Crucially, the Microlise SmartPOD application runs on Android Smartphones. It offers a “Pay-as-you-go” pricing structure where a charge is levied for every delivery or collection made via an itemised bill at the end of each month.
In terms of functionality, the new software offers all of the key features of a traditional ePOD solution including tractor/ trailer confirmation, journey manifest download, site arrival and departure time-stamping, journey mileage capture, proof of collection/delivery at site (including quantity validation, image capture and exception reason code capture). Reason codes are contract specific and can be used at three levels – site, consignment and detail / item.
The SmartPOD application also supports automatic links to sat nav and Phone dialling, based upon customer contact details downloaded for the trip.
The application can be downloaded free of charge from Google Play and is accompanied by an enhancement to Microlise's Transport Management Centre host web application, which allows both sub-contractors and their customer's to authorise and edit jobs and job results on-line as required.
‘We are really excited by the introduction of the SmartPOD application to our solution,’ commented Matt Hague, product strategy director, Microlise, ‘as this allows Microlise customers and their sub-contractors to realise the benefits of ePOD, without high costs of entry. Offering a service purely on a pay-as-you-go transactional basis is a big step for us but based on feedback so far, we are confident that demand will be high’.