“It has been a transformational time at IG Doors as we have completed the move to our purpose built, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,” commented James Toyer, IT Systems at IG Doors. “We are also transitioning from our previous accounting system to a new enterprise-wide solution."
“Podfather has been an integral part of this transformation and we are already realising significant benefits through its use.”
IG Doors started work on its new facility at a new 25-acre site in Oakdale, Caerphilly in 2018. The 18,000 square metre factory houses some of the most technologically advanced machinery and production equipment on the market including a 1km production line. During this time IG Doors has also been transitioning its accounting and management processes from SAGE to SAP, and Podfather easily integrates with both.
IG Doors originally selected Podfather’s logistic route planning, route optimisation and paperless delivery tracking (ePOD) software, to improve visibility of its servicing and installation teams. However, following a change in business direction and market focus, the company decided to focus its roll-out on the delivery-side of the operation. Orders are taken from SAP to Podfather and allocated to either one of IG Door’s own delivery teams or a sub-contracted transport partner, using advanced planning and optimisation tools. Route and delivery details are shared, using the Podfather app, and drivers are guided through a series of automated vehicle checks to ensure compliance with any legal requirements and provide timely intervention for any recorded damage or defects.
Proof of Delivery reporting is totally automated, eliminating the need for paper documents, with date, time and geo coded photographs and customer signatures simultaneously shared with the back-office. This means management has total visibility of the delivery operation as it unfolds and details can be shared with the customer. This automation of POD also means the finance team don’t have to wait for the driver to return to the office and process paperwork before an invoice is issued.
“One of the biggest impacts Podfather has had on the business is the ease of recording, storing and sharing of Proof of Delivery evidence,” added Rachel Sims, Logistics and Supply Chain Systems Manager at IG Doors. “It’s easy for the drivers to capture signatures and photographs, which are time, date and location stamped, and then this information is instantly accessible for customer reporting and invoicing. In the case of queries, we simply search Podfather by order number and access all the information we need. This is essential when each customer can have multiple sites at any point in time and when those sites consist of literally hundreds of new build houses.”
As IG Doors continues its Podfather journey it hopes to introduce customer real-time ETA notifications and real-time updates and launch an online portal so customers can self-serve tracking and POD information.
