Map route planning for field technicians

Answer

If I have to travel to from the Ann Arbor library to my beloved Whirly Ball through these waypoints:

Ann Arbor Distrit Library
343 South Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104

White Castle
3953 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

Ann Arbor Meijer
3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Whirly Ball Ann Arbor
750 Phoenix Drive Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108

Then I can use the Google Maps API to optimize my route:

https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/directions/json
  ?origin=343 South Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  &destination=750 Phoenix Drive Ann Arbor, Michigan 48108
  &waypoints=optimize:true|
    3953 Packard St, Ann Arbor, MI 48108|
    3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103

Shortcut URL:

https://goo.gl/Is0l9b

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Answered by:

dandiebolt_QB_Pirate , Pres. of Service Worker Union
QuickBase Pro 24 days ago




2 comments

Thanks for this info... I am unsure how to implement it for my 10 daily routes of 20 addresses each. Any pointers where/how to set this up would be appreciated!

• zachary
• 24 days ago

Brilliant answer by Dan.  I did not know that Google Maps can solve the classical Salesman's Routing problem.

The issue is that you need to build that string.   To do that, there needs to be. Parent review which has all the addresses from those 10 child records floated up to the Parent where they can be concatenated together to build that string.

 So one of your choices is the contract with Dan to write a script that will load up those addresses and build that string for you. The advantage of that method is that it will be able to handle any number of children in case one day a salesman has a 15 stops and not just 10.

The alternative is to use someone a brute force method called reverse relationships and one by one you can build looping relationships to bring up the  address data from a child up to a parent record.

If you have a small batches Dan can probably knock this off for you quickly. If you have no budget you and I can work together on the forum here  and eventually we will get it working. The brakes are really stands original post where he is using Google to actually do the heavy lifting of the mathematics on the route

• QuickBaseCoach App Dev./Training
• 24 days ago

You may want to convert your address data to the 'Address' data type. Google can then place a map location of that address in the record. Go to add a new field, select "Address" as the data type, then populate an address as a proof of concept. I think you might find this helpful in determining routes.