Route Planning for BPO Agents: More Orders, Fewer Miles
Driving is the biggest hidden cost in BPO work. Here is how to cut it.
For most BPO agents, driving is the largest share of time per order. A little routing discipline can raise your hourly rate more than any fee increase.
Batch by area and due date
Most BPOs are due in two or three days. That gives you room to group orders by area. Hold an order a day if another in the same neighbourhood is likely to arrive.
Plan loops, not out-and-backs
Put your stops on a map and drive a loop that ends near home. A mapping app with multi-stop optimisation does this in seconds.
Use inspections as fillers
Low-fee inspection orders on or near your loop add income for minutes of extra time.
Photograph efficiently
Know your shot list before you arrive so each exterior takes minutes. See our BPO photo shot list.
Write reports in batches
Do all inspections in the morning and write reports in the afternoon. Switching between driving and writing costs focus.
Track mileage
Keep a log for your records. Talk to your tax adviser about how business mileage applies to you.
Related: ZIP code strategy.