Wickes, the home improvement retailer, says it has made savings amounting to £250,000 a year through introducing electronic proof of delivery and telematics-based vehicle tracking in its 60-strong home delivery fleet.

It has chosen systems from VSc Solutions, including its ePOD electronic POD system and its GPS-based vehicle tracking system.

Wickes' initial target was to streamline the management of the home delivery process, while at the same time offering customers more specific, timed delivery slots. It also wanted 'joined-up' handling of doorstep deliveries and queries. Later the project was extended to include tracking and vehicle telematics as well.

The ePOD system from VSc manages the whole delivery and collection process, including scanning and exceptions, running on Motorola MC9000 handheld mobile computers.

 

According to Rob Ivers, general manager of Wickes Home Delivery Network: 'The ePOD solution gave us the platform to be able to check claims, confident in the proof of delivery information received.' He adds: 'Our previous paper-based system was an administration nightmare. The ePOD solution has transformed the way we handle claims or queries and also reduced the manpower required.'

Among other benefits, the POD system has brought a 20 per cent cut in the number of claims for incomplete delivery. Previously the company says it did not have sufficient information from point of delivery to be able to investigate claims effectively. Ivers says the tracking system enhanced the savings by around £50,000 a year.

Wickes operates from eight depots, and makes some 3,00 deliveries a week, or 150,000 per year.