Patent ID: 7587345

Claim:
A method of delivery comprising: (a) establishing at least one delivery subsector adjacent to a distribution facility; (b) using a computing system having data processing logic and computer readable storage media with one or more computer programs stored thereon for planning two or more flexible delivery route areas in the at least one delivery subsector, each of the flexible delivery route areas defining a geographic area to which a delivery route is limited, wherein a geometric center of one of the flexible delivery route areas is furthest from the distribution facility and the geometric center of each successive flexible delivery route area is located closer to the distribution facility, and wherein one of the flexible delivery route areas is adjacent to the distribution facility, and wherein the planning of the two or more flexible delivery route areas comprises assigning delivery locations to delivery vehicles, wherein one or more delivery locations remain initially unassigned to a particular delivery vehicle, and wherein the one or more delivery locations initially unassigned are in the flexible delivery route area adjacent to the distribution facility and wherein the one or more delivery locations initially unassigned are closer to the distribution center than any initially assigned delivery locations; and (c) completing deliveries in the two or more flexible delivery route areas, wherein completing deliveries comprises delivering to at least some of the initially assigned delivery locations prior to delivering to the initially unassigned locations.