Operating a mixed fleet of nearly 400 vehicles, ranging from 3.5 tonne vans to 18 tonne trucks, Rexel makes around 5,000 deliveries a day between hubs and branches, and between branches and customers. The roll-out of Podfather across Rexel UK, which also includes the Denman brand, has been described by the UK CEO as ‘the best digital implementation we have done – simple, straightforward and it works!'
Rexel serves a broad range of sectors including contractors, commercial and industrial organisations with electrical products, site supplies and solutions. It carries wide product ranges from the UK’s leading suppliers, from lighting and circuit protection to electrical wiring, industrial controls, safety and workwear, as well as power tools and site equipment, which are easily accessible via its website and UK branch network.
Rexel uses Podfather to manage overnight deliveries from its hubs, including a newly opened multi-million-pound, state-of-the-art distribution centre in Aylesbury, to branches across the UK. The logistics solution is also used at a regional level for ‘last mile’ deliveries from branches to customer sites or home locations.
At the start of each shift, all Rexel drivers are guided through a series of customised vehicle checks to ensure both driver and vehicle are roadworthy and ready for the day, or night, ahead. These checks include welfare questions in accordance with Rexel’s FORS (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme) accreditation, as well as routine safety checks, and all responses are recorded, using the Podfather app, making them easy to access for fleet management and compliance reporting.
For ‘last mile’ deliveries Podfather is used to plan routes and optimise vehicle journeys ensuring customer windows are met, unnecessary mileage is reduced and vehicle capacities are maximised. Details of the route are sent directly to the driver’s mobile device, removing the need for paper tickets and delivery manifests, and ETA notifications are sent by email and text to the customer who placed the order, including branch contacts, and to the site contact if required. This has transformed Rexel’s customer facing interactions and removed the disconnect between sales and warehouse operations.
Rexel also utilises Podfather’s electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) using the app to capture date, time and location stamped photographs and signatures as evidence of where, when and to whom a delivery was made. This information is available to branch and support staff, in real-time, to answer queries and can also be accessed via the Rexel hub allowing customers to self-serve delivery information.
“Using Podfather we have professionalised our delivery service from the start of each driver’s shift right through to the point of delivery,” commented Andy Hinks, Logistics Process Manager Information Systems at Rexel. “We know that our drivers and vehicles are fit for purpose, we know our operation is as efficient as possible, and we have real-time visibility of schedules as they unfold.
“This information is easy to access and easy to share, meaning that our warehouse and branch operations are better connected and that our customers are well informed,” he continued. “This has reduced unnecessary interactions as customers and branch managers know what is being delivered and when to expect it and means we can answer queries relating to what was delivered, when it was delivered and where it was delivered at the touch of a button.”
