Electronic Proof of Delivery for Wholesalers: It’s as Easy as A, B, C

Ian Newcombe

Find out how Electronic Proof of Delivery is improving business efficiencies and customer service in wholesale delivery.

Incorrectly picked items, rejected substitutions and damaged goods can be a regular occurrence in wholesale deliveries, but Electronic Proof of Delivery (EPOD) allows delivery drivers to record problems immediately and improve response times. Not only does that give the driver an electronic log of delivery, it’s also an effective way to handle complaints. Previously, wholesalers have used hard copy delivery notes throughout their wholesale deliveries. Amazingly, there are still many wholesalers – including large operators – that still have people spending all day filing signed deliveries and re-entering information into the company IT system, which increases workload and increases the likelihood for human error. EPOD saves time and increases efficiencies. But the benefits don’t stop there, the software can be used for vehicle health checklists, to conduct customer surveys and to store journey plans, improving efficiency for the wholesaler and service for the customer, all while stood on their premises.

How Electronic Proof of Delivery can improve business efficiencies and customer service

EPOD systems are designed to ensure that all elements of a wholesale delivery run smoothly and communicate with each other. Here’s how they work:

• Instead of creating paper invoices or delivery notes at the branch and taking them in the vehicle, EPOD software on handheld devices enables the checking of deliveries against orders on customers’ premises.
  
• The driver can deal with any returns, update order details and arrange for a printed invoice for the right products.
  
• The software then communicates everything to the company IT systems, which means potential problems can be dealt with in real time.
  
• Less paper also means less photocopying and storage costs, as well as adding to your environmental credentials.

Understanding customers better

Drivers can also use EPOD systems to record customer preferences, such as whether they prefer the delivery at the front or the back of the store. Customer records are updated for future reference, ensuring that all future deliveries are made according to these preferences. This can be particularly useful for new drivers. The system can also be used to conduct customer surveys, helping wholesalers to get a better understanding of their customers in just a few clicks.

Using technology to improve insight

No matter how much you utilise technology to improve your business, the savvy wholesalers are combining technology with great personal service, which is vastly improving wholesale deliveries. Once a delivery schedule is confirmed, sending a text or an email confirmation of the time the customer can expect delivery is an efficient and invaluable service for the customer.

Four reasons to invest in EPOD

1. Reduces errors – paper invoicing increases the likelihood of damaging or misplacing documents and also creates unnecessary tasks i.e. filing and manual data entry.
   
2. Improves efficiency and saves time – drivers can manage returns, update order details and arrange for printed invoices for the right products on-site, providing a better customer service.
   
3. Enhances customer service – drivers can tailor delivery to customer preferences, for example, recording whether they prefer the delivery at the front or the back of the store.
   
4. Improves environmental credentials – with reduced paper usage and route planning for more efficient delivery routes.

Customer service and retention can be improved with even more delivery options. For further industry insight read the guide, Calling all Wholesalers: Why You Cannot Afford To Ignore Click and Collect

This article first appeared on the Sanderson blog.

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