How can an SME benefit from an EPOD system?  

Many businesses have been adapting to a new digital world following the COVID-19 pandemic, with many trying customer deliveries for the first time, or wanting to streamline their existing supply chain due to increased orders. Whether this was through the adoption of technology or through skilled employees, the changes made are likely to be here to stay.

Small and medium businesses (SMEs) are no different. In 2021, there were 5.548 million small businesses (with 0 to 49 employees), making up 99.2% of the total UK business population. With this many small businesses looking to adapt their operations post-pandemic, it’s not surprising that the adoption of EPOD systems is on the rise.

Whether it's used as a simple signature collection device, or used for route optimisation and driver tracking as well, there are many uses for an EPOD system in customer deliveries for small businesses. But what are the benefits?  

Reduction in paperwork

For small businesses around the UK, time is precious, and using that time on unnecessary paperwork is such a waste. Thankfully EPOD software reduces the need for manual data entry, as well as any delays in processing the data from lost paper delivery notes.

All orders managed through EPOD will send real-time data back to the office. It can then be manipulated, copied or reviewed as quickly and as often as you need to, and without the need to go through a mountain of paperwork. All of this saves time, and reduces your paper storage needs!  

Improved customer service

It doesn’t matter how big or small your company is, customer service and presenting a professional front are everything. Giving crumpled or damaged delivery documents to your customers doesn’t give them a positive impression of your company, but receiving an automatic confirmation of delivery and invoice straight into the customer’s inbox before you’ve even driven off their site does.

For small businesses, this professional appearance might just help with repeat business and set you apart from the competition. EPOD systems also mean enhanced customer communication. As it is used through the customer’s purchasing journey, they will receive notifications as their product moves through the delivery process, from driver pick-up to delivery confirmation. This keeps them informed and will build trust with your customers as they feel kept in the loop at all times.  

Improved employee communications

No matter how many employees you have, keeping everyone on the road and in the office informed of the delivery process is key. Imagine a customer phoning up to discuss their delivery and your office staff not being able to give them an update. Instead, given the sharing of real-time data, your office staff can easily update the customer on their delivery and give the driver any updated customer instructions through the EPOD system.

All employees can communicate faster through the EPOD app, so there is less need for phone calls and less risk of the information being misunderstood. Plus, if there is a delay with deliveries, this can be communicated between the office and the drivers, and jobs can potentially be reallocated to avoid late deliveries and negative customer feedback. All employees can really benefit from real-time updates and data received from the field.  

Using the delivery data

A benefit of collecting real-time data from an EPOD system is its use of it afterwards. Any business can create a dashboard for daily reports, review trends and identify areas in their operation that require improvement. The data is critical for making decisions to help improve customer service.

For small businesses, this data does not only show how the deliveries are going, but it can also show customer trends, such as the number of repeat or first-time customers, and whether marketing in a particular location is paying off. All of these insights can help guide business decisions and push limited resources into the areas which are going to pay out the most.  

Find out more

EPOD solutions can be of great benefit to your business operations. Not only does offer the reduction of paperwork and increase colleague communication, but it can also give you more insight into your customer base. Whether you're a small business or a larger enterprise and are looking to make business-critical efficiencies through EPOD systems, contact TouchStar today. Our expert team is on hand to answer any questions you may have.