Tapfreight innovate, avoiding customer’s own paperwork with electronic POD software

As a result of the Covid-19 crisis, many hauliers are having to change processes and adapt systems to keep their drivers safe and wheels turning and for Tapfreight Ltd, this involved changes to their proof of delivery (POD) process with electronic POD software.

For the directors of Tapfreight Ltd, the Barnsley-based operator who specialises in the distribution of chemicals via the Hazchem network and pharmaceuticals in the UK and Europe, it was essential for them to reduce the risk of contact at the point of delivery.

Customer’s own paperwork still needed to be signed

Tapfreight use a Mandata Enterprise TMS transport management system and integrated Mandata driver’s Manifest (ePOD) app to capture electronic proof of delivery for most of their work. However, many of their customers insist on their own paperwork being signed in addition to electronic signature capture.

Once the Covid-19 pandemic struck, the company had to act quickly to protect staff by avoiding contact with the receivers of goods as much as possible.

One of the risk assessment outcomes was to find a way to eliminate the need for goods receivers to sign customer’s own paperwork or the drivers’ smartphones.

Mandata offered a neat solution

Mandata proposed a solution which automatically transposed the name of the receiver and the signature onto the electronic POD saving a delivery note in PDF format, which was also time and date stamped, avoiding all contact at the point of delivery.

Tapfreight director, Bob Milton explained: “The adaptation has literally been a lifeline for our drivers, business, and customers. It was essential for us to achieve a safer method of proof of delivery. Transposing the POD details straight on to the electronic delivery note was a neat solution which meant we were able to adapt quickly.”

With everything in place to implement the change in process, Tapfreight’s operation was able to continue safely, without disruption.

“We have been trying to convince customers for some time to go down the paperless route. Now we’ve proven we can eradicate the need for hard copy delivery notes, this is a major step forward for us. It has demonstrated to us what we already knew, that in this day and age it’s simply not necessary to lump around great wads of paper.”

Signing paper a thing of the past

Bob explained some of their customer delivery notes are 9 to 10 pages long: “Just one consignment can have 2 or 3 delivery notes and we’re required to get each of them signed. Since mid-March we stopped using customer’s own paperwork, and enclosed documents in wallets on the pallets. Customers have been very supportive and accepted that this was required to reduce the risk of Covid-19.”

“We’ll save a minimum of 4 hours a day in scanning alone”

Tapfreight has found there are other benefits to going paperless too. “If you ignore the current crisis, the efficiency gains in the traffic office will be huge; we can dramatically minimise time spent printing and scanning as well as significantly reduce costs.”

“Not only that, once we have scanned the signed documents, all that paperwork has to be securely destroyed, which is such an obscene waste. So, there is a big environmental benefit as well.”

“We have been trying to convince customers for some time to go down the paperless route. Now we’ve proven we can eradicate the need for hard copy delivery notes, this is a major step forward for us.”

Managing director, Tapfreight Ltd