"Improved Productivity means less human sweat, not more."
Henry Ford
In Parts 1 & 2 of this series, we talked about some of the issues you might be experiencing with delivery such as the $40 slice of pizza showing the true cost of a driver going way off course in the middle of his delivery route. We discussed a cost-effective solution you can implement that will solve a lot of your delivery dysfunction and seriously add to your bottom line. At this point, you may be asking yourself, how?
Robert Bertrand, Smartphone Solution Specialist, has a unique position here at Computers Unlimited. His job is to make sure that training and implementation for TIMS Delivery users runs as smoothly as possible. Having just rolled out several distributors, I asked Robert for some insights on this new mobile application. Here's what he had to say:
What are the biggest training challenges you face when implementing TIMS Delivery?
Robert: One of the biggest challenges I run into is the fear of change, not just by way of changing something that's been done one way for a very long time, but also, using a mobile device to do it. Most of us are very used to cell phones, but some are definitely not. I've done training with a few drivers that use a flip phone, and some don't own a cell phone at all.
Once I show them the various pieces of TIMS Delivery and how simple it is to use, they start to realize that it will make their job easier. They understand that cylinder asset collection is made simple with turn-by-turn directions, plus the opportunity to receive real time updates out in the field instead of heading back to the branch for a picking ticket and having to stop to load more product onto their trucks. They can check their stock right on their phone or tablet out in the field and immediately see if they have the inventory on board to add it to an existing delivery order or a new order.
What does the training process look like?
Robert: It starts with a demonstration of how TIMS Delivery works. Once a customer purchases the application, together, we discuss their current processes and their expectations moving forward. From there, I visit their physical location and go through all of their delivery processes with them from beginning to end. I find out how their orders come in, who puts them in, and how they go about doing it. I need to know how the orders are dispersed to dispatch and then sent on to the drivers.
From there, I take a look at the back-end processes and set up options and forms for trucks and drivers. I ride along with drivers on their routes to walk them through the process and train them, work through the roll-out, and help them trouble-shoot if needed. I can train one or many drivers, depending on a customer's needs.
What size distributor is TIMS Delivery best suited for?
Robert: Any size, really. We have customers with 5 to 500+ employees who benefit from the features of this mobile app.
What else did you discover?
Robert: The interesting thing I've learned from working with both large and small distributors so far, is that no matter how tech-savvy they are to begin with, once they learn the simplicity of the application, they realize that it not only makes their job efficient, it makes the company efficient overall. CSR's know where drivers are, drivers know where their orders are, where they are going, and what their truck stock levels are. They can get an electronic signature upon delivery, collect payments in the field, and email invoices. Because their deliveries are smarter, they can make more deliveries each day.
Download this Case Study to see how one TIMS customer saved over 4 million dollars by implementing TIMS Delivery.
Part 1 - The Real Cost of Delivery | Part 2 - A Resolution to Delivery Problems
