Microlise launch SmartPOD mobile phone POD application

Microlise, the leading Transport Management, Telematics and ePOD solution provider, announce the general release of their new SmartPOD Proof of Delivery mobile application.
SmartPOD is Microlise’s first POD app for Android smartphone devices, aimed at providing an affordable pay-as-you-go POD solution to 4PLs and sub-contractors alike. The application can be downloaded free of charge from Google Play.
Microlise have a long history and proven track record of delivering Electronic Proof Of Delivery (ePOD) solutions to a wide range of customers in many sectors, in varied geographies. The benefits of ePOD are equally established – improved accuracy, reduced administration, easier management reporting – resulting in an enhanced customer service experience.
Whilst Proof of Delivery solutions are typically deployed on rugged handheld devices due their proven durability within operational environments, rugged hardware can often prove cost prohibitive to sub-contractors. The cost of the equipment can far outweigh the benefits of using the technology due to the often infrequent nature of the sub-contractor’s work.
Microlise have seen a significant growth in the use of sub-contractors in their clients operations and have taken the opportunity to build upon their already successful ePOD solution platform. By providing an affordable solution to sub-contractors, customers can expect 100% paperless deliveries and all the benefits this brings across both their “own fleet” and sub-contract deliveries or collections.
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.
SmartPOD breaks down many of the traditional barriers to entry for sub-contractor ePOD – there are no up-front costs for the hand-held devices – licences and monthly service fees disappear, with only a small cost incurred as work is done – be that one job a month or several jobs a day.
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 3 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.
Optionally, the SmartPOD application can track the trip in its entirety and present tracking and route & schedule adherence data into the Microlise application for use in the Map, Schedule Execution Board and Arrival & Departure Boards / SMS event generation.
Microlise already have contracts live on the SmartPOD application and are implementing more in the coming weeks and all of the early indicators are that the solution adds real value with sub-contracts easily able to exploit for the benefits, for both them are their contract customers, with minimum fuss and cost.
As a sub-contractor, accessing the Microlise Android SmartPOD application couldn’t be easier. The application can be downloaded from Google Play, accessed from a contracts own web site, or emailed to the sub-contractors phone directly. The Sub-contractor simply needs to be set up in a group within the Microlise system of the contract they are working for. At each contract site, they scan a QR Code, (or key a code in), which identifies whether that sub-contractor does work for that contract. They then can log on to trips and jobs just like a regular ePOD application. Crucially, the sub-contractor can do jobs for any contracts using Microlise, as long as they are registered for that contract and have work allocated to them. Each contract can have its own delivery rules and delivery clause / reason codes.
This approach allows the sub-contractor to work for many contracts at the same time potentially, carry mixed loads and allow each contract to realise the benefits of ePOD from one single application in a cost effective manner in that the contract is only charged when the application is used. The contract may then wish to cross-charge this back to the sub-contractor as required.
Accompanying the SmartPOD Android application, is 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,” comments 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”.
For more information about SmartPOD by Microlise, call us on 01773 537000.