Logistics software can be classified into two categories, the primary one being software designed for the purpose of keeping the manufacturing process running smoothly, while the other is meant for the purpose of providing data to be used by managers. The term “logistics” itself refers to the management of all the resources involved in any process, and logisticians are the ones who analyze this data and come up with solutions that can increase productivity. Logistics software generally involves the interaction of transportation, inventory, materials-handling, manufacturing, and even distribution, fleet management, vehicle routing and sometimes even data security.

However, some of them are designed specifically for the production of goods, while others are created for the maintenance of operations and warehousing.

Although there are multiple types of software available in the market today, most of term are built with proprietary technology and is usually offered as Software as a service (Saas) either through a monthly subscription payment model or a one-time payment that offers a life time access to the cloud version of the software.

Open Door Logistics Studio (ODL Studio) is a software that distinctly stands out in this landscape. Because it is built specifically for vehicle route optimization and is completely open source and can be downloaded for free.

ODL was founded in 2014 by Dr. Philip Welch, an expert based out of Melbourne Australia who specializes in the application of modern artificial intelligence techniques-particularly computational intelligence-to transport logistics problems.

Here are some of the screenshots from the tool:

ODL offers the following 3 products:

It is a Cloud-based engine for real-time vehicle route optimisation and intelligent appointment booking. It can be used to schedule on-demand deliveries, taxi services, field force etc.

ODL Live is available on a monthly subscription. The subscription lets you host the system yourself – stay in control of your mission-critical systems by running on your own cloud servers (AWS, Azure etc).

It is a Desktop-based application for non-realtime vehicle routing and territory mapping/management that is available to download for absolutely free of cost.

With ODL Studio, you can generate your delivery routes for the day, review them and then print them out in a report. You can also view your customers on a map and design sales territories around them. All data is held in a simple Excel spreadsheet.

ODL Studio is available for Windows, Mac and Linux desktops.

You can download ODL Studio here: https://www.opendoorlogistics.com/downloads/

ODL Connect is a command line interface for ODL Studio, designed for easy integration into your backend systems. You can schedule your daily routes to be generated automatically (e.g. using Linux Cron). Pass data between ODL Studio and your ordering processing system using simple text files or Excel spreadsheets. Please note ODL Connect runs on either Linux or Windows servers.

For more information, please visit: https://www.opendoorlogistics.com/