TSP Route Planning
Turning the travelling salesman problem into a tool
Finding the shortest order to visit a set of stops is known as the travelling salesman problem. Solving it exactly is hard, but approximate answers that are good enough for real work arrive in seconds.
Best for: Anyone planning routes, dispatch planning, operations improvement, software selection
Pain Points
Where manual sequencing breaks down
- ! The number of possible orders explodes as stops are added
- ! Quality depends on who is planning that day
- ! People judge by straight-line distance rather than road travel
- ! Dwell time and preferred arrival times get left out
Solution
What makes it work in practice
- ✓ Aim for an answer that is good enough, delivered quickly
- ✓ Judge order by real travel time, not straight-line distance
- ✓ Treat dwell time and preferred arrival times as constraints
- ✓ Fix the starting point so the plan matches how the day actually runs
Workflow
How Go(od)Route applies it
Enter stops and constraints
Addresses plus starting point, dwell time and preferred arrival times.
Compute the order
An order that works in practice is produced in seconds, judged on travel time.
Put it to work
Check the arrival times and hand each leg to your navigation app.
Why It Works
Why not solve it exactly
Go(od)Route focuses on the work before navigation: deciding the order, saving repeat routes, and keeping useful records.
Exact solutions become impractical to compute as stops are added
In the field, getting an answer immediately beats a few minutes of theoretical saving
Traffic and dwell time vary anyway, so extreme precision buys little
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the travelling salesman problem?
It asks for the shortest route that visits every location once and returns to the start. As locations are added, the number of possible orders grows so quickly that checking them all stops being practical.
Is an approximate answer good enough?
For most work, yes. Real travel times shift with traffic and visits run long or short. Being able to recalculate the moment something changes is worth more than chasing the last few percent.
Can I fix where the route starts?
Yes, you can set a starting point so the calculation matches how your day actually begins.
Let the app do the ordering
Enter your stops and get a visiting order you can actually use.
Related Use Cases
Delivery Route Planner
Turn a delivery address list into the shortest route
Sales Route Planner
Plan a field-sales day in minutes
Home-care Route Planner
Keep appointment-based visits on schedule
Multi-stop Route Planner
Put multiple destinations into a smarter order
Google Maps Alternative
Optimize the stop order before opening Google Maps
Route Optimization App
Stop spending your morning working out the order
Field Service Route Planner
Stop rebuilding the same round every time
Property Viewing Route