Obtaining proof of delivery (POD) protects your delivery team from the risk of misplaced packages, fraudulent claims, and delivery errors. Traditionally, proof of delivery has been obtained with a signature on a paper form, but increasingly, delivery management teams are looking to software tools and electronic proof of delivery (a.k.a. ePOD).
In this post, we’ll explore why paper-based proof of delivery doesn’t make sense anymore, and look at how you can add electronic POD to your existing delivery operations.
We’ll give you guidance on which type of ePOD solution might suit your business, and highlight the benefits of choosing Circuit for Teams to capture digital signatures and photos as proof of delivery.
As you may know from experience, there are a few reasons why paper-based proof of delivery no longer makes sense for drivers or dispatchers. Here are just four reasons:
In a nutshell, paper-based proof of delivery is outdated, inefficient (i.e. slow to process), and doesn’t benefit the experience of recipients, delivery drivers, or dispatch managers.
It may have made sense when there was no feasible alternative, but these days, you can choose from a range of electronic POD solutions to improve delivery services. Next, we’ll explore how you can use ePOD to reduce manual processes and banish those paper delivery notes forever.
When it comes to adding paperless electronic proof of delivery to your existing delivery operations, you have two options:
Depending on your situation, one option might suit you better than the other.
For example, if you have a small or midsize delivery team, it makes sense to consolidate your delivery operations (including POD) into a single unified platform — like Circuit for Teams.
But if you’re an individual or microbusiness (with no ambition to scale) doing single-figure delivery stops each day, and you want extra peace of mind with POD but don’t need delivery management features, a standalone app might be more appealing.
And if you’re an enterprise with a large vehicle fleet and complex technical infrastructure, a custom ePOD solution that plugs into your existing systems may be more appropriate for your needs.
Note: For a deep dive into standalone POD apps versus Circuit’s delivery software, check out our post: How to Choose the Best Proof of Delivery App for Your Delivery Team
With Circuit as your electronic proof of delivery app, you get all the functionality you need — combined with other key features that streamline processes for your delivery team. We’ll dig into these later, but for now, let’s look at how you can use Circuit for proof of delivery:
These features translate into tangible business benefits — because they mitigate lots of time-consuming glitches in the delivery process: dispute resolution, redelivery, recipient communication, and lost parcel tracking. This means you can focus on improving profitability.
For couriers and delivery companies, obtaining proof of delivery is a basic requirement of their daily operations. To do this as efficiently and securely as possible makes inherent sense, so they’re always looking for the best ePOD technology to help them improve on what they do.
But for small businesses, proof of delivery might seem overkill, out-of-scope, or complicated. Not so. We spoke to one family business in Ontario, which has scaled to making 1,000 deliveries per day while cutting redeliveries down to zero — with a bit of help from Circuit for Teams.
Sanjhi Rasoi is an Indian restaurant, owned by Sagar Dhaliwal. As his tiffin delivery service grew in popularity in the local area, he was getting more calls from customers saying they hadn’t received their food. With no way to check where the packages went, the kitchen had to cook a replacement meal every time — and the delivery drivers had to make another delivery run.
This began to cut into profits and put the already busy delivery team under extra pressure. But after signing up for Circuit for Teams, Sagar’s staff were able to capture proof of delivery photos when they dropped the food off. This has all but eliminated the missed or disputed deliveries.
Combined with the delivery planning and route optimization benefits of using Circuit, Sagar says he saves around $3500 per month. This has allowed him to scale the number of deliveries without skyrocketing his overheads, and his team is managing the workload effectively.
If you manage a team of drivers and want a simple, cost-effective way to capture proof of delivery while making delivery routes more efficient, sign up for a free trial of Circuit.
Beyond using Circuit as an electronic proof of delivery tool, we have a lot of other features which help drivers and dispatchers manage their delivery routes better. Alongside photo capture and electronic signatures, our delivery platform also provides:
When you add proof of delivery functionality into the mix with all the above, Circuit for Teams offers delivery companies and small businesses a complete delivery management system. And it needs no complex integration, no extra hardware, and very little training for delivery drivers.
Obtaining electronic proof of delivery is a game-changer for businesses who are shifting away from paper-based delivery confirmation, and for delivery teams who are starting with POD from scratch.
By enabling drivers to capture photos and e-signatures on their own device, you’ll be cutting down on disputes and redeliveries, and improving customer satisfaction in the process.
If you manage a team of drivers and want a simple, cost-effective way to capture proof of delivery while making delivery routes more efficient, sign up for a free trial of Circuit.