Jan/Feb 2004

As recently as 1998, a high-end real-time proof-of-delivery system could still cost you between £3,000 and £5,000 per unit, and off-the-shelf systems were unheard-of.

That sobering fact is recalled by Mike Boxwell, managing director of Littlefoot, the data capture and wireless network specialist, in a handy and accessible guide his company has produced on the subject. It's available as a PDF download from the Littlefoot Web site (it's just over a megabyte, which should present no problem if you're on a broadband connection), or you can order a hard-copy version.

Things have changed a lot since 1998, as the guide shows - although it points out that the basic elements of a modern electronic POD system are much the same as those that featured in the first major system back in 1983. This was rolled out by FedEx, using the Micro-Wand system from Hand Held Products (now HHP).

Among benefits of a sound POD system, the document reckons that a well-designed package which includes route optimisation, postcode checking and parcel tracking can often halve the time drivers spend simply preparing documents in the morning.

 

A basic a basic two-way messaging and tracking system can now be leased for as little as £35 a month, the guide says, while £120 will buy a top-of-the-range system with rugged hardware, satellite navigation, barcode scanning, image capture, real-time communications and speech recognition.

It goes on to consider batch and real-time operation, hardware and software issues and wireless networks, and even touches on the legalities of "signatures on glass". Altogether a very useful overview.