Put dispatch on autopilot (and still stay in control)
Let MiniDrop plan trips every few minutes or at set times of day, then just approve. How to choose the right rhythm for your shop.
4 min readUpdated Outlet owners
At first, pressing Dispatch now feels like a great saving. One button and your orders are planned. Then the shop gets busy. Orders arrive every few minutes, and you press the button again, and again, between billing and packing.
Eventually you forget, or you wait too long, and the riders stand around while orders pile up. The button is not the problem. Having to remember it is.
A dispatch schedule lets MiniDrop plan trips for you at a rhythm you choose, and you stay in control because nothing reaches a rider until you approve it.
Dispatch now or on a schedule#
Dispatch now | On a schedule |
|---|---|
You press the button when you think orders are ready. | MiniDrop plans trips by itself while orders are waiting. |
Good for a few orders a day. | Good when orders arrive all day or in slots. |
You decide the moment. | You decide the rhythm once. |
Easy to forget when busy. | Nothing to remember. |
You can still press Dispatch now at any time, even with a schedule. The schedule is a safety net, not a lock.
Every few minutes: for shops that take orders all day#
If you run a restaurant, a bakery or a delivery-only kitchen, customers want their order soon. You do not want an order to wait an hour for the next planned run.
A schedule that runs every 15 or 30 minutes is a good start. Orders that have arrived in that time are planned together. A few orders go out in a trip, and nobody waits very long. If your orders are very frequent, a shorter gap will do. If they are fewer, a longer gap makes fuller trips.
At fixed times: for shops that deliver in slots#
A grocery store, a meat and fish shop or a pharmacy often promises delivery in slots, such as "between 4 and 6 pm". You do not need a plan every ten minutes. You need one just before each slot.
Choose fixed times of day, and set one a little before each slot starts. All the orders for the slot are planned together, into full trips. Times are in Indian Standard Time.
Your approval step stays#
This is the point that worries owners most, so it is worth saying clearly. A schedule only plans the trips. Riders receive nothing until you look at each route and approve it.
The left menu of the outlet portal shows when routes are ready and waiting for you. You open the Dispatch page, look at each route on the map, change anything you want to, and approve. See how to review and approve routes.
A schedule does not run when there are no orders, and it does not plan anything if no rider is online. Orders stay in the queue for the next run.
How to choose your rhythm#
Your shop | A good starting point |
|---|---|
Takes orders all day, customers want it soon | Every 15 or 30 minutes |
Promises delivery slots | Fixed times, just before each slot |
Only a few orders a day | No schedule; press Dispatch now yourself |
Festival or peak day | A shorter gap, or one run before each slot |
These are starting points. Try one for a week, watch how trips fill, and adjust. Too short a gap means small trips. Too long means customers wait.
Read more about how the trips are planned on the route planning page. To set up your schedule, follow the how-to guide Put dispatch on a schedule.
Frequently asked questions#
Will MiniDrop send trips to riders without my approval?
No. A schedule only plans routes. Each route waits for you to approve it, and the rider gets the trip only after that.
Can I change the schedule during the day?
Yes. You can change the schedule at any time, or press Dispatch now to plan sooner. You can also change when the next run happens.
What if I get a big order just after a run?
It waits in the queue for the next run, or you can press Dispatch now to plan it straight away.
Can I turn the schedule off?
Yes. Choose "No schedule" in the dispatch configuration, and dispatch only when you press the button.
Pick the rhythm that matches your shop, switch it on for a week and see how many button presses you save.
Related guideManage your delivery riders without the daily chaosSee every rider on one screen, assign trips in seconds and stop chasing updates on the phone. A practical guide for shop owners.Related guidePut dispatch on a scheduleLet MiniDrop plan trips every few minutes or at fixed times each day, so your queue never waits for you.Was this page helpful?
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