Looking for a user-friendly logistics software solution?
You know you need to get rid of paper from your distribution process but how do you know which is the right solution for you? They all sound good on paper (pardon the pun) but how do you cut through the marketing hype and get a feel for what a business process change of this kind is really going to be like?
Listen to the experiences of others
If you follow Podfather on social media (LinkedIn, X, Facebook or Instagram) you will see that we openly talk about our customer implementations. Each story is the result of a detailed client interview and all the copy is approved for use by the customer. Company testimonials are a great way to gather insight into how a system works for a business.
“Prior to Podfather we manually planned our deliveries using a paper map and a spreadsheet,” commented Mia Brixey, Sales and Marketing Manager at Lilley’s Cider. “This worked when we had a handful of trade customers but, as we now make thousands of deliveries each week / month, it was taking more and more time and impacting on the customer experience.
“Having reviewed a few routing systems, we selected Podfather as it was the most user friendly,” Brixey continued. “It was visually appealing, with an easy to navigate interface, and the functionality, although advanced, was easy to use. Podfather also integrated with our existing business tools.”
Look for users in your industry sector
Each market sector will have specific challenges that need to be addressed. Does the supplier you are looking at have clients that operate in your space? Does the supplier you are talking to understand that
It’s really important for us, software suppliers, to understand our customers businesses. The most successful software implementations start with a detailed discovery call. Anyone who takes you straight to a system demo has not taken the time to understand your business needs.
“I started looking for a system to help reduce the time it took to train new drivers as before they were partnered with an existing driver for 3 or 4 days in order to learn the ropes. While this worked, it wasn’t efficient and it also meant that potentially bad habits were simply being propagated,” commented Forest Produce’s founder and Managing Director, Tony Quick. “However, from my first conversation with Podfather I was astonished; not only did they have a solution for my original requirement they immediately started offering resolutions for problems I thought were unsolvable.”
Ask for phone references and site visits
If a company is happy enough to talk publicly about a software system implementation then they should be happy to talk to you directly, share experiences, and give insight into the lessons they have learned on their journey. Be wary of a software supplier that shies away from offering references, or a site visit, if you happen to request one.
“Podfather aligns so closely with our company values and ethos it has been more of a partner in our journey rather than just a tech-supplier,” Quick adds.
Are your business objectives aligned
Also check if your supplier’s offering supports your business objectives. The commonality of this kind will help turn a good software partnership into a great one.
“At Igloo we embrace technology and the opportunities it gives us as a business to grow whilst minimising our environmental impact and continuously improving the service we provide,” commented Leigh Ogley, Operations Director at Igloo Thermo-Logistics. “With real-time visibility across the operation as well as the ability to capture and share accurate, detailed and timely delivery information, Podfather supports our commitment to our core values – Service Excellence Teamwork.”
Let's talk
Part of the Podfather process is taking the time to understand your operation. We are a friendly bunch so if this article has piqued your interest, or you just want a chat, then give us a call on tel: +44 (0) 131 553 0400 or drop and email to sales@podfather.com and we’ll arrange a time to find out a bit more about you.
