UK-based 3Line Electrical announces roll out of Podfather delivery management software
Electrical wholesaler 3Line Electrical is rolling out logistics planning, route optimisation and electronic proof of delivery software from Podfather.
It says that, with automated ETA notifications, electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) documents and real-time tracking of drivers, Podfather is already improving customer communications and reducing queries.
The software is also shining a spotlight on 3Line’s delivery operation, giving management analytics and insight which will be used to inform fleet management decisions and company expansion plans.
“Before Podfather we obviously knew what vans we had but we didn’t know what they doing,” comments Dave Kenny, Operations Manager at 3Line Electrical.
“Each van has a monthly cost, so, for example, if we had one that was doing one delivery a day then that van isn’t viable, however if another is doing 60 deliveries a day that’s not viable either.
“Having used Podfather in a previous role I knew what the software could do.”
“In the first month of using it we already have processes in place and more business intelligence than ever before, which is reducing the number of queries we get on a day to day basis and allowing us to benchmark our operation to inform future decision making.”
Still in the early stages of implementation, 3Line Electrical has started rolling out the software with three of its thirteen branches currently using it.
ePOD documents, complete with date/location stamped photographs, are reducing the number of customer queries and allowing staff to answer most remaining questions at first point of contact.
Management at 3Line also has better visibility of the delivery operation with real-time reporting of jobs planned and completed and any issues that may have arisen.
Additional intelligence, such as vehicle mileage, will be used to inform future fleet management decisions with regard to cost and environmental impact.
“We know we are barely scratching the surface of Podfather’s functionality but already we are seeing positive impacts on the business,” Kenny says.
“As we roll-out the software to other branches and adopt more of the features on offer I am confident we will quickly reap additional rewards in terms of customer service and operational excellence.”
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