Unisurge introduced Podfather as part of a wider investment in IT and business processes. Working with technology partner Tecman, the aim was to consolidate a number of disparate, paper-based processes into one streamlined solution to improve operational visibility, efficiency and traceability, across the logistics operation. In the first full year of using Podfather, Unisurge posted 111,223 jobs through the system, completing, on average, 440 deliveries a day. During this time Unisurge produced 3,500 fewer sheets of paper, reduced its fuel costs, and time spent on the road, and saved hours in routine back-office admin.
“Podfather has delivered on our original objectives and more,” commented Steve Humphrey, Head of Logistics at Unisurge. “Since implementing Podfather we have been able to optimise our multi-drop deliveries, reducing miles travelled, and therefore delivering savings in fuel, time and emissions. We have also achieved additional fuel savings using Podfather’s auto routing function.”
Using Podfather, integrated with the company’s Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central supplied by Tecman, Unisurge processes daily deliveries to healthcare sites across the UK. Orders are allocated to vehicles, based on location, delivery window and vehicle capacity and routes are generated. At the start of a shift drivers are guided through a series of vehicle checks, capturing and recording routine maintenance and safety information on the Podfather app before accessing the day’s schedule.
Unisurge supply medical custom procedure packs for healthcare professionals. As deliveries are made with real-time tracking, via the Podfather app, it means that back-office staff have full visibility of deliveries and can, if required, keep customers up to date or make changes to the schedule if required. Unisurge is also using Podfather’s electronic Proof of Delivery solution also has features to capture date, time and location stamped photographs and signatures as well as recording and notifying any differences between planned and actual.
“The electronic Proof of Delivery evidence, captured, stored and shared using the Podfather app, has meant that we can combine our customer service and accounting teams,” added Darren Ager, Production Manager at Unisurge. “We have been able to reduce the time spent answering routine enquiries as information is easily accessible and we can invoice faster and with fewer discrepancies."
“Using Podfather we can also view performance statistics and monitor and report on service levels, something we weren’t able to do before,” he concluded.
With its head office in Suffolk and a site in West Yorkshire totalling more than 260,000 sqft of manufacturing, warehouse and office space, Unisurge is a leading supplier of Custom Packs across the UK. Unisurge produces around 14,000,000 items a year and operates the largest Ethylene Oxide steriliser in Europe. Pioneering the concept of custom procedure packs for healthcare professionals, Unisurge is a long-term, trusted supplier to the NHS and was branded a ‘UK Business Hero’ by the British Chamber of Commerce for its COVID-19 response. Operating its own, dedicated fleet, ranging from small vans to HGVs, Unisurge continues to invest in range of environmental solutions including electric vehicles and renewable energy production.
