“In a move to get with the times, and stay ahead of the competition, most of which, like us previously, use pen and paper, we knew we needed to automate. However, we had tried a system a few years back and had our fingers burned,” commented Alex Lennox, Head of Parts Scotland Region, Motus Commercials. “Using Podfather was like night and day; it was easy to implement, easy to use, exceptionally supported, and delivered real impact almost immediately.”
Operating from more than thirty depots, offering tens of millions of items from stock, Motus offers same-day delivery to commercial garages, owner-operators, and major fleets. Motus maintains significant stock (around £250,000 worth in Scotland alone) at customer sites, and also offers a collection option from trade counters across the UK. Non-stocked parts can be ordered from a central parts depot or European supply hub with next day delivery, and across the UK, Motus currently makes around 130,000 deliveries a year using Podfather.
“To put our operation into context, DAF has the biggest market share of trucks in the UK at around 32 per cent, which in real terms means one in three trucks on the road are DAF,” Lennox continued. “It’s our job, as the biggest DAF Trucks Dealer Group in the world and the largest Independent Commercial Vehicle Dealer Group in the UK, to keep those vehicles moving, and Podfather is helping us do that.”
Using Podfather, which includes route planning and optimisation tools, automated vehicle checks, real-time tracking and notifications, electronic Proof of Delivery capture, and advanced reporting dashboards, Motus has streamlined its supply operation and is looking to move to paper-free deliveries. Once an order has been received, it is automatically logged on the Podfather system, giving drivers instant visibility of outstanding deliveries. Due to the short timeframes associated with vehicle parts supply, a driver can pick, load and make the delivery, often before the system has even had a chance to calculate an ETA.
Once onsite, or at the trade counter, evidence of delivery, including date, time, and location stamped photographs and signatures, is digitally captured using the Podfather mobile app. This is then instantly accessible to the customer, using the Podfather self-serve portal, and for back-office support teams and management. Live-tracking gives total visibility of the mobile operation from any web-connected device, and advanced reporting tools can be used for audit purposes and to manage KPIs.
Motus is also using Podfather’s automated vehicle checks, which it has customised for its own requirements, to ensure vehicles and drivers are roadworthy and to provide early notification of any potential vehicle issues or faults.
“Podfather has brought our delivery operation firmly into the 21st century,” Lennox concluded. “Our drivers love it, as they have one device which runs Podfather and our internal telephone system, and no paper. Our customers love it as they have instant access to delivery records, and the team loves it as they can concentrate on doing what they do best which is to help customers access the right part at the right time, rather than wading through piles of paperwork looking for delivery notes or invoices.
“As we move forward with Podfather, and with their support which has been first-class, we will look at using other features within the system and deploy them across other parts of our business.”
