“Although we are a new name on the catering butchers’ block, we have an impressive pedigree and heritage, being proudly family-owned and family-operated, by the son and grandson of Master Butchers,” commented Richard Watson, Operations Director at Edgefield Craft Butchers. “However, as a new operation, we had the chance to do things differently. We weren’t encumbered by legacy systems or process and we knew we wanted to use the latest technology to ensure our delivery operation was efficient, cost-effective and customer focussed.
“I had come across Podfather before, and it also came highly recommended, so after initial discussions we took the plunge, and, we haven’t looked back.”
Integrated with its ERP system, Edgefield uses Podfather across the delivery workflow. At the start of each shift, drivers undertake vehicle checks guided by, and recorded on, the Podfather app. Including photographs, this ensures the safety and roadworthiness of the vehicles, and provides early notification for maintenance and upkeep.
Operating fixed routes, schedules are produced and optimised using Podfather and, from the moment the driver logs onto the app, real-time tracking is available for customer ETAs and updates, without the additional cost of a fixed telematics technology. Looking forward, Edgefield plans to take advantage of Podfather’s automated notifications, which provide customer emails and or SMS messages to proactively share information as well as the ‘follow my driver’ option for self-service tracking.
“Podfather is having a significant impact on our operation as we have already transitioned from multiple sheets of paper per delivery to just one,” Watson continued. “We are able to share real-time updates with our customers, and our routes are optimised to ensure they are efficient in terms of service, mileage, and therefore costs.”
Edgefield is also using Podfather’s ePOD features to capture real-time proof of delivery evidence including date, time and location stamped photographs and signatures. This information can automatically be shared with both the customer and back-office teams, further boosting the customer experience and informing invoicing and reporting.
“We know we are just scratching the surface of Podfather’s functionality at the moment but even this is realising tangible results and service improvements,” Watson concluded. “Moving forward we will introduce features including automated notifications, and performance dashboards and reports, to deliver additional benefits and intelligence for our growing business.”
