Every logistics operation has room to improve. Wider time windows, a different vehicle mix, a new distribution center or more accurate task times can all lower cost and raise on-time delivery. The hard part is knowing which change is worth making before you make it.
Simulation Lab lets you answer that question inside the TMS. You upload a set of orders, define one or more scenarios, and let Mover plan routes for each one. You then compare the results side by side and keep iterating until you find the setup that works best for you. Nothing you do in Simulation Lab affects your live routes unless you choose to promote a rule set.
Instead of setting up a separate rule set for every test and comparing results in spreadsheets, you can test ideas in one place. Use it to fine-tune your current rule sets, or to build the business case for bigger changes like a new distribution center or a larger fleet.
Which use cases can I test?
Simulation Lab is built for "what happens if...?" questions. The most common ones fall into these groups:
Service offering: What happens if I offer all-day time windows, wider pickup windows, or deliver to some areas fewer days a week?
Fleet composition: What happens if I add electric vehicles, use a bigger truck, or run the same volume with fewer vehicles? What if my volume grows by 20%?
Network design: Which distribution center should serve a new area? What happens if I move a depot or merge morning and afternoon flows?
Loading at the distribution center: What happens if loading time at the start of the route is shorter, or if vehicles can refill mid-route?
Compliance and working hours: What happens if I introduce driver breaks, or allow longer working days?
Driving time and task time: Am I giving drivers too much or too little time? What happens if average task time drops by a few minutes?
Route planning setup: Is my current rule set still the best one? Which alternative performs better on a busy day?
How to create a simulation
A simulation follows four steps: upload orders, create scenarios, evaluate results, then improve and iterate.
Step 1: Upload your orders
Navigate to Simulation Lab and click Create simulation. Give the simulation a name you will recognize later, for example "Week 33 delivery test".
Select Upload orders, click Download the template, and fill it in with the orders you want to test.
Upload the file. If some cells or rows cannot be read, the system shows exactly which ones. Fix them in the file and click Upload new version.
Once the upload is complete, the orders are split by delivery date and Order Insights opens. It shows how many orders, colli, weight and volume you have, and how they are spread across days, areas and time windows. You can narrow the view to a single delivery date, or switch to Table view to see every order. Use it to check that the sample represents the operation you want to test.
Step 2: Create your scenarios
A scenario is one way of planning the same orders. Each scenario uses its own rule set, which defines how routes are planned: vehicles, capacities, departure times, task time and so on.
Click Add new scenario and give it a clear name, for example "All-day windows" or "2 extra EVs".
Choose where the rule set comes from:
New: start from an empty rule set.
Copy from production: start from a rule set you already use in your daily operations. The copy belongs to the scenario, so your production rule set is not changed.
Copy from another scenario: reuse the rule set of a scenario you have already set up. This is the fastest way to test a single change while keeping everything else equal.
Adjust the settings in the rule set editor and click Create rule set.
Add as many scenarios as you need, then click Simulate scenarios now.
Scenarios are planned one at a time. The Results page opens straight away and shows which scenarios are still being simulated, so you can start reviewing the first results while the rest finish.
Step 3: Evaluate the results
The Results page compares all finished scenarios side by side on Total routes, Total distance, Total duration, Deliveries per hour, etc. Select one scenario as the reference: every other scenario then shows its difference in percent, green when better and red when worse. Open a metric to see it broken down, for example by delivery date, as a chart or a table, and export it if you want to share it.
Before drawing conclusions, check that the routes are realistic. Open a scenario to see its route plan for each delivery date, including any unplanned orders, and click Open the Route plan to review the routes in detail. Confirm that driving time, task time and vehicle use match how your operation really works.
Step 4: Improve and iterate
The first result is rarely the final one. Click Test a new scenario on the Results page, copy the rule set of the scenario you want to improve, and adjust it. Click Simulate this one now to run only the new scenario. It appears next to the previous ones, so you never lose the overview of what you have already tested.
When you have found the best scenario, click Promote a rule set. The system creates a new production rule set from the scenario, named after the scenario and the simulation, which you can then use in your daily route planning.
Best practices
Change one thing at a time. Copy a scenario and change a single parameter. If you change several at once, you will not know which change caused the result.
Start from your current setup. Make your first scenario a copy of your production rule set and use it as the reference. Every other scenario is then compared with how you plan today.
Use a representative sample. Pick a period that reflects normal operations (for example, one week), and include a busy day if peaks matter to you.
Check feasibility before the totals. A short plan that drivers cannot execute is not a saving. Review a few routes in detail before trusting the figures.
Name scenarios after the change. "Task time -2 min" is easier to compare than "Scenario 3".
FAQ
Does Simulation Lab affect my live routes?
No. Simulations run separately from production. Your active route plans, rule sets and orders are not changed. The only exception is when you choose Promote a rule set, which creates a new production rule set without changing the existing ones.Why do my scenarios run one at a time?
Running scenarios in sequence keeps planning performance stable for everyone. You can review finished scenarios while the rest are still running.Can I add a scenario after the simulation has run?
Yes. Click Test a new scenario on the Results page. Only the new scenario is simulated; the existing results stay as they are.What happens if my file contains errors?
The upload stops and shows which cells or rows cannot be read. Correct them in the file and upload a new version.How do I compare a scenario with my current performance?
Run a scenario with a copy of your production rule set and select it as the reference. Direct comparison with your approved or executed routes is listed under Coming soon.