“Investment in Podfather supports Longcliffe’s long-term goals to continually improve efficiency across all elements of the business,” commented Paul Boustead, Group Managing Director, Longcliffe. “Fundamentally it will be a key driver for our business, ensuring we continue to be easy to work with, as we have identified this as something which will add value to our customers and our offering.
“From a sustainability point of view, introducing Podfather will also reduce the amount of paper that we use, as well as the amount of time spent in administration.”
Longcliffe produces in excess of 1.4 million tonnes of high purity limestone and dolomitic products a year from its Derbyshire based quarries. Prior to the Podfather implementation a paper ticket system, printed at the weighbridge, was used for all deliveries. Using Podfather customers will now receive an automated, configurable, ETA notification, by text or email, advising them when the goods have left the Longcliffe site and the expected delivery time. Additional notifications can also be sent at other stages of the delivery process if required.
Using live information from drivers running the Podfather App, Longcliffe’s customers can also live track their deliveries with an easy to use ‘follow the driver’ option. By negating the need for fixed telematics, this is a cost-effective solution which still delivers the highest levels of customer service.
Once goods are offloaded, Podfather’s electronic Proof of Delivery features mean the driver can capture date, time, and location stamped photographs and signatures. Podfather also gives the option to include with the completed digital ticket a Google map to pinpoint where the goods were offloaded. This is especially useful in rural locations with limited address descriptions or large industrial sites.
“Working with Podfather we hope to develop a long-term partnership that will realise benefits for our customers, our staff, our business, and our environment,” Boustead continued. “We have some short-term goals and some longer-term objectives in the areas of efficiency, service, and impact, and we are confident that Podfather will support these to create meaningful outcomes.”
Longcliffe is a market leader at the forefront of the excavation, purification, and processing of both conventional and high-tech limestone and calcium carbonate products. The company is renowned for having excellent logistics, efficiently delivering a cost effective 21st-century service to a loyal client base in a competitive, mainly commodity-based sector.
