UPS Advances Sustainable Operations With Big Data

United Parcel Service's (UPS) new ORION software is institutionalizing a process that's helped them save many millions of gallons of gas over the years, simply by optimizing delivery routes. 

In 2004, UPS put in place processes that map delivery routes to include as many right turns as possible. Waiting to make a left turn, whether you're sitting at a red light or waiting for oncoming traffic takes a lot longer than turning right, and eliminates engine idling - a major source of wasted gas. Timing deliveries to avoid rush hour also helps a lot.

Now, ORION, which stands for "On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation," will do this automatically, saving 1.5 million gallons of fuel this year alone - just by shaving 1 mile off each driver's daily route.

ORION will optimize 10,000 delivery routes by the end of the year, and 55,000 by 2017, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and saving UPS $50 million a year in fuel costs. At full deployment, the software will run tens of thousands of route optimizations per minute.

Continue reading the orginal article about how UPS' new software on SustainableBusiness.com >>

Original post on SustainableBusiness.com.