The Ultimate Guide to the Benefits of Proof of Delivery Software

If you’re managing delivery operations for a brand, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Between adapting to meet rising customer expectations, running a compliant fleet, and managing a mobile workforce, there’s little time left to research how new technology—like electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) software—can create smoother, more efficient delivery operations.

Not to worry, we’ve done some of the heavy lifting for you.

Here’s a comprehensive list of the benefits of ePOD software. Whether you’ve just started to research proof of delivery software, or you’re already sold on the idea and are building a business case, you’ll find everything you need here.

Who is Most Likely to Benefit from Electronic Proof of Delivery Software?

Every size and type of business with a mobile workforce can reap the rewards from advanced proof of delivery software.

It is both flexible and scalable. And applicable to large and small companies. Across a massive range of industries.

Electronic proof of delivery software can change the game for you and your enterprise. Here’s how:

1. Elimination of Paperwork

Lost or damaged paper delivery notes. Time-consuming manual data entry. Long delays in data processing. With electronic proof of delivery software these are all problems of the past.

Proof of delivery software reduces paperwork by allowing drivers to pull up business-specific delivery procedures right on their mobile devices. The software also provides office-based teams with real-time data from the field.

Product Care, a white glove delivery service, experienced delays of up to three days before paper POD documents had been fully processed. With ePOD software, the company can now proactively manage daily activity, improve efficiency and respond quickly to any customer issues.

Find out how proof of delivery software can benefit everyone involved in your operation.

2. Improved Customer Communication

With advanced proof of delivery software, you can use one or more of the following features to ensure your customers are informed throughout the delivery process.

• Pre-Delivery Notifications

Help customers plan their time with automated delivery updates. Examples include an email sent the day before delivery or an SMS 30 minutes before arrival.

• Day-of-Delivery Tracking

Providing a real-time tracking portal can help satisfy customer requirements for visibility while helping you improve first-time delivery success. Think of a busy convenience store manager, for example. Up-to-date knowledge of when inbound stock will arrive can help him ensure staff is available to accept the delivery as soon as it gets there.

• Post-Delivery Proof of Delivery Data

Providing confirmation of exact delivery time and location—including adherence to special instructions— keeps your customer informed and can improve trust in your brand. It can also help prevent negative customer feedback and spurious claims.

3. Enhanced On-Site Service

Picture a driver handwriting a note on rain-soaked or crumpled shipping documents… Not exactly the image of professionalism your brand wants to portray, is it?

Replacing delivery paperwork with electronic proof of delivery software can improve your brand image, speed up on-site processes, and ensure your drivers have all the relevant details in hand, including customer-provided delivery instructions.

Simplifying on-site processes also reduces pressure on your drivers, increasing the likelihood that they will deliver excellent customer service and become your best brand ambassadors.

4. Improved Accuracy and Detail of Proof of Delivery

Advanced proof of delivery software provides a range of data capture options—from photos and notes to checkboxes and alpha-numeric fields—that can be combined to create your own, business-specific electronic forms.

This gives you a more detailed picture of what is happening in the field and can trigger different processes depending on your drivers’ answers. For example, you can activate an alert when the reading for a temperature-controlled item falls outside a pre-configured range.

Electronic proof of delivery software can also improve the accuracy of the information you give customers. For example, Canadian brick and concrete manufacturer, Brampton Brick, uses location-stamped photos of the delivery location to record exactly which drop-off point or entrance was used at large customer sites.

5. Real-Time Visibility

Real-time data from the field keeps your operations and customer service teams up-to-date and able to respond quickly to any issues. This can provide value in multiple ways — from workforce management to customer service.

For example, if an item is identified as damaged, office-based staff can immediately review photos sent by the driver and contact the customer to arrange re-delivery.

Or, if the driver is still on-site, service staff can even negotiate a discount to incentivize the customer to keep the product.

If a driver has been delayed at an earlier delivery location, some subsequent jobs can be reallocated to avoid late deliveries and unhappy customers.

6. Consistent Processes Across Your Fleet

Imagine if all your mobile processes were standardized and implemented consistently across all depots, employees and sub-contractors. Sounds good, right?

Well, when all your mobile workers use the same proof of delivery software to follow your pre set procedures, this goal becomes a reality.

7. Custom Workflows to Support Your Requirements

While consistency is crucial for many organizations, there are circumstances when mobile workers need to follow different procedures.

Your business may employ staff with very diverse skill sets or responsibilities, like delivering medical supplies versus administering critical nursing care. ePOD software lets you create different workflows for these two activities, or indeed multiple nursing levels, but still enforce a high level of service consistent with your brand promise.

Alternatively, you may be operating on behalf of different clients, all of whom want a different approach to data collection and the customer experience. It’s impossible to take this customized approach manually, but with proof of delivery software, you can configure unique workflows while making it easy for your drivers and field reps to do their jobs.

Leading third-party logistics provider, Wincanton, uses ePOD software to create tailored workflows to support individual client delivery requirements and bolster its new business offering.

8. Reduced Time Spent on Internal Communication

Exception alerts can be configured to notify office-based staff of high-priority issues as they arise, without the driver needing to call into the office.

Further, the processes for each delivery type are centrally configured by you and available to all drivers using the app. That means drivers never need to call the office to receive instructions.

If office-based staff need to communicate with drivers, they can send messages to individuals or groups, with message receipt records so office teams can confirm when each individual driver has read the message. Communication is quick and consistent, and there’s an audit trail.

9. Compliance in the Recording of Operational Data

From vehicle checklists and on-site risk assessments to temperature readings and driver break records, every organization needs to record operational information that goes beyond proof of delivery data.

Using proof of delivery software to collect this information has multiple benefits, including:

• Letting drivers respond quickly to issues in the field without the need for instructions from the head office

• Allowing consistent data capture in a step-by-step format

• Making certain actions mandatory to ensure regulatory compliance procedures are followed, as required

Furniture retailer - Barker and Stonehouse - streamline a variety of data capture processes using proof of delivery software, including daily pre-shift vehicle checks and equipment checklists.

10. Optimized Workforce Productivity

Real-time data transmission with electronic proof of delivery software can improve workforce productivity in multiple ways, both in office and in the field.

Here are just a few examples:

• Quicker on-site processes mean drivers are able to complete more drops per day

• Removal of manual data entry frees up office-based staff for higher-value tasks

• Real-time data availability and pre-configured dashboards speed daily KPI reporting

11. Reduced Inbound Calls

Real-time data lets customer service teams proactively warn customers of delays or issues. In doing so they avoid “Where is my order?” calls and can focus the time saved on more strategic efforts that enhance the customer experience.

Home furnishings retailer, SCS, uses real-time data from proof of delivery software to empower its customer care team. When a delivery issue arises, the team proactively contacts the customer with all the relevant details, reducing inbound calls and improving customer satisfaction.

12. Synchronized Data Across Your Business

Whether you provide everybody across your business with access to your proof of delivery system or share the information by integrating it with other business systems, the data your drivers collect can enhance processes across a variety of departments.

Proof of delivery software can provide warehouse teams with item-level information to help manage stock levels and process returns. It can also supply delivery-outcome data to your finance department to facilitate quicker invoicing. And, perhaps best of all, it can deliver real-time updates on the delivery schedule to keep customers in the loop.

13. KPI Data for Continuous Improvement

With advanced proof of delivery software, the data your drivers record can be automatically consolidated into dashboards for daily reporting, as well as strategic trend analysis.

You can use this actionable data to identify areas for immediate improvement, amending the workflows your workers follow out in the field without costly software changes or disruptive change management processes.

So, What’s Stopping You?

No matter what industry you operate in, electronic proof of delivery software offers a range of benefits that can enhance customer service and streamline field operations.

To find out how, get in touch with our experienced delivery software team, who will take time to understand your requirements and then arrange a demonstration of Aptean’s electronic proof of delivery software.