Identify delivery bottlenecks
Spot delivery bottlenecks in Upper using Dashboard KPIs and Analytics reports. Watch on-time rate, missed stops, service time, and per-driver results.
Most operational problems build up quietly before they show up as missed deliveries or customer complaints. Upper's Dashboard and Analytics reports surface the patterns that signal a bottleneck early, so you can act on a trend instead of reacting to a bad day.
The Dashboard gives you the team-wide picture at a glance. The Analytics reports let you drill into the route and stop detail behind any number that looks off.
Your workspace may label drivers as technicians and deliveries as services — the labels are configurable. This article uses the default driver/delivery wording. KPI names follow the same rule (for example, On-Time Delivery Rate appears as On-Time Service Rate in a service workspace).
Before you start
- Look at a meaningful date range. A single day is noisy; bottleneck patterns show up across weeks, not isolated data points.
- On the Starter (free) plan, the 5 Dashboard KPI cards are visible, but the Route Performance and Driver Performance sections are blurred behind an Upgrade to View button. Upgrading unlocks the per-driver and route breakdowns you need to pinpoint a bottleneck.
Signals to watch on the Dashboard
The Dashboard home page shows KPI cards plus Route Performance and Driver Performance sections. Use the date-range control in the top right (Today, Yesterday, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, Custom) to set the window you want to review.
| Signal | Where to check | What it suggests |
|---|---|---|
| Low On-Time Delivery Rate | KPI cards | Routes are running longer than planned |
| High Missed/Skipped Stops | KPI cards | Drivers can't reach customers or are running out of time |
| Many Not Visited Stops | Route Performance → Total Stops donut | Routes may be overloaded versus driver capacity |
| One driver with high Average Service time per stop | Driver Performance | Individual issue or an uneven route |
| One driver with a low On-time Rate | Driver Performance | Coaching opportunity or a harder route assignment |
Drill into the detail with Analytics
When a Dashboard number looks off, open the matching report to see the route- and stop-level data behind it.
Open Analytics
In the left sidebar, under Track, select Analytics.
Pick the report you need
Use the View by dropdown at the top to choose a report:
- Route Plan Summary Report — one row per route. Compare Est Duration to Actual Duration, total stops, delivered stops, and skipped/missed stops to find routes that consistently run over.
- Route Plan Detailed Report — one row per stop. Review per-stop completion times, Service Time, stop status, and the Reason column for failed stops.
Depending on your plan and workspace settings, you may also see SMS Detailed, Email Detailed, and Driver Timesheet reports in the View by list.
Narrow the data with filters
Select the Filter icon (top right) to open the filters panel. Filter by Date Range, Select Route Plan, Drivers, Route Plan Status, or Stop Status, then select Apply. To isolate failures, set Stop Status to Fail.
Sort and read the columns that matter
Most columns are sortable — select a column's caret to sort. Sort the Detailed Report by Service Time to surface slow stops, or by Completion Time to see where a route fell behind. Use Customize Columns (the table/grid icon) to add or reorder the columns you care about.
Export for deeper analysis if needed
Select Export (top right) to download the report as CSV or XLS. You can keep the default fields or switch to the Custom tab to choose exactly which fields to include, and tick Send e-mail when Export is complete for larger exports.
Common bottlenecks and what to try
| Bottleneck | What to try |
|---|---|
| Routes consistently run past their planned duration | Compare Est Duration to Actual Duration on the Summary Report; reduce stops per route or adjust start times |
| High skipped/missed stops on certain routes | Filter the Detailed Report to Stop Status: Fail and group by the Reason column to find the common cause |
| Uneven workload across drivers | Compare Total Stops Completed by Driver and Average Service time per stop on the Dashboard |
| One driver looks slow | Check the Detailed Report for similar stop counts before drawing conclusions — it may be harder routes, not the driver |
Investigate one signal at a time. Pick the metric with the biggest gap from your normal baseline and start there — trying to fix several at once makes it impossible to know which change worked.
Troubleshooting
Durations and ETAs in Upper are based on historical traffic data. If you need help, contact support@upperinc.com.
Related
Generate proof of delivery reports
Pull proof of delivery records in Upper by filtering the Route Plan Detailed Report and exporting POD columns like Photo, Signature, and Completion Time.
Identify frequently problematic addresses
Export failed stops from Upper's Route Plan Detailed Report and group them by address in a spreadsheet to find the locations that fail again and again.