In addition to the cost and environmental benefits, this is also saving the UK-wide operator significant back-office resources in the planning, reporting, and financial management of thousands of loads a year.
J.C. Gillespie is also using the Podfather system to improve the health and safety of its workforce, with compulsory vehicle checks, and to manage and report on its accreditation for fleet management schemes such as FORS.
“Before Podfather we were literally drowning in paper,” said Michael Gillespie, managing director of Manchester-based J.C. Gillespie. “For every job, there would be at least 10 sheets of paper, and we would write down the same information multiple times across the life cycle of an order. This presented problems not only in the efficiency of the operation but also in the accuracy of information recorded, its accessibility, and onward use.”
Since implementing Podfather, J.C. Gillespie has removed all paper from its operation. Incoming jobs are recorded up to a daily cut-off point and then allocated to drivers, with details automatically shared, using the Podfather app, to the driver’s mobile device.
At the start of each shift, drivers must complete a comprehensive vehicle check, including the capture of pre-defined photographs, before they can access the day’s job details. Vehicle checks are also repeated at the end of the working day and recorded using Podfather.
Once on-site, drivers record their arrival time on the digital job sheet and capture additional information, including date-, time- and location-stamped photographs, and signatures, together with any additional details such as on-site delays, differences between expected and actual outcomes, and damage reports. This information is shared with the back office in real time for customer reporting and billing.
“With our old system, it could literally take days, if not weeks, for job sheets to make it back to the office for pricing and invoicing,” Gillespie added. “That is assuming the paperwork was filled in correctly and didn’t get lost in transit. Now, using Podfather, we can invoice within minutes of the delivery being made. This is good for the drivers, good for the business, and good for our customers.”
The functionality used by J.C. Gillespie is part of the wider Podfather solution, which includes route planning and optimisation, vehicle checks, ETA notifications, tracking, ePOD (electronic Proof of Delivery), and reporting.
Running on even the most basic of smartphones or mobile devices, the digital capture of information reduces the use of paper delivery notes or worksheets, making time-sensitive information instantly accessible. It also reduces the administrative burden of processing customer reports and invoices.
“Without Podfather, we would need significant additional resources to support our haulage operation,” added Laura Wolstencroft, financial director at J.C. Gillespie. “Without exaggeration, this would be at least one more full-time person for invoicing alone – without considering payroll, financial reporting, and customer management – and this cost to the business would not be sustainable.”
J.C. Gillespie Limited has been trading since 1983, initially specialising in heavy civil engineering, tunnelling, and deep sewer replacement. In 1998, the company concentrated its efforts on the development of the heavy haulage operation, which led to the formation of a modern heavy haulage fleet and its associated team of highly-skilled drivers and operatives.
