247TailorSteel digitises consignment note and proof of delivery with ZetesChronos

247TailorSteel has implemented ZetesChronos to enhance delivery reliability and ensure full traceability for customers. This rapidly expanding metalworking company delivers hundreds of pallets of custom-made metal sheets, tubes and folded components to customers across an increasing number of European countries every day. Most customer orders are delivered by the company’s own drivers and trucks, supplemented by a few external carriers. 247TailorSteel sets itself apart in the metal industry by combining the largest custom metalworking machine park with fully digitised and automated business processes.

Improve visibility and traceability of all deliveries to customers.

Over the past 18 years, 247TailorSteel has grown into the market leader in the Netherlands and Europe’s leader in customised metal sheets, tubes and folded components. Operating from six sites in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, covering 185,000 m², this metalworking company with nearly 1,000 employees supplies custom-made metal products. “From our head office in Varsseveld alone, we deliver around 250 pallets of varying sizes to customers every day”, says Leon Stolk, logistics planner at 247TailorSteel.

“Until the beginning of this year, we were still working with paper consignment notes in shipping, while our entire company is largely digitised and automated. Because consignment notes must be retained for at least five years, our logistics paperwork steadily accumulated, and locating the right documents for customers often took hours. As a solution, 247TailorSteel sought proof of delivery (ePOD) software to enhance the visibility and traceability of customer deliveries.”

Functionality, integration, knowledge and experience

247TailorSteel has developed most of the automation and digitisation solutions itself. As early as 2007, they began leveraging the benefits and added value of their self-developed CAM software. Another development is the Sophia® web portal, which automates quotation creation for customers and manages the production process after orders are placed. “Our IT department, with around 50 employees, has also developed our own warehouse management system (WMS). Naturally, a key selection criterion was that the ePOD software integrated seamlessly with it”, says Stolk.

“As we aim to work increasingly smarter, we sought an ePOD solution with the functionality we need today and in the future”, continues Stolk. “Like our process for the return packaging. Furthermore, it was essential that the supplier could provide PDAs for our drivers and had the expertise to implement the ePOD solution in close collaboration with us. After evaluating several potential suppliers, we selected Zetes.”

“Our main reasons for selecting Zetes were the adaptable, scalable features of ZetesChronos and their strong position in ePOD”, says Stolk.

“It is a large, internationally operating company, yet its employees remain committed and easily accessible. We established a strong connection with the people at Zetes from the very first contact, and that relationship has only grown stronger since. Throughout the implementation, they collaborated closely with us to ensure a successful rollout and brought real value through their expertise.”

ZetesChronos for electronic proof of delivery

Currently, about thirty 247TailorSteel drivers use the ZetesChronos app on Datalogic Memor 35X PDAs to register all customer deliveries. This information is then automatically shared with Sophia. “With an electronic proof of delivery, our costs per delivery have been reduced by a factor of four for paper consignment notes”, says Stolk. As a result, we recovered our investment in ZetesChronos and the PDAs within just six months, thanks to the hours saved in shipping. I have seen very few IT projects reach ROI this swiftly.”

In addition to the short payback period, real‑time traceability of all trucks en route to customers is a key advantage for 247TailorSteel. This reduces the number of phone calls and emails, saving time and boosting customer satisfaction. Soon they will also use ZetesChronos to register all return packaging and digitise the consignment note at their own pick-up counters. “For the return packaging, we will then be able to capture both a digital signature and a supporting photo”, says Stolk.

In the coming period, even more 247TailorSteel drivers and external partners will begin working with the new ePOD solution. “Because ZetesChronos is user‑friendly and streamlines the drivers’ daily work, the acceptance rate is high. As a final step, we aim to make all available track & trace delivery data accessible through our Sophia® ordering environment. This approach enables us to deliver an increasingly comprehensive and intelligent self‑service experience to our customers”, Stolk concludes.