How can EPOD transform your business?

An Electronic Proof of Delivery (EPOD) system is rarely just that, and that’s especially true of our system, PODstar. While PODstar offers a secure, verifiable and paperless means to capture proof of delivery, there’s far more that it can offer in terms of business benefits. Here we delve into some of the many benefits of EPOD for logistics and delivery businesses.

Improved efficiency throughout your operation  

Firstly, PODstar’s original guise as an EPOD system comes with significant productivity gains for day to day operations.

Eliminating paper-based POD means a far simpler and more intuitive delivery process for your drivers and couriers, plus fewer errors through scrawled handwriting and missing form fields, and no more mislaid paperwork. All they need to do to log POD is take an image, scan a barcode or take an electronic signature from the recipient on their PODstar-enabled smartphone or handheld mobile device. A digital record is then sent instantly back to base, eradicating the administrative wait for POD paperwork. What’s more, the customer receives a quick, efficient and professional delivery service without a crumpled POD slip in sight.

Yet this is just the start of what PODstar can do. The system comes complete with both job scheduling and route planning applications, so fleet managers can automatically assign their drivers with the most time and fuel efficient set of delivery drops every day. On top of this, the system learns over time – using historic route intelligence to optimise route planning and fuel consumption further. This enables you to ensure your business is maximising every last drop of fuel, improving your carbon footprint and saving valuable overheads. You can also use the system to send electronic job schedules directly to your drivers’ connected devices, again cutting paperwork and streamlining processes.

There are efficiency savings to be made on vehicle maintenance and compliance too. PODstar includes a vehicle inspection app that guides your drivers through daily vehicle checks, which now also features COVID-19 safe health and hygiene measures. Fleet managers can also enter a schedule of planned maintenance and statutory annual tests for an entire fleet, complete with automatic reminders to ensure a date is never missed.    

Cost and time savings

All of these efficiency savings equate to financial and administrative savings too. For example, as soon as your finance team receive an electronic POD from a driver in the field, they can generate an invoice, dramatically speeding up the process and improving business cash flow. Over time, the system builds a record of invaluable operational data, which fleet managers can use to monitor the productivity levels of individual vehicles and drivers, and quickly spot sources of profit or loss.  

PODstar also features a customisable customer portal, which not only gives customers a better level of service but frees up your admin team to focus on value-added tasks. You can set up multiple portals for various customers, where they can input their own jobs, track deliveries in real-time, and access past orders and POD data.

And, if and when delivery disputes and discrepancies do arise, PODstar provides the essential evidence in real time to accelerate the resolution process. Drivers and couriers can log a failed or diverted delivery using a choice of customisable fields, so that the team back at base know exactly what’s happened without having to wait for or decipher a scribbled hand-written note. With the digital POD evidence on the system, your admin teams have the information and verification to resolve a dispute quickly and effectively.  

A supported system that grows with your business

Finally, PODstar gives you an EPOD solution that adapts to your unique business needs. Rather than taking the form of static software that takes up precious server space, PODstar is cloud-based through secure Microsoft Azure, which means it’s accessible via any connected device anywhere in the world. It will only ever transfer updated files though, so there’s no danger of your drivers accidentally sending incomplete POD data due to intermittent or unreliable mobile connectivity.

It’s Software as a Service (SaaS), so your business benefits from a scalable, flexible and constantly evolving system without any of the costly installation and maintenance. The PODstar app can be downloaded onto any device with an internet connection and tailored to suit different types of users, from your drivers, to your management team. This means everyone has a version of the system that reflects their role in the business, without affecting the common system infrastructure.

PODstar’s SaaS model also includes a full system design and installation service, integration with other systems, and ongoing support and maintenance, so you know you can expect maximum return on investment. Our teams never stop looking for ways to improve PODstar with added functionality and features, and we’ll always be there if you need us.