Transport Management

Transport Management and Technology, Distribution Management, Freight, Vehicle Routing & Scheduling Software and Load Planning.

IG Doors Transforms Delivery Service with Podfather tech

IG Doors, a supplier to the new build and social housing sector, is rolling out Podfather logistics software across its delivery operation. Working with well-known brands such as Taylor Wimpey, Barratt, Persimmon, Redrow and various social housing partners, IG Doors has already eliminated paper from the process and has boosted customer service and reporting. IG Doors uses Podfather to plan and route the delivery of thousands of doors a week, capture digital proof of delivery evidence and complete mandatory vehicle checks.

IG Doors operates from a new 25-acre site in Oakdale, Caerphilly, South Wales.  The 18,000 square metre factory houses some of the most technologically advanced machinery and production equipment on the market including a 1km production line. IG Doors has also been transitioning its accounting and management processes from SAGE to SAP and Podfather integrates with both systems.

“It has been a transformational time at IG Doors as we have completed the move to our purpose built, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility,” commented James Toyer, IT Systems at IG Doors. “We are also transitioning from our previous accounting system to a new enterprise-wide solution. Podfather has been an integral part of this transformation and we are already realising significant benefits through its use.”

Orders are taken from SAP to Podfather and allocated to either one of IG Door’s own delivery teams or a sub-contracted transport partner, using advanced planning and optimisation tools. Route and delivery details are shared, using the Podfather app, and drivers are guided through a series of automated vehicle checks to ensure compliance with any legal requirements and provide timely intervention for any recorded damage or defects.

Proof of Delivery reporting is totally automated, eliminating the need for paper documents, with date, time and geo coded photographs and customer signatures simultaneously shared with the back-office. This means management has total visibility of the delivery operation as it unfolds and details can be shared with the customer. This automation of POD also means the finance team don’t have to wait for the driver to return to the office and process paperwork before an invoice is issued.

“One of the biggest impacts Podfather has had on the business is the ease of recording, storing and sharing of Proof of Delivery evidence,” added Rachel Sims, Logistics and Supply Chain Systems Manager at IG Doors.

“It’s easy for the drivers to capture signatures and photographs, which are time, date and location stamped, and then this information is instantly accessible for customer reporting and invoicing. In the case of queries, we simply search Podfather by order number and access all the information we need. This is essential when each customer can have multiple sites at any point in time and when those sites consist of literally hundreds of new build houses.”

As IG Doors continues its Podfather journey it hopes to introduce customer ETA notifications and real-time updates and launch an online portal so customers can self-serve tracking and POD information.