Six Signs Your Organization Needs an Electronic Proof of Delivery System

Have you been thinking about adopting an electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) system, but wondering if it really can improve your business’s operational processes? Advanced electronic proof of delivery systems offer a simple way to gain more control over any delivery or mobile workforce operation.

But how do you know if an ePOD system would benefit your organization? Broadly, if you are frustrated by poor visibility of mobile activities in your delivery activities and/or you wish you could gain more control of your field teams, it’s time to consider it.

Additionally, here are six more specific, sure-fire signs that your business needs an electronic proof of delivery system:

1. Excessive time needed for manual data input

Is your admin team spending hours every day manually entering proof of delivery data into your order management or WMS system, or collating data for analysis? With an advanced electronic proof of delivery system, data can be transmitted in real time straight into your internal systems, reducing the time needed for laborious administrative tasks. This frees up additional staff time so they can complete higher-value and more rewarding business duties.

2. Invoices are delayed

Lost, damaged or incomplete delivery notes can require further clarification with drivers, delay the entry of crucial data into internal systems or leave your finance department with insufficient data to generate accurate invoices. With an advanced electronic proof of delivery system, drivers must collect all of the required data on their handheld devices before progressing to the next job. When the job has been fully completed, all delivery details are transmitted in real-time to any integrated central systems before the driver or service provider has even finished their route, allowing for quick and accurate invoicing.

3. Customer services are bombarded with inquiries

Receiving a large volume of calls that involve simple delivery ETA requests can swamp your customer service team, leaving them less time to fully satisfy each inquiry and leaving other customers hanging on the line. With an advanced electronic proof of delivery system, you can automatically send delivery updates to your customers without involvement from your office-based teams. This frees up customer service resources to deal with more complicated customer queries or analyze data for continuous improvement.

4. Drivers are failing to follow standard protocols

Paper-based proof of delivery systems do not offer the ability to control the protocols that drivers or service providers follow out in the field. This can result in mobile workers following inconsistent proof of delivery processes, often at the cost of the customer service experience. Using an advanced electronic proof of delivery system guides each worker in the field through a standardized process, giving them step-by-step guidance in collecting required data and prompting them to perform a pre-determined set of actions, depending on the situation. This allows you to provide a consistent doorstep experience for every customer, and ensures that your office-based staff have access to the data they need to resolve any customer queries.

5. Managing your mobile workforce is a challenge

Do your drivers need to call in to base with regular progress updates, or to alert office-based teams of issues in the field? This is not only time-consuming for your mobile workers; it also makes effective management of field workers difficult for office-based staff, particularly in operations with large fleets or multiple mobile teams. An advanced electronic proof of delivery system provides visibility of driver location, proof-of-delivery data and operational updates such as accident reporting or vehicle checklists in real time. The instant transfer of crucial data increases productivity of mobile teams and allows office-based staff to proactively manage issues in the field.

6. Your data tells you less than you need to know

Paper forms do not provide the ability to capture details such as photos or GPS data, and can be time-consuming to fill out. This can lead to inconsistencies in the data captured by each mobile worker. With advanced electronic proof of delivery systems, your drivers can quickly capture a variety of advanced data, with customizable electronic forms prompting them to capture additional information in particular situations. Having immediate access to a comprehensive data set can help protect against spurious claims, allow office-based staff full visibility of delivery details and offer operational insights that lead to improved service.

Are you seeing any of these tell-tale signs in your mobile workforce operation? To find out how Paragon’s electronic proof of delivery system, fleXipod, can help your business, get in touch with Paragon. Alternatively, you can download the fleXipod datasheet for more information.