need to make last-minute changes to optimized routes can now easily make and roll back changes.

To minimize disruption to the driver, it is also possible to choose how those changes will impact the existing route order.

A dispatcher or admin can now:

This is the first of three components that together will allow dispatchers and admins to edit live routes in the near future.

Companies with more than one depot location can now create multiple depots.

A dispatcher or admin can now:

How to create multiple depots

How to delete a depot

Searching for individual drivers and routes on specific days can be time-consuming if you plan routes daily or have a large driver team.

Now you can clearly see which days of the month have routes on them, and which days have active drivers.

The calendar on the main overview page now shows:

Drivers often finish their day with unassigned, unattempted, or failed stops. To make sure these stops are completed on the next try, dispatchers need to reassign them to new routes.

Manually completing this process can be time-consuming and confusing. We’ve developed our Copy Stops feature to quickly handle this process.

How to use the Copy Stops feature

The most important information for a customer is when a package is due to be delivered. Not being able to set or communicate timely delivery windows accurately can cause customer service issues.

Our new Dynamic and Fixed delivery window options allow you to customize delivery windows and easily communicate delivery ETAs to your customers.

How to set a delivery window

Setting a fixed time window

Set a fixed time window for customer updates, regardless of the stop ETA.

For example, set a fixed time window of 9 am-5 pm for all deliveries, and this will not change regardless of the route progress.

Setting a dynamic time window

Set a minimum and maximum dynamic time window for customer updates which changes in real-time depending on the progress of the route.

For example, set a dynamic time window with a minimum value of 30 minutes and a maximum value of 2 hours for a stop with an ETA of noon.

Your dynamic time window will show customers a minimum delivery time of 11.30 am-12.30 pm, potentially increasing to a maximum delivery time of 10 am - 2 pm, depending on route progress.

Circuit’s customer notifications provide a tracking link that displays real-time delivery windows so customers can always access the most accurate ETA.

Previously, you could only search for stops individually, this made tracking down and resolving customer service issues potentially tricky and time consuming.

We've now released our new search function, available across all plan types on the web app. This allows you to search your entire driver team and all stops quickly and easily using any information associated with a stop, for example:

How to use Search

Click the search icon in the top right hand corner of the main dashboard, or press S on your keyboard to open the search function.

Type in your search query. Where possible we suggest using the order number as this is unique to each stop, and as such will provide you with more targeted search results.

Search results are displayed with a relevancy bias, beginning with the most likely stops to match your search query.

Click on a stop from the search results and you will be taken to the stop details where you can find information such as delivery status, and attempted location.

Large numbers of overlapping routes and stops previously caused the map view to become cluttered, and hard to read.

Our updated map provides a clearer image when managing multiple routes, and creates unique URLs for sharing map views.

Map design changes include:

How to use the map view

From the main web app dashboard click the View button. Manually zoom in to your desired location, and this will become your default view.

Click on a route to select it. The selected route automatically turns opaque and becomes the focus of the map. All other routes and stops become transparent for ease of viewing.

Click on a stop on the map or in the Overview sidebar. The map is automatically reoriented to zoom into that stop location. The Overview sidebar highlights that stop within the list.

Exit a stop or route and the map will return to your default view.

Share a unique map view URL

You can now share a deep link to a unique map view (when you have a route or stop selected) by copying and pasting the current search bar URL.

Example

Incorrect addresses provided by customers or accidentally uploaded to routes can create unreachable stops. These look wrong when plotted on the map.

The previous solution was to delete incorrect stops and re-add them correctly. It’s now possible to edit and correct the address of an existing stop.

How to edit an existing stop address

Previously, editing additional stop details would mark the stop as ‘changed,’ requiring re-optimizing the route.

You can now edit the following information for a stop without re-optimizing.

Hard-to-navigate apps provide a poor user experience.

Our new navigation design is intuitive to use.

Circuit's logo changes to a blue pin icon when you click away from the main dashboard. You can return to the main dashboard by clicking the blue pin icon on any page.

All pages now display your account details in the top right corner.

A driver who does not know that a stop is a pickup could waste valuable time looking for a package to deliver. Dispatchers may also not leave enough room in the vehicle if they don't realize a stop is a pickup.

Drivers and dispatchers can now mark stops as pickups or deliveries.

How to mark a stop as a pickup or delivery

Insufficient proof of delivery (or attempted delivery) can cause delivery drivers problems. Delivering alcohol, for example, requires a signature as proof that the recipient is over 18. Photographic evidence of delivery can be needed to prove that a package has been delivered to the customer's designated 'safe place.'

Proof of delivery options

Drivers can now select from the following options:

Each of the above options allows you to:

As soon as a driver adds proof of delivery, it is immediately available for dispatchers to view in the stop details tab.

The status of a delivery stop is an essential attribute for drivers and dispatchers.

A dynamic stop marker on the map means you don't have to scroll the stop list to find important information.

Check the status of your stop at a glance

We've created dynamic stop markers that show if a stop is:

Dispatchers may need to deal with last-minute changes that can impact their routes. If the delivery vehicle has been loaded and a stop needs to be added, creating a new route to accommodate this change can cause problems for the driver.

This problem can be solved by editing stops on existing routes with minimal disruption.

How to edit stops on existing routes

You now have the option to:

Apply changes - If you choose to ‘Apply changes,’ the edited stops will be added to your existing route with the least disruption possible.

or

Create new routes - If you choose to ‘Create new routes,’ your route will reoptimize, and a new route will be created.

Not all deliveries are made to the correct location.

It occasionally happens that a package ends up at the wrong address. Sometimes it’s the drivers' mistake, sometimes it’s the data at fault, but it can be messy to resolve either way.

We have made it easier. Now, you can see where the driver was when the delivery was marked as completed, giving you the information you need to locate the misdelivered package and solve the problem more quickly. The drivers' location is saved when they hit the delivered/failed button at each stop.

You can view this in both the stop details and the map.

You can now export a CSV file that will show you how many stops a driver has made in a day, how far they have traveled, and how long it’s taken them. It's now much quicker to work out how much to pay them or how much fuel to reimburse them for.

Select “Analytics” from the Settings menu, choose the month, and download.

We plan to include more data in this report soon, such as the percentage of failed stops and attempts outside the time window, and make it possible to view the info in Circuit for Teams. Watch this space.

There are times when mobile network coverage is poor, or battery-powered devices fail, and drivers may need a printed manifest as backup for their route mapping app.

Every plan type now provides the option to print a manifest or export your route data as a CSV file.

Both options include this information:

How to print a manifest

In addition to providing all the essential stop information, the printed manifest is formatted to make it easy to read.

How to export route data

Finding a specific stop on a particular day can be challenging in a pool of drivers and routes. We have updated our design to make finding and focusing on particular routes and stops easier.

In the overview sidebar:

On the map view:

Not all drivers can deliver the same number of packages in a day.

Now it’s possible to specify how fast/slow a driver is compared to other drivers, which is then reflected in the optimized routes created.

Reflect driver experience and efficiency when optimizing your route

From today stops allocated and ETAs in a plan take into account the experience or efficiency of the driver.

Not all drivers can complete their routes at the same speed. They might take more or less time to drive between stops, or to complete the delivery, they might be a new driver, a temporary driver, or driving in a new area.

Customize the speed at which a driver both drives and carries out a delivery

You can override the default setting of average to slower or faster to reflect the speed of driving from stop to stop and completing deliveries compared to other drivers.

The setting can be changed at driver level by selecting "override route default" in the membership tab settings or at driver route level by changing the Driving & Delivery Speed settings depending on whether you want to apply the speed setting to all routes for that driver or a specific route.

It can be time-consuming and difficult for drivers to check additional delivery details with their dispatcher. They need that information at their fingertips for fast and efficient delivery.

This extra information is now visible in the driver app:

Recipient

Package

Seller

Dispatchers can include this information when uploading routes or by clicking a stop. They can manually add/edit it.

Drivers can see this information in the stop details list. Tap 'see more' to see all the data.

You will find a more simple look and feel that makes managing drivers with Circuit easier and faster to use as team members are now added and edited in a separate part of the Teams workspace.

You can easily add new team members individually, or add many couriers in a row. Give it a try by checking the ‘Add member’ box to include more than one new driver at a time.

Editing existing members

Editing your existing team members is now easier, too.

Go to the three dots on the right of the team member's name for more info and to pull up their profile. You can change their name, display name, and role. Plus override their route defaults. When you select ‘Use defaults’, you can fix this so that your driver follows your set start and end locations.

If you uncheck this option, then you have the choice to customize your drivers' start and end locations individually. You can just pick another location and time and then save it. From now on, your driver is going to get routes that are tailored to them.

We've recently made some significant upgrades to help you further reduce the chances of missed deliveries by keeping your customers up-to-date on what's happening with their packages.

If you're on the Recipient plan or above, with this update you can:

After a driver starts their route, your customer will get a message with general delivery info. This includes an estimated delivery time and a link to our live tracking site so that they can track its progress. 🙌

We've improved Circuit for Teams with some big new features you've been requesting: You have more control over driver setup. Now you can: