Podfather Sage Integration Streamlines Chamberlain Door’s Delivery Operation
Overview
Chamberlain Doors, the UK's largest independent garage door distributor, has been offering uncompromising customer service to the construction industry for over 50 years. Established in 1974 and operating from a purpose-built headquarters and showroom in Bolton, they are the only fully national specialist distributor and installer of the products they promote, employing over seventy members of staff.
The company offers a highly bespoke product portfolio to its customers. With countless configurations of door types, finishes, and automation, their supply chain and delivery operations are inherently complex.
Challenge
Before implementing Podfather, Chamberlain Doors faced the challenge of managing a complex supply chain and delivery operation while relying on a heavily customised Sage accounting system. Any new software needed to integrate seamlessly with their existing workflows.
- Managing a complex product portfolio with countless bespoke door configurations for customers.
- Needing to reduce manual data entry and paperwork between customer-facing staff and back-office support teams.
- Requiring a logistics solution capable of integrating perfectly with their specific, custom-developed Sage accounting system.
Solution
Chamberlain Doors is integrating Podfather to plan, track, and capture electronic, real-time proof of delivery (POD) evidence. The integration with their Sage system involved a comprehensive review of all related workflows, with the Podfather team working closely with Chamberlain Doors to configure the software to meet their specific, and sometimes bespoke, ways of working.
Specific features deployed include guided daily vehicle checks via the Podfather App, and route planning and optimisation that accounts for specific time windows, customer constraints, and vehicle capacities. They are also utilising the software to capture electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) evidence, such as date, time, and location-stamped photographs and signatures.
Results
Although still in the early stages of using Podfather, Chamberlain Doors is already seeing tangible benefits. The integration is successfully streamlining their delivery operations by reducing paperwork and eliminating the need for manual data entry, bridging the gap between back-office support and customer-facing staff.
Furthermore, drivers are successfully guided through daily checks to ensure vehicles are roadworthy, and routes are effectively optimised. Crucially, deliveries can now be tracked in real-time, and the immediate availability of ePOD evidence allows staff to answer customer queries instantly without waiting for paperwork to be returned, upholding their commitment to first-class customer service.
We have, over the years, developed Sage to support our specific needs and it was important that Podfather could do the same and integrate with existing systems and workflows. The Podfather team has been with us every step of this journey, responding to requests, working with us to understand our requirements, and configuring the system to meet our way of working, even when it wasn't straightforward and bespoke thought processes were required.
Kelly Mitchell
Training Coordinator, Chamberlain Doors
