Last-Option: the final safety net
After the own solver and the Third-Party attempt have each had their one shot at an order, some orders may still be unassigned. Rather than leaving them for the next cycle straight away, the dispatcher makes one more attempt — per store, at the end of the same cycle — called Last-Option.
What problem it solves
Last-Option only looks at orders still unassigned after the normal process. Its goal is simple: avoid leaving an order completely unassigned if there is any reasonable way to place it, even if that means being more flexible than the normal rules.
How candidates are found
Candidates are sourced differently depending on where they come from, and Last-Option relaxes some checks the normal process enforces.
| Source | How the candidate is chosen | What's relaxed |
|---|---|---|
| Own fleet (in-house and own-fleet contractors) | Best available driver, by capacity and how soon they could leave | The usual delivery-time window is not re-checked |
| Third-Party carriers | Any carrier already tried and rejected earlier in this same cycle | The original rejection reason is not re-checked — only whether capacity has since freed up |
Whichever candidate can start the delivery soonest is the one chosen.
Order of processing
Orders are processed one at a time, most urgent first, by promised delivery time.
Priority Customers (Platinum) status does not affect which order gets a shot at Last-Option first. Platinum only affects the sequence of multiple orders already on the same driver's route.
Step by step
- Collect the orders still unassigned after the own solver and the Third-Party attempt.
- Sort them by promised time, most urgent first.
- For each order in turn, gather candidates:
- the best available own driver — capacity checked, delivery-time window not re-checked;
- carriers rejected earlier this cycle, reconsidered only if capacity has since freed up.
- Pick whichever candidate can start the delivery soonest.
- If none is available, the order stays unassigned and is marked Critical or Pending.
If even Last-Option can't place it
The order is categorised as Critical (already past its promised time) or Pending (not yet late). The very next scheduled run tries again from scratch, including a brand-new Third-Party attempt.
Trade-off to be aware of: because Last-Option relaxes the normal delivery-time check for own drivers, an order placed through it may end up with a slightly later estimated arrival than the normal tolerance allows. This is intentional — better to get it moving, slightly delayed, than leave it unassigned entirely.