Rexel UK, a distributor of electrical products, is using Podfather fleet planning, route optimisation and electronic proof of delivery software to strengthen its supply chain.
With some 250 locations across the UK, Rexel offers a next-day delivery service for most of the UK and a same-day delivery service in major towns and cities. Podfather is helping Rexel ensure the highest standards of fleet management and improved customer service.
Operating a mixed fleet of nearly 400 vehicles, ranging from 3.5 tonne vans to 18 tonne trucks, Rexel makes around 5,000 deliveries a day. The roll-out of Podfather across Rexel UK, which also includes the Denmans brand, has been described by Chris Davey, Supply Chain Director at Rexel, as, “The best digital implementation we have done – simple, straightforward and it works!”
Rexel serves a broad range of sectors including contractors, commercial and industrial organisations with electrical products, site supplies, and solutions. It carries wide product ranges from the UK’s leading suppliers, from lighting and circuit protection to electrical wiring, industrial controls, safety and workwear, as well as power tools and site equipment.
Rexel uses Podfather to manage overnight deliveries from its hubs, including a newly opened multi-million-pound distribution centre in Aylesbury, to branches across the UK. The logistics solution is also used at a regional level for ‘last mile’ deliveries from branches to customer sites or home locations.
At the start of each shift, all Rexel drivers are guided through a series of customised vehicle checks to ensure both driver and vehicle are roadworthy and ready for the day, or night, ahead. These checks include welfare questions in accordance with Rexel’s FORS (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme) accreditation, as well as routine safety checks, and all responses are recorded using the Podfather app, making them easy to access for fleet management and compliance reporting.
For ‘last mile’ deliveries, Podfather is used to plan routes and optimise vehicle journeys ensuring customer time windows are met, unnecessary mileage is reduced and vehicle capacities are maximised. Details of the route are sent directly to the driver’s mobile device, removing the need for paper tickets and delivery manifests, and ETA notifications are sent by email and text. This has transformed Rexel’s customer facing interactions and removed the disconnect between sales and warehouse operations.
Podfather’s electronic Proof of Delivery (ePOD) app is used to capture date, time and location stamped photographs and signatures as evidence of where, when and to whom a delivery was made. This information is available to branch and support staff, in real time, to answer queries – and it can also be accessed via the Rexel hub, allowing customers to self-serve delivery information.
“Using Podfather, we have professionalised our delivery service from the start of each driver’s shift right through to the point of delivery,” Chris Davey continues. “We know that our drivers and vehicles are fit for purpose, we know our operation is as efficient as possible, and we have real-time visibility of schedules as they unfold.
“This information is easy to access and easy to share, meaning that our warehouse and branch operations are better connected and that our customers are well-informed. This has reduced unnecessary interactions, as customers and branch managers know what is being delivered and when to expect it, and it means we can answer queries relating to what was delivered, when it was delivered and where it was delivered at the touch of a button.”
For more from Rexel, click here.