HEAVY haulage specialist J.C. Gillespie is said to have ‘transformed’ the management of its operation with logistics software from Edinburgh-based Podfather.
The solution has helped Gillespie remove hundreds of sheets of paper every day, replacing them with digital job sheets, real-time updates, and automated invoicing. The firm is also using the Podfather system to improve the health and safety of its workforce, with compulsory vehicle checks, and to manage and report on its accreditation for fleet management schemes such as FORS.
Michael Gillespie, MD of Manchester-based J.C. Gillespie, said, “For every job, there would be at least 10 sheets of paper, and we would write down the same information multiple times across the life cycle of an order. This presented problems not only in the efficiency of the operation but also in the accuracy of information recorded, its accessibility, and onward use.”
Since implementing Podfather, J.C. Gillespie has removed all paper from its operation. Incoming jobs are recorded up to a daily cut-off point and then allocated to drivers, with details automatically shared, using the Podfather app, to the driver’s mobile device. At the start of each shift, drivers must complete a vehicle check, including the capture of pre-defined photographs, before they can access the day’s job details. Vehicle checks are also repeated at the end of the working day and recorded using Podfather.
Once on-site, drivers record their arrival time on the digital job sheet and capture additional information, including date, time, and location-stamped photographs and signatures, together with any additional details such as on-site delays, differences between expected and actual outcomes, and damage reports. This information is shared with the back office for customer reporting and billing.
“With our old system, it could literally take days, if not weeks, for job sheets to make it back to the office for pricing and invoicing,” Gillespie added. “That is assuming the paperwork was filled in correctly and didn’t get lost in transit. Now, using Podfather, we can invoice within minutes of the delivery being made. This is good for the drivers, good for the business, and good for our customers.”
The functionality used by J.C. Gillespie is part of the wider Podfather solution, which includes route planning and optimisation, vehicle checks, ETA notifications, tracking, ePOD (electronic Proof of Delivery), and reporting.
