Delivery zones and the shop's pin on the map: why they matter

Why a written address is not enough

An address such as "12 Chavchavadze St, green door" makes sense to a person, but it is weak for planning. The same street name repeats in different towns, villages often have no numbers, and "green door" only helps someone who has already been there.

A pin on the map solves this: it is a single point that the driver can see and the system understands. It is this pin that Strelf uses to work out which delivery zone the shop is in.

What a delivery zone is and how it is chosen

A zone is a geographic area outside of which a company cannot, or will not, deliver. In Strelf the zones cover all of Georgia: the 10 districts of Tbilisi and 63 municipalities, grouped by region.

When a shop registers it places a pin on the map and the zone is worked out from that pin.
The chosen zone is shown under the map, so the shop sees at once whether the system got it right.
A company chooses which zones it delivers to, adding or removing zones region by region.
A shop sees only the distributors that deliver to its zone and that have approved it.

For shops: how to place the pin correctly

If the pin lands in the wrong place, the zone will be wrong, and you may not see the companies that really do deliver to you.

Zoom in until you can see the building or the door, at street level.
Put the pin exactly at the entrance where the driver should hand over the goods, not behind the building or on the next street.
Check the zone shown under the map: if it is a different district, move the pin.
In the address text write directions: floor, courtyard, security guard, so the driver does not lose time.

For companies: how to choose zones

When choosing zones there is a big temptation to add more, because that seems to mean more shops. But a zone where you cannot deliver on time will cost you the shop's trust on the first failed delivery.

Start with the zones where you already deliver today.
Add a new zone when you already have, or plan to have, a few shops there and the route fits logically.
Go through the regions one by one and remove zones where you cannot really deliver.
Remember that a bigger zone means driver time and fuel, so plan what it will cost.

Zones and route planning

Zones do not only decide who can order from you, they are also the basis of route planning. If orders are already split by zone, the driver gets shops that are close to each other in one trip and does not drive around the city for nothing.

Group shops from the same district onto one route.
Give far-away zones their own day instead of delivering a little there every day.
Tell the shop in advance which day the driver will come, so nobody finds a locked door or a closed shop.

Delivery cost: what to consider

Delivering to a near zone and a far zone rarely costs the same. Driver time, fuel and wear on the vehicle all grow with distance, so it helps to have an answer ready for the terms on which you go to a far zone.

Compare the average order value in the far zone with what a single trip costs you.
Decide whether a minimum order is worth introducing for far zones.
A zone where you keep losing money should either move to a less frequent schedule or be removed.

For these decisions take the exact figures from your own business: how much a shop orders, what the driver costs and how loaded the zone is.

Checklist

For shops: the pin is at the entrance and the zone under the map is correct.
For companies: only zones where you can deliver on time are switched on.
For both: the address text includes the floor, courtyard or another landmark.
For companies: orders are split by zone and far zones have their own day.

Try Strelf

For companies · For shops