Following up on the discussion about route optimization logic — wanted to share something that isn't obvious in the UI.
The route optimizer calculates distance first, then factors in your technicians' Work Hours and Service Area constraints. What it doesn't do by default: live traffic.
But here's the workaround we use at scale (50+ techs, metro area):
- Set Service Area polygons conservatively — we shrink them by ~15% during rush hours
- Adjust Work Order Duration estimates upward for cross-town routes (we add 20% buffer)
- Use Manual Schedule Lock on your first two jobs of day — lets the optimizer sequence the rest around fixed anchors
The 3.2 release added traffic-aware ETA calculations for customer notifications, but the actual sequencing logic still runs on straight-line distance + your configured parameters. Worth knowing the difference.
Related: Route Optimization Not Accounting for Traffic — this was logged as expected behavior, not a bug.
