Podfather Supports ESG Objectives at Bott

International manufacturer and supplier of workshop equipment, van racking, and workplace systems bott, is using Podfather logistics software to boost its sustainability objectives as it celebrates 45 years of business.

Implemented prior to the pandemic, the Podfather system, which includes planning and optimisation tools, vehicle checks, tracking and notifications, electronic Proof of Delivery (epOD), and reporting functions, was initially used to meet the challenges of social distancing and remote working. However, as bott has bounced back from COVID, ESG (environmental, social and governance) objectives have become its focus with Podfather delivering savings in mileage, paper, and admin hours, whilst boosting both customer and workplace satisfaction.

“We implemented Podfather just as COVID hit,” commented Chris Sweeney, Logistics Manager at Cornwall-based bott UK. “This was good and bad as it enabled us to meet many of the issues we were faced with, but it didn’t give us the luxury of exploring the system fully and embedding it into our workflows.?

“I would say we lost 2 years to the pandemic, and other world events, and we are now only truly back on track and, with the ongoing support of Podfather, able to focus on the issues that are important to us as a company and us as part of a wider community.”

With a mixed fleet of artic, trailer and rigid trucks, bott makes around 2,500 deliveries a week across the UK. Prior to Podfather each of these deliveries would require a printed delivery note, that once signed, was returned to the office, potentially many days after the delivery had been made, where it was scanned to be attached to an invoice or customer report. This not only generated delays for the customer it had the potential to introduce errors into the reporting and finance processes as notes could be easily be incorrectly filled in or mislaid.?

Using the Podfather system, bott has been able to remove paper from its delivery operation. This equates to in excess of 130,000 sheets of paper, or 15 trees a year. In addition, the automation of the delivery reporting process with automated capture of date, time and locations stamped photographs and signatures has dramatically reduced the number of customer queries and the time spent managing them.

“Podfather isn’t all about the back-office savings,” continued Sweeney. “Using Podfather allows us to go much further with our ESG objectives. In addition to the paper savings our actual delivery operation is also more environmentally friendly as we optimise loads and plan routes to reduce mileage and therefore emissions. We also support our staff with workplace health and safety monitoring including daily vehicle checks and lone worker updates.”

As bott continues to grow and expand its use of Podfather it is exploring some of the new updates and developments on offer. “Unlike other systems we use, Podfather is continually updated and supported which allows us to explore its use beyond traditional logistics software.” One application of Podfather implemented by bott, which further supports its support of the workforce, is the automation of additional expense claiming. Using Podfather, drivers can capture the same type of time, date and locations stamped photographs recording receipts, overnight stops or other types of incidental expenses. These are automatically recorded within Podfather and are accessible for the finance team for processing and payment each month.?

Bott Ltd. creates efficient and productive work and living spaces that bring value to business, people and environment. From design and manufacture, to supply and installation, bott has a strong reputation for high-quality products, service excellence and value for money. With production facilities in the South West of the UK, the Midlands and Scotland, bott also benefits from a worldwide service network, enabling them to respond to local needs.