Logistics software ensures delivery boost for Shawfield Timber

Following a significant investment in the company website last year, the Glasgow-based business states that it is now focused on improving communications with customers and reducing its reliance on paper. Complete with automated delivery notifications and updates, real-time tracking and electronic capture of proof of delivery evidence, the Podfather system has “already significantly lowered the number of delivery-related questions from customers” while also reducing unnecessary admin and “improving the efficiency with which Shawfield deals with customer queries.”

Joint Managing Director Colin Peacock explained: “I joined the business about 18 months ago and one of the most striking things I noticed was the number of calls we received about deliveries – around 30% of all incoming calls at a conservative estimate! And I thought about this in the context of my personal life and my business interactions; I don’t have to call Amazon to ask where my order is, and DPD will automatically share with me the day, time, and even the driver’s name, when I am expecting a delivery. So why should our customers have to call us?

“Having undertaken some market research, we came across Podfather and to be honest we haven’t looked back. The system does exactly what we wanted it to, and much, much more. It is competitively priced and the team behind it are super impressive, and I don’t say that lightly.”

Based in Rutherglen on the outskirts of Glasgow, Shawfield Timber offers nationwide delivery from its extensive stock of timber and sheet materials including construction and joinery timber, garden and landscaping products, and hardware, fixings and tools. Serving both trade and private customers in Scotland, Shawfield makes over 200 deliveries per week using its mixed fleet of HIABs, curtain-sided and pick-up trucks. Over the last two years, Shawfield has experienced significant growth in the business, and is consistently rated excellent on Trustpilot.

Originally driven by a desire to improve the quality and quantity of information shared with customers, the firm initially rolled out Podfather’s automatic ETA notifications. At the start of every run, customers can choose to receive a text or email letting them know when their delivery is expected. Then, using the Podfather driver app, updates can be issued in case of changes to the schedule or delays, and customers can even self-serve with a ‘follow my driver’ tracking option.

In addition, the Podfather driver app is also used to digitally capture evidence of deliveries made, including time, date, and location stamped photographs and signatures. This information is “significantly reducing the resource required to answer customer queries as it is instantly available, easy to access, and easy to share.”

Moving forward with Podfather, Shawfield plans to consolidate its use across the customer experience and look at how the system can help it tackle rising costs. Colin said: “Our biggest challenge at the moment is getting products out of the building, to the customer, in a timely and cost-effective way. Our fuel costs alone have gone up substantially, so anything we can do to reduce this will be gold dust.”

Podfather’s route planning features are designed to help delivery teams efficiently plan schedules, allocate loads, and build achievable routes across drivers and vehicles. Shawfield also hopes that the route optimisation tools will further improve these routes for efficiency, mileage, capacity and delivery windows, with the logistics software specialist noting that other users are “reporting results including an overall reduction in costs of up to 30%, fuel savings of around 15% and an increase in capacity of 25%.”

Finally, Shawfield also hopes to reduce its reliance on paper, further reducing costs, its environmental impact and administrative overhead.