Proof of Delivery has evolved over the past years, with new features and functions to help you offer better service, respect Service Level Agreements (SLA) and deliver first time right. Here’s a checklist of 5 criteria to take into account when contemplating a new electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) solution.

1. Provides real-time visibility

Make sure your ePOD solution is always connected: connected with your customers, allowing you to provide them with real-time information about where exactly their merchandise is at any given time; connected with drivers and back-office, enabling easy rescheduling or adding of last-minute collections and deliveries; connected with the management, providing business intelligence to run the business better.

Platform provides new layer of abstraction and acts as cloud-based application store, facilitating software deployment, device and user management.

2. Ensures 100% control from Dock to Door

Starting with the (automated) control of the loading at the dock door, your ePOD solution ideally captures all steps in the delivery /collection process, with visual proofs (pictures, time stamps, volumetrics) where needed. Including registration of returnable assets, should the situation require it.

3. Makes your administration lean and ‘green’

Your solution should help you stop wasting valuable resources on paperwork, printing costs, and resources. ePOD nowadays digitalises documents and signatures in various ways, enabling drivers to send the signed delivery note instantly to the back office. This significantly speeds up cash to cash cycles and reduces time spend on managing customer claims, as information is only one click away.

4. Grows with your business

Mobility projects vary in size and complexity, and technology evolves at such a pace that your investment is well set to become outdated before the end of its term. An ePOD solution should therefore be able to adapt to and grow with your business. It should allow adding or upgrading functionality and devices easily, with a minimum burden on IT resources and no unnecessary IT infrastructure costs. Even when running a large fleet with multiple hubs or subsidiaries.

5. Secures your investment

The management of a fleet of terminals can be a true challenge and require a lot of resources. An ePOD solution combined with a Managed Services contract offers visibility on devices and enables pro-active management, helping to ensure the longevity of the system.