Buy It Direct, a fast-growing online electrical retailer, has rolled out BigChange’s JobWatch Mobile Workforce Management platform to streamline its nationwide delivery fleet.
The Yorkshire-based company runs brands including Laptops Direct and Appliances Direct delivering thousands of electrical appliances directly to consumers daily. It also manages end-to-end product fulfilment for national retailers including Debenhams.
The new solution replaces a previous paper-based system and combines cloud-based delivery planning and scheduling, an Android mobile app for drivers and real-time tracking of the vehicle fleet. The solution is fully integrated with Buy it Direct’s routing software and the entire delivery process is automated on Samsung tablets.
The BigChange system enables drivers to fill out timesheets and carry out electronic vehicle walkaround checks. They also have instant access to their delivery manifest and the app navigates them efficiently from job to job, with the benefit of live Google traffic information.
Customers automatically receive a courtesy message by text message, giving them an accurate ETA for delivery, while the JobWatch app enables scans to be taken of photos before, during and after each drop – including for installation, providing robust proof of delivery and product condition.
The BigChange system also provides business intelligence into how long it takes to deliver specific types of products, enabling the company to review its operations and increase capacity without the cost of additional drivers or vehicles.
The new technology has also assisted with management of the vehicle fleet, with the daily driver checks allowing robust management of defects while live tracking system monitors and reports on driver behaviour.
Mick Eaton, operations manager for Buy It Direct, said: “Since we implemented the BigChange system, we’ve seen an improvement in fuel consumption, less vehicle wear and tear and the level of goods damaged in-transit has reduced significantly. Overall the BigChange system has been a revolution for our delivery operation and I would not hesitate to recommend it to other home delivery operators.”
