I tend to explore using individual explorers. Given the distances involved, fuel efficiency is key.
Research a bunch of engine techs, plus 8:1 or 10:1 jump engine techs, then make a size 25 commercial engine that is as fuel-efficient as possible (even if it is 50% slower). Slap on 1-2 survey scanners and 1-2 jump point sniffers, enough fuel, supplies, and deployment time to last over a decade, then mass produce those using multiple shipyards/slipways.
Order Automate survey then jumppoint survey.
It has a slow start but as their numbers grow it gets faster and faster as you only occasionally have to go back to refuel.

QOL Suggestion:

Naval Organization window, Fleet -> Movement Orders tab
Double clicking any order in the list of the fleet's current orders should remove all orders after that one (perhaps with a confirmation prompt).


Sometimes I need to trim a long list of orders back to a specific point.
Repeatedly clicking the Remove Last button is the only way to do it currently.
Sometimes that's a LOT of clicks, and sometimes a user overclicks and then has to re-create the unintentionally removed orders.

Seconded as I actually run into this issue often when I repeat a set of orders many times and find I miscounted or the conditions changed.

Join Fleet and Begin Overhaul

I've added a new order called 'Join Fleet and Begin Overhaul'.

This functions as a combination of the Join Fleet and Begin Overhaul orders, with the moving fleet joining the target fleet and immediately entering overhaul. This order will only be available if the target fleet is in a maintenance location and the overhaul will only start if the target fleet is still in a maintenance location when the moving fleet joins it.

I have a method that requires approximately one manual order per survey ship per system.

Specifically, for each system explored:
One manual move order per survey ship
One manual send message order for one survey ship
One manual move order for a jump tender

(Occasionally you have to give manual geosurvey orders for far outlying bodies; this is true no matter what you do.)


Requirements:

1) You are surveying systems that do not already have stabilized jump points (which is usually the case, right?)
2) You are willing to make survey ships without their own jump drive

Standing order to use:

1) Survey Next Three System Bodies or Locations

Procedure:

Assign a jump tender to each survey group.
When entire survey group is in the same system, move the tender to the jump point of the adjacent system that you want the group to survey next.
When a survey finishes standing orders, give it a move order to the next system.
If it is the last survey ship to finish, give it also a send message order like "can move tender now"
When you receive that message, move the tender to the jump point of the next adjacent system you want to survey (if no jump points yet found, wait until one is found).


You might want to have multiple tenders per group, so that when you reach a dead end system, you can position the tenders appropriately for the surveyors to backtrack to the next target system individually, rather than waiting for the entire group to travel with a single tender.

QOL Suggestion:

Naval Organization window, Fleet -> Movement Orders tab
Double clicking any order in the list of the fleet's current orders should remove all orders after that one (perhaps with a confirmation prompt).


Sometimes I need to trim a long list of orders back to a specific point.
Repeatedly clicking the Remove Last button is the only way to do it currently.
Sometimes that's a LOT of clicks, and sometimes a user overclicks and then has to re-create the unintentionally removed orders.