Logistics Sector Adopts Paperless Processes

Logistics Sector Adopts Paperless Processes
In a highly competitive market, producing an optimal delivery route, managing staff and keeping in close touch with clients are essential in maximizing customer service performance and driving down costs.
According to Renko Bergh, COO of the Forte Group, the challenge lies in streamlining distribution operations but also having lies in the ability to process the support required documentation as soon as the delivery is complete.“At Forte, we address this need with FLOW Mobility for the logistics and warehouse industry. This custom forms application takes one client to the next step of visibility,” he explains.
Replacing the pre-printed delivery note documentation with an electronic version (E-POD) is the first step, but then also sending a digital version of your client’s documents for a true combined electronic POD with no need to print and sign, is what is really required.
Improved visibility with immediate availability of documents, says Bergh, reduces invoice disputes through better tracking and recording of deliveries, while increasing service performance through improved workforce utilization and optimal service level compliance. “It also reduces creates an immediate notification and prompts for the lost or damaged stock from collections not recorded and failed deliveries, which is a very costly process to manage reactively .”
Bergh says that the world of service delivery within the logistics industry is evolving rapidly and yesterday’s best practices are barely enough to satisfy today’s increasingly demanding customer expectations – let alone establish the foundation for sustained service excellence in the years to come.
“Logistics operators need to find innovative ways to respond to market trends. One such way is the ability to improve workforce productivity and utilization with paperless submissions of daily work activity,” he says. “Transferring traditional paper-based activities to the use of an APP on a mobile or device, provides not only timesaving and real-time availability, but also creates a culture of digitization and upskilling of all mobile workforce which is the kingpin members in the actual execution – like truck drivers, forklift operators, warehouse inbound and outbound controllers and many more.”
He says many examples of digital forms can already be seen in use with broad industry adoption like Incident reporting, inspection sheets, handover sheets, electronic delivery notes, claim notices or reporting, or even Covid-19 daily check-forms. “Operators want the freedom to create their own forms with software partner customizations or specification processes, hence why we created FLOW Mobility to be completely self-maintainable by our clients.”
Original article feature: Freight News Technology March 2022 (freightnews.co.za) Page 2