As the food delivery industry continues to grow in the United States, so does the need for the right delivery management software. There are many different software programs on the market today that can help restaurant owners and managers streamline their food delivery operations.
Choosing the top delivery management software for your restaurant can be a daunting task. Customers are concerned about time and as such, the best food delivery software must enable customers to place their orders quickly and easily. In addition, it should provide features that will help you manage your deliveries effectively, such as GPS tracking, route optimization, and driver management.
The choice of your delivery management system will determine the flow of your business activities. With so many options to choose from, we have put together some reviews that will help you make the right choice.
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What Is Food Delivery Software?
Food delivery software is a system that helps manage the process of taking orders from customers and delivering them to their doorsteps. It enables restaurant owners and managers to track and manage deliveries, optimize routes, and dispatch management drivers.
The software also provides features that help customers place their orders quickly and easily. Most food delivery software programs offer a mobile app that customers can use to place their orders.
There are many benefits of using food delivery app software for your restaurant. The most important benefit is that it helps you manage your deliveries effectively, saving you time and money.
When it comes to the choice of a delivery system, it is essential to take note of your needs. This makes it easier to pick a system that serves your specific needs effectively.
How Does The Restaurant Order Management System Work?
The restaurant order management system works in a very simple manner. It enables customers to place their orders quickly and easily. In addition, it helps you manage your deliveries effectively, optimize routes, and dispatch drivers.
The software also provides features that help customers track their order status. Most food delivery software programs offer a mobile app that customers can use to place orders for their preferred meals.
Key Features in Restaurant Delivery Management Software
As you would imagine, technology keeps evolving with each passing day. This means that there are significant changes that keep happening in the food delivery industry. If you are still new to the world of delivery management systems, it is important to take note of some features of these systems.
Integrations
One of the key features of a good food delivery management solution is integration. This means that the system should be able to integrate with other software programs that you use in your restaurant.
For example, if you use a point of sale (POS) system, it is important to ensure that the delivery management system integrates with it. This way, you can manage your orders and deliveries from a single platform and still get sales and accounting solutions.
Tracking
Another important feature of a food delivery system is tracking. This refers to the ability to track your orders and deliveries in real-time. Driver tracking is important because it helps you keep tabs on your drivers and optimize routes.
Route Optimization
As the name suggests, route optimization helps you optimize your delivery routes. This is a very important feature, especially if you have a large number of orders to deliver.
Route optimization helps you save time and money by ensuring that your drivers take the shortest and most efficient routes.
Driver Management
A good food delivery system should also enable you to manage your drivers effectively. This includes features such as assigning orders to drivers, tracking driver location, and managing driver schedules.
These are just some of the key features that you should look for in a food delivery dispatch software. As you can see, these features can help you manage your delivery services effectively, saving you time and money.
Now that we have looked at some of the key features of a good food delivery system, let us look at some of the benefits of these systems.
Benefits of Delivery Management Software
The essence of the order delivery management system is to ensure that orders are processed and delivered without any problems. With the right delivery management system, you can enjoy the following benefits.
Improved Customer Service
One of the main benefits of using a food delivery system is that it helps you improve your customer service. This is because the system enables you to track your orders and food delivery service in real-time.
This way, you can quickly resolve any issues that may arise during delivery. Additionally, the tracking feature also helps you keep your customers updated on the status of their orders.
As a result, your customers will be more satisfied with your service, which will lead to repeat business.
Increased Efficiency
Another benefit of using a food delivery system is that it helps you increase your efficiency. This is because the system enables you to manage your deliveries effectively.
For example, the system can help you optimize your routes and schedules. Additionally, the system can also help you assign orders to drivers based on their location.
All these features help to ensure that your deliveries are made in a timely and efficient manner.
Improved Bottom Line
The bottom line is always important for any business. Delivery management systems can help you improve your bottom line in several ways.
First, the system can help you save money by optimizing your routes. Additionally, the system can also help you increase your efficiency, which leads to more orders being delivered.
All these factors will lead to an improvement in your bottom line.
Now that we have looked at the benefits of delivery management systems, let us look at the different types of these systems.
Types of Delivery Management Systems
Delivery management systems can be broadly classified into two categories: on-premise and cloud-based.
On-Premise Systems
On-premise delivery management systems are installed on your local server. The advantage of these systems is that they give you complete control over the system.
Additionally, on-premise systems are easier to customize as compared to cloud-based systems. However, the downside of these systems is that they are more expensive and require more maintenance.
Cloud-Based Systems
Cloud-based delivery management systems are hosted on the cloud. The advantage of these systems is that they are cheaper and easier to maintain as compared to on-premise systems.
Additionally, cloud-based systems can be accessed from anywhere, which makes them more convenient to use. However, the downside of these systems is that they offer less control as compared to on-premise systems.
Does the Food Delivery Business Need Management Software?
Now that we have looked at the different types of delivery management systems, let us look at the question of whether the food delivery business needs management software.
The answer to this question is a resounding yes!
As we have seen, delivery management systems offer a number of benefits that can be extremely helpful for any food delivery business.
Some of the benefits that we have discussed include improved customer service, increased efficiency, and a better bottom line.
Thus, it is evident that delivery management systems can be of great help for any food delivery business.
If you are looking for a delivery management system for your business, then you should definitely consider the different types and pick one that suits your needs.
Some of the businesses than can use a food delivery management system include:
- Restaurants
- Coffee Shops
- Grocery Stores
- Logistics companies
- Bakeries
- Food Trucks
- Pizza Shops
- And more!
Thus, it is evident that there is a wide range of businesses that can make use of these systems. If you are still not convinced about the need for a food delivery management system, then we would urge you to consider the benefits that we have discussed in this article.
Best Delivery Management Software in 2023
The food delivery business is booming and is expected to continue growing in the coming years. Thus, it is important for businesses to have a delivery management system in place.
There are a number of delivery management systems available in the market. However, not all of them are created equal. Here are some of the top-rated ones that we have compiled.
Deliverect
Deliverect is a platform that connects POS systems to Delivery Platforms seamlessly. This way you do not need 3 iPads to work with Uber Eats, Doordash and Deliveroo at the same time. It works as a Delivery platform, that connects with more than 150 POS systems. Very useful!
Tookan
Tookan is great software with the capacity to support a wide range of businesses. It is one of the best picks for restaurants due to its extensive range of features. If you have a restaurant business and use in-house drivers, this would be a perfect choice.
The software has inbuilt POS integration and also offers real-time tracking. This would be extremely useful for any restaurant looking to improve its delivery operations.
Customer support is available 24/7 and the system also has a cash tracking feature for drivers.
Pros
- Extensive range of features
- Real-time tracking
- 24/7 customer support
Cons
- No mobile app for customers
DoorDash
DoorDash is another great software with an extensive range of features. It offers real-time tracking and also has a route optimization feature. This would be extremely useful for any business looking to improve its delivery operations.
The software also offers a customer mobile app, which would be extremely helpful for businesses that want to offer better customer relationship management. This is an on-demand software and the beauty of it is the fact that it allows the drivers to handle the deliveries.
White labeling is another great feature that this software offers. As such, you are able to provide online ordering services using your own brand. This is a great way to promote your business as well.
Pros
- Real-time tracking
- Route optimization
- Customer mobile app
- White labeling
Cons
- Lack of control for non-staff drivers
OnTime 360
Do you have restaurants in multiple locations? If so, then OnTime 360 would be a great pick for you. This software is designed for businesses with multiple locations. As such, it offers a number of features that would be extremely helpful for businesses looking to improve their delivery process.
The software has inbuilt GPS tracking and also offers real-time tracking. This is one of the tools that can handle high-volume deliveries seamlessly. There is an offline functionality, which is a big plus.
Additionally, the searchable ticket log is a great feature to use. When you need to refer to a specific delivery, you can make use of the feature.
Pros
- Inbuilt GPS tracking
- Real-time tracking
- Offline functionality
- Customer mobile app
Cons
- The pricing is on the higher side
GetSwift
What makes GetSwift stand out is the fact that it manages multiple couriers on one platform. This is extremely helpful for businesses that use multiple couriers for their deliveries.
The software offers a number of features that would be helpful for businesses looking to improve their delivery operations. The real-time tracking feature is one of the highlights of this software.
Additionally, it also offers a route optimization feature, which is extremely helpful for businesses that want to save time and money.
The software also offers a customer mobile app, which is a great way to provide a better customer experience. You will love the detailed cash tracking option as well.
Pros
- Manages multiple couriers
- Real-time tracking
- Route optimization
- Cash tracking
Cons
- Reporting is not very efficient
Shipday
Shipday is designed with small businesses in mind and is a perfect fit for small and independent restaurants. This is considered to be one of the most affordable solutions in the market.
The software offers a Google verified business address, which is a big plus. Additionally, it also offers real-time tracking. One of the best things about this software is the fact that it offers a white label solution. This is perfect for businesses that want to promote their brand.
Customer support is available 24/7 and you will love the SMS texting feature.
Pros
- Google-verified business address
- Real-time tracking
- White label solution
- 24/7 customer support
- SMS texting
Cons
- Lacks built-in integrations
What to Look For in a Food Delivery Business Managment System
The following are some of the key factors that you need to consider when choosing a food delivery business management system:
1. Ease of Use
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a food delivery business management system is ease of use. The software should be easy to use and should offer a user-friendly interface. You do not want to end up with a system that takes hours to set up and is complex. When looking around ensure that you choose one that makes it easier for your staff to work effectively.
2. Real-time Tracking
Another important factor to consider is real-time tracking. The software should offer real-time tracking so that you can track the progress of your deliveries. Any restaurant that is serious about its delivery business needs to keep track. This allows you to improve your customer experience and ensure that your food is delivered on time.
3. Efficient Reporting
The software should offer efficient reporting. This is important because you need to track the performance of your delivery operations. The reports should be easy to understand and should offer insights that can help you improve your business. Using the reports, you are able to tell, which areas need improvement and where you can be able to scale.
4. Cash Managment
The software should also offer cash management features. This is important because you need to track the cash that is coming in and going out. The software should offer features such as invoicing and payments so that you can keep track of your finances. In any case, the essence of any business is to make money and as such, keeping track is imperative.
5. Customer Mobile App
One of the best ways to improve customer experience is by offering a customer mobile app. This allows customers to track their all online ordering deliveries and also contact you in case of any issues. A good customer mobile app will also allow customers to leave reviews.
6. Multiple Courier Support
The software should offer multiple courier support. This is important because you want to be able to work with different couriers. This gives you the flexibility to choose the courier that is most efficient for your business.
7. Flexible Pricing
The software should offer flexible pricing. This means that the software should be able to scale as your business grows. The last thing you want is to have to change software because it is not able to handle the growth of your business.
8. 24/7 Customer Support
The software should offer 24/7 customer support. This is important because you do not want to be left in the dark when things go wrong. In case of any issues, you should be able to contact customer support and have the issue resolved as soon as possible.
How Much Do Delivery Management Systems Cost?
Delivery management systems can cost anywhere from $0 to over $2000 per month. The cost will depend on the features that you need and also the size of your business. If you are just starting out, you can get a system that is free or has very low monthly costs. As your business grows, you will be able to scale up and get a system that is more expensive.
Our Verdict
The best food delivery management software for US restaurants will depend on the specific needs of your business. From the information we have shared above, you can easily be able to pick a powerful delivery management software that works for you.
Overall, we found Tookan to be a great choice for small businesses. The software is easy to use and offers all the features that you need to run your delivery business.
Whichever system you decide on make sure that it meets the specific needs of your business.
