A fifth-generation, family-run business that has been producing Cornish Clotted Cream since 1890, Rodda’s has transformed from humble origins to a global brand supplying supermarkets nationally and top-class catering operations around the world. Rodda’s sources all its milk from a forty-mile radius of its production centre in Redruth and minimises waste using the byproducts of cream production to supply other food producers. Rodda’s Direct uses a mixed fleet of temperature-controlled vans serving around 400 customers from Bude to Land’s End and Saltash to the Isles of Scilly.
Part of a larger IT transformation project, Rodda’s selected Podfather to integrate with a new ERP system. “Our previous system was outdated and was failing to perform. The PDA’s we were using only had WIFI connectivity and we relied on mobile thermal printers to produce delivery notes,” commented Wayne Glanville, IT Manager at A E Rodda and Sons.
“When we replaced this system with centralised cloud-based ERP we knew we needed to address the transport side of the operation at the same time,” he continued. “We had a number of options available, including one recommended to work with our new system, but on closer inspection the costs were unpalatable and the functionality left us wanting more. A review of options including consideration of what our peers and competitors were using pointed us in the direction of Podfather.”
Rodda’s selected Podfather based on its ease of use and the fact that users didn’t need extensive training or specialist equipment and went live with the system January 2024. Since implementing Podfather Rodda’s has ditched the old PDAs and thermal printers and removed around 98 percent of paperwork from its delivery operation. Integrated with the IFS ERP, warehouse operatives use Podfather to process the previous day’s orders and load product according to vehicle capacity predetermined routes. Delivery manifests are sent to the Podfather app and drivers are allocated a vehicle. Prior to leaving the depot each driver is guided through a series of vehicle checks, using the Podfather app, providing timely notification of potential defects ensuring the fleet is well maintained.
“One of the reasons we chose Podfather is its ease of integration and ease of use,” Glanville continued, “and this has been validated from day one. The Podfather system is literally out of the box! It’s a ‘just add water’ solution that has integrated with our ERP with a proven API and is so simple our warehouse operatives are now becoming seasoned logistics professionals.”
Having left the depot, drivers use the Podfather App to guide them through their daily delivery schedule capturing evidence of deliveries made using Podfather’s electronic Proof of Delivery features. These include date, time and location stamped photographs and customer signatures and drivers can also record, and share with the back-office, in real-time, any other details including differences between items ordered and delivered.
“Podfather is helping us to improve standards and the quality of service we offer,” he continued. “Taking photos of goods as they are delivered makes the drivers more conscious of the condition of the product and the environment where it is left and we have total visibility of any issues allowing us to respond accordingly. Podfather has enabled real-time visibility for our transport and sales departments as well as our end customers”
Another, unexpected, benefit Rodda’s is realising through the use of Podfather is the validation and update of its customer records. Drivers can note and amend details, such as incorrect or out of date addresses, missing delivery instructions or contact details and these are automatically reflected in the back-office ERP system saving considerable amounts of administration time and resource.
“Podfather has removed the complexities from our existing delivery operation,” Glanville concluded. “We have already seen that the company behind the solution listens to its customers and develops the system in response to feedback and we are therefore confident the system will grow with us as we develop new products and services and will minimise future pain points in our delivery journey.”
