5 Benefits of Replacing Paperwork with an Electronic Proof of Delivery System That You Might Not Expect

We all know that paper-based delivery systems can frustrate your staff and lead to important delivery details being lost or damaged.

But, replacing paperwork with an electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) system offers you much more than removing the time consuming routine of keeping track of countless paper forms.

We’ve picked out five other benefits of implementing an electronic system that you might not have considered.

1. Instant access to data

With an electronic proof of delivery system, data collected by your drivers in the field is transmitted in real-time.

This means office-based teams can immediately complete follow up actions such as:

– Reviewing POD data
– Generating invoices
– Resolving customer issues
– Ordering replacement parts
– Rescheduling deliveries

Your drivers can also access data immediately when on your customer site.

Listing all the necessary details your driver may need on a paper delivery note can be challenging and can result in drivers needing to spend time on the phone with office-based staff.

But, with an electronic proof of delivery app, drivers can quickly view order and customer details, including any special instructions, at the touch of a button.

2. Fewer customer disputes

Customer disputes can be time-consuming for your staff and costly for your business.

Equipping your mobile workers with an electronic proof of delivery app can help.

With the app, your drivers can capture advanced proof of delivery data such as photos and GPS time stamps.

With this more accurate evidence capture for each and every order, the likelihood of customer disputes is reduced.

For example, drivers can take pictures of delivered items or record GPS time stamped details when a customer is not present to receive delivery.

3. Streamlined processes

An electronic proof of delivery system can speed up various internal processes.

Manual data entry. Replacing piles of paper delivery notes with a real-time electronic data stream cuts out the hours that your office-based staff spend manually inputting proof of delivery details.

Transmitting data between systems. Automatically transmitting jobs from order management systems to the proof of delivery app or having proof of delivery data immediately available in invoicing systems can further improve productivity.

Automate customer communication. With an advanced electronic proof of delivery system, you can also automate pre-delivery customer notifications. This can reduce inbound call volumes, free up additional administrative resource and help ensure first time delivery success.

4. Improved on-site offering

Expecting your drivers and customers to fill out paper forms can make the on-site process longer and make your brand look behind the times.

Replacing paperwork with electronic processes creates a more professional image and increases the efficiency of data collection.

An electronic proof of delivery app also guides your drivers through consistent on-site processes so that your customer service offering is the same for every customer, every time.

You can even use the app to prompt drivers to complete added-value services such as installation or packaging removal.

Taking up less of your customer’s day and providing them with a more comprehensive on-site service can improve customer satisfaction and in-turn influence brand loyalty.

5. Increased productivity of mobile staff

The familiar smartphone format of an electronic proof of delivery app means your mobile workers can progress through delivery steps quickly.

This ease of use means they are less likely to make errors on forms, reduces the need to ring in to base and can lead to the completion of more jobs per day.

You can also use an advanced proof of delivery app to specify the order in which your drivers complete jobs to ensure costs savings from any optimized routes are realized.

Or, you can allow them to complete jobs in any order, skipping them if necessary, in response to on-the-day circumstances, reducing costly lost time and increasing route productivity.

Get in touch to book your online demo or find out how you could streamline your operation with an electronic proof of delivery system.