ANOTHER PODSTAR PROJECT WIN: EVERGREEN EXTERIOR SERVICES
Evergreen Exterior Services Ltd transform their delivery
operation with ‘PODStar’ Proof of Delivery system from Touchstar Technologies
Background
According to ‘Horticulture Weekly’ Evergreen is now
one of the top 10 Independent Plant Nurseries in the UK.
In 1988, Evergreen began its journey operating from
just a small unit at New Covent Garden Flower Market and a corner shop in
London. The strategic aim was to retain its position at the prestigious New Covent
Garden, which necessitated a rapid move to a larger unit. In
parallel, Evergreen management were also progressively expanding
Evergreen’s horizons as a company.
The company started
sourcing commercially grown plants from annuals to mature specimen trees from
the UK and across Europe. This new direction was so successful that they
subsequently opened their current headquarters at Banstead, where they
have grown to become a leading wholesale nursery.
The Business Objectives
The business has grown over the years; however, Evergreen continues to be an
independent, owner-operated business and because they are not owned by anyone
else, they have greater flexibility and are better placed to serve their
customers' individual needs.
Evergreens’
extensive fleet of vehicles distribute client orders daily to their preferred
nationwide locations and optimal customer service is a continuing management
priority. As Evergreen Director, Craig Marshall, remarks: “We pride ourselves
on our truly unique logistics and delivery procedures. Speed and precision
are given to all our orders. The strategic aim is always to
enhance our working practices and fine tune efficiency throughout the distribution
process, from plant management to logistics, resulting in a superior customer
experience.”
”
To meet their strategic
objectives, Evergreen continue to invest in the latest technological
innovations and industry solutions and sought a system that would optimise its
delivery operations. After an exhaustive examination of available systems, the
management team selected the ‘PODStar’ Electronic Proof of Delivery system from
Manchester-based Touchstar Technologies.
The Cloud-based PODStar system offers a planning
tool that automates existing manual processes. Via an API link to their current
ERP system, Evergreen can utilise up-to-date information to create job runs and
to allocate drivers and vehicles. Once a manifest has been created it
is then automatically sent out to the drivers. Once downloaded the driver
can receive their jobs and, ultimately, provide electronic proof of delivery in
real time. The delivery drivers are equipped with smart phones with the
handheld device used for both proof of delivery / signature capture and
tracking of the driver location.
Back at the Evergreen Headquarters,
management can view a real-time update on a ‘jobs table’ and the driver’s
location, as well as additional data on the job status and driver
performance. The system has also proved invaluable for asset tracking the
valuable ‘Danish trays’ utilised for plant transportation.
The Outcome
Lukasz Pliszka, Transport Manager, for Evergreen headed up the implementation,
working closely with the project management team from Touchstar. He describes
how the early benefits derived from the adoption of PODStar;
“We have only been using the system
for a short period of time, but it has already proved to be an asset for managing
POD’s and for locating the drivers on their deliveries. The immediate receipt
of POD information means we can optimise invoice generation which is great for
cash flow.
We are delighted by many other features of the system, including being
able to give customers an ETA for their deliveries.
The PODStar mobile app is very easy to
use and required minimal driver training. We have rolled the system out to all our
drivers with no disruption to our operation and I would highly recommend the PODStar
solution.”