Optimising Real-Time Delivery at Scale: DoorDash’s Use of Operations Research

DoorDash, a major force in the on-demand delivery space, connects customers to local restaurants and shops across more than 25 countries. To support its mission of convenience and local economic growth, DoorDash relies on advanced technology to manage its complex, fast-paced delivery network. As demand and operational complexity increased, the company turned to operations research to enhance efficiency at scale.

The Problem

Efficiently matching multiple deliveries to individual drivers posed a major optimisation challenge. DoorDash had to consider numerous real-time factors such as travel distance, waiting times, and delivery windows, all while maintaining speed and scalability. Traditional systems struggled to handle the scale and responsiveness required for high-volume delivery matching.

The Solution

To address this, DoorDash integrated FICO Xpress’s advanced optimisation software, leveraging it to solve large-scale mixed integer problems. This allowed the platform to make faster, smarter decisions when assigning orders, significantly improving routing efficiency and system responsiveness.

The Value 

With FICO’s optimisation engine, DoorDash achieved 10–100x faster solving times, enabling near-instantaneous order-to-driver matching. This led to quicker deliveries, increased Dasher satisfaction, and improved operational capacity. The result is a more efficient, scalable delivery network that supports merchants, enhances customer experience, and fuels business growth.