How do I check how a courier company’s dispatch app assigns jobs?
Ask for a live demonstration. Watch a new order come in, see how the app picks a driver, and what happens when that driver declines or runs late. Then ask whether the assignment rules are set by the company or by the app maker, and whether you can keep the account after the sale.
The dispatch app is the company’s nervous system, so you need to see it working. Sit with the dispatcher during a busy stretch. Notice who makes the choices: does the app decide by distance, by driver rating or by who accepted last, or does the dispatcher override it by hand? Manual overrides can mean the system is not trusted.
Look at fairness and speed from the driver side. Ask a few drivers how jobs reach them and whether they feel the split is fair. Unhappy drivers leave, and the app’s rules are often the reason. Ask about missed jobs and late pickups, and how the app reports them.
Then examine ownership. Is the software licensed to the company or to the owner personally? Can the account, the customer data and the job history be moved to you? Ask what happens if the provider changes its pricing or shuts down a feature. Finally, review the reports it produces. Good data on on-time rates, delays and busy zones helps you run the company after you take over. Ask what happens during a network outage.
Key takeaways
- Watch a live order from entry to driver acceptance, including a decline.
- Ask drivers how jobs reach them and whether the split feels fair.
- Confirm the account, data and history transfer to you.
- Review the reports the app produces on delays and busy areas.
Related reading
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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