Podfather Streamlines Delivery Operations for Harris & Bailey Builders’ Merchants
Overview
Having been in business for around 113 years, Harris & Bailey is one of the industry's largest and oldest independent distributors of building, heating, renewables, and plumbing materials. The company equips the building and plumbing trade with an extensive range of materials for building, plumbing, heating, renewables, and electrical works.
Operating across London and the South East, Harris & Bailey carries out up to 25,000 deliveries a year. Its core delivery area stretches from London down to the south coast, and from Essex across to Reading, using a mixed fleet of 12 vehicles including crane lorries, curtain sided trucks, and vans.
40,000
paper sheets saved
25,000
annual deliveries
113
years in business
Challenge
Prior to implementing the software, Harris & Bailey operated with traditional systems that needed modernization to better support customer service levels and sustainability commitments. The logistical workflow was heavily reliant on dated administrative habits that slowed down communications.
- The paper-based delivery operation was completely manual.
- Transport administration relied entirely on powerful physical "red books" to manage logistics.
- Customers, customer-facing staff, and management lacked real-time visibility, leading to a high volume of incoming queries that the transport team and drivers had to field.
Solution
Harris & Bailey implemented Podfather's route planning, optimization, and electronic Proof of Delivery tools by integrating the platform directly with the company's existing ERP system. Delivery routes are initially planned by the internal transport team before being optimized through Podfather's software algorithms to streamline operations.
At the start of the working day, automated ETA notifications are issued directly to customers via email or text message, with live updates shared seamlessly as the daily schedule unfolds. Drivers utilize the mobile platform to capture electronic proof of delivery evidence on-site, including date, location, and time-stamped signatures and photographs.
Results
The rollout of Podfather has streamlined delivery operations, saving an estimated 40,000 sheets of paper per annum with further environmental savings predicted. The transport team has gained deep operational clarity, while smarter routing is expected to deliver additional savings in mileage and fuel usage.
By sharing real-time tracking data and electronic proof of delivery evidence, Harris & Bailey has dramatically reduced the volume of delivery-related queries reaching its office staff. This newfound transparency has successfully unburdened drivers and transport teams, allowing them to focus entirely on providing a first-class service to the trade.
We are an established business with an impressive history, but it was obvious we needed to update some of our processes, and the paper-based delivery operation was a natural place to start as, prior to Podfather, this was completely manual, and the red books we used were all powerful.
However, by utilising the experience and expertise of our transport team, together with Podfather's easy to implement, easy to use functionality, we are already seeing positive impacts for our customers and our business.
Connor Grinham
IT Administrator
