One-stop-shop for Nationwide Supplies
Overview
Nationwide Supplies is an independent, family-run builders’ and plumbers’ merchant based in Hertfordshire, stocking a full range of materials and products through its trade counter. Offering a fast and efficient delivery service to the local area, the company operates from trade branches situated in Ware and Buntingford.
The business operates its own dedicated fleet of 12 vehicles, comprising seven crane lorries, two curtain-side vans, and three transit vans. Each driver carries out two to three multi-drop runs per day, generating up to 500 deliveries each week and more than 25,000 deliveries annually.
35 %
drop in customer calls
100 %
delivery visibility
25,000
deliveries a year
Challenge
Before implementing Podfather, Nationwide Supplies managed its daily transport operation using paper delivery notes, paper manifests, physical maps, and Google Maps. Route planning took place at 4 o'clock in the morning for same-day delivery, enabling the company to accept and act on orders overnight without setting a cut-off time. Although this accommodated last-minute orders, the manual processes were inefficient, time-consuming, and provided no visibility into mobile operations, leaving staff unable to verify whether an order was on schedule or even out for delivery.
- Reliance on paper manifests, paper delivery notes, printed maps, and Google Maps for daily route organisation.
- Inefficient 4:00 AM manual planning required each morning to process overnight orders without order cut-off times.
- Complete lack of operational visibility regarding order arrivals or delivery status, generating a high volume of inbound customer calls.
Solution
Following an in-depth consultation with its supply chain, Nationwide Supplies selected Podfather as a user-friendly system that was easy to implement while providing all necessary transport functionality. The merchant deployed Podfather's route planning and delivery optimisation tools, enabling the transport team to pre-plan delivery routes the day before whilst reserving vehicle space and delivery capacity for incoming overnight orders.
The deployment also introduced live tracking and customised ETA notifications alongside electronic proof-of-delivery (ePOD) capture, which records time, date, and location stamped photographs and signatures. In addition, Nationwide Supplies rolled out Podfather’s guided vehicle safety checks across its 12-vehicle fleet, ensuring drivers systematically complete inspections before departure.
Results
Adopting Podfather has significantly streamlined the planning process, removing the reliance on early morning manual scheduling and improving turnaround times for subsequent multi-drop delivery runs. Gaining 100 per cent visibility across mobile operations, combined with automated ETA notifications and live tracking for clients—has reduced inbound delivery-related calls by around 35 per cent.
This substantial decrease in routine queries has freed up internal office resources, allowing staff to carry out proactive outreach to support the company's growing customer base. Furthermore, electronic proof-of-delivery evidence provides instant access to clear, shareable information to resolve customer enquiries quickly, while automated vehicle checks provide transport managers with better visibility and awareness to identify and resolve fleet issues promptly.
The system was easy to implement and is very user-friendly, yet still offers all the features we need, and more. The impact on our business has been tangible – better service for our customers, better support for our transport operation, and better use of our resources.
Adam Brown
Group Commercial Director, Nationwide Supplies
