Ways to help your drivers start using EPOD

There’s no doubting that Podstar’s innovative electronic proof-of-delivery (EPOD) system will help your business become more productive and efficient, but only if your team uses it properly.

Whatever technology you’re introducing, there will always be some risk of staff resistance; some people are simply less open to change than others. With EPOD solutions specifically, however, there are steps you can take to ensure drivers remain engaged throughout the transition and beyond.

Look for user-friendliness

Rather than assume everyone is as technically minded as you or your IT team, focus on keeping everything as simple as possible for those most likely to be affected by the new technology.

Picking a solution that has an easy-to-use interface should be your first consideration, as the goal of implementing a new system is, first and foremost, to make things easier on your drivers – not to replicate the frustrations that come with relying on pen and paper.

If it’s obvious that the new tech makes your drivers’ jobs easier, you can be sure they’ll welcome it with open arms.

Involve them in the transition

Springing a new technology on your drivers is more likely to generate confusion and frustration than great results. Instead, involve your team right from the start by clearly laying out the reasons for introducing an EPOD solution – sell them the benefits, and explain how it’ll make their jobs easier.

The day-to-day benefits will be key here: less paperwork to keep track of, more time to complete jobs and a reduced risk of error. Beyond this, though, consider the long-term benefits for the company and how they could impact drivers. More efficiency could mean more opportunities, for example.

Make sure training and support are available

However user-friendly an EPOD system is, if it’s sophisticated enough to offer real benefits for your business, it’ll require an onboarding process. Your drivers should be taught how to get the most from the new tools at their fingertips, and to troubleshoot should they come across any issues while using them.

Support is another consideration – if a driver has questions about something within their application, who can they ask? Any delays in getting the right answer could negatively impact customer relations.

Focus on finding a solution that offers comprehensive training and support; these, when paired with complete user-friendliness, should ensure you get the best return on your investment.

Minimise disruption

Implementing a new proof-of-delivery application will require some changes to be made, but try to minimise disruption for your drivers wherever possible.

If you already supply employees with mobile devices, choose an application that works on this existing hardware – otherwise they’ll need to get used to two new technologies rather than just one. TouchStar’s mobile EPOD system, for example, is available across any web-connected device, including Android and iOS handsets.

Preparing the team well in advance will also help here – they’ll then know exactly what to expect, and have time to ask questions before they have to start relying on the new system.

We’re here to help

Follow the tips above and you should have no trouble implementing a new EPOD system for your drivers – once they can see the benefits you see, they’ll be just as enthusiastic in their adoption.

To find out more about TouchStar’s innovative EPOD solutions, contact us today.