“Founded in 1968, we were the first importer of restaurant and pizzeria ingredients from Italy,” commented Rosa Gibson, Head of Brand and Marketing at Salvo 1968, and granddaughter of the founder Salvatore Cumbo. “Over the last five decades we have continued to innovate, launching the first B2B online trade platform, offering a national delivery service, and more recently using the Podfather logistics solution to streamline our processes and improve our performance and customer experience.”
Salvo originally introduced Podfather a number of years back, but it wasn’t until a recent change in management that the software, which includes route planning and optimisation features, electronic proof of delivery evidence (ePOD) capture, and real-time ETA notifications and tracking, was used to its full potential effectively. Following a review of internal workflows and processes, the new management team has implemented upgraded handheld devices making them easier to use, has introduced new software and solutions that are integrated with the Podfather workflows and has reengineered how Podfather sits within the business.
Sammy Turone, General Manager at Salvo 1968, added, “When I joined the business there wasn’t an appetite for new technology or new ways of doing things. So, I explored what did work. I built on the individual strengths that were present in the existing staff and I engaged with the Podfather team.
“We now have a robust solution, with Podfather at its core, that is delivering tangible results for our customers, our staff, and our bottom line, and we have the ambition to build on this for future success and growth.”
Offering a next day service, five days a week (six in London), Salvo covers central and southern England, Midlands and Manchester using its own vehicles. Making on average 300 deliveries a day, with a mixed fleet of 3.5- to 18-tonne temperature-controlled vehicles, Salvo works closely with its customers to accommodate special requests and requirements. Using Podfather to plan routes and optimise vehicle usage Salvo has been able to extend its order cut off time to 22:00 hrs and has reduced the overall size of its fleet by 25 percent representing significant financial and environmental savings.
“Before we used Podfather we had fixed routes, manual processes, and an over-reliance on paper,” added Paulo Silva, Senior Operations Manager at Salvo 1968. “Using Podfather we are addressing all of these issues. We are more reactive to new customers and changing customer requirements, we have automated our workflows, and we are working towards being paper free.”
In addition to the use of Podfather’s advanced route planning and optimisation tools, Salvo has also embraced the visibility offered by the software with real-time tracking and the ability to share ETA notifications and live updates with its customers, internal service team and management. Electronic Proof of Delivery evidence, including time, date and location stamped photographs and signatures as well as instant notifications of order exceptions or defects is also available digitally making it easy to access, share and digest. Salvo has also recently launched a WhatsApp web tool to further improve its customer experience and engagement.
“We are already extremely proud to collaborate with the finest suppliers of Italian ingredients and to supply some of the UK’s most respected pizza and food service brands,” Turone concluded. “By further utilising Podfather’s features, functionality, and information that it captures, we can continue to improve the efficiency of our delivery operation and the service we provide with positive impacts.”
