European palletised freight network Pall-Ex has become a full real-time proof of delivery (POD) network, enhanced by a new suite of free track and trace products for its members and customers.
As the first of the four systems, the SMS-based POD system is mandatory for all Pall-Ex members since 3 March and has a 99 per cent compliance rate across the network – a figure rare in the industry.
The SMS E-POD system allows POD information to be submitted as quickly and easily as sending a text message, so that customers’ track and trace details are updated in real time. Updates are received directly from Pall-Ex’s industry-leading cloud-based TWINE system, allowing all parties to see an up-to-date status for consignments at any given time.
The company’s own marketing and IT departments also developed a free smartphone app that allows customers to instantly locate up to ten consignments at once, giving them the benefit of the real-time updates and accurate location mapping.
The app memorises consignment details for two days and can be downloaded by searching ‘Pall-Ex track and trace’. It works across a range of Apple, Android and Blackberry 10 platforms.
It is available in conjunction with Pall-Ex’s ‘plug-and-play’ tracking widget, which is easily installed on clients’ websites and allows fast tracing of freight using consignments’ unique tracking numbers. This extra convenience encourages customers to return.
The new systems are complemented by Pall-Ex’s web-based shipping portal, Solitaire, which gives service-users the most detailed live information about their shipments and lets them enter new consignments, look-up or store data and print shipping documentation.
As part of its latest upgrade, Solitaire has increased functionality that allows users to email consignment recipients with delivery identification data. This information enables end-customers to track their orders through the use of Pall-Ex’s free tracking solutions.
Pall-Ex’s IT director Sean Sherwin-Smith believes that helpful and easy-to-use track and trace facilities will encourage customers to return to clients in future for more orders:
“Knowing where orders are located and when they will arrive is one of the main points of contention in customer service for so many businesses and products,” he explains.
“Depots and customers alike have commented on the positive impact our real-time POD is already having upon their businesses. Our members are now fully supported and incentivised, ensuring the highest compliance possible.
“Complete consignment visibility is one of Pall-Ex’s major goals, and we are particularly pleased that the membership is so eager to take these IT products up.”
The network has also developed a whitepaper on how businesses can use tracking systems to build ongoing customer relationships and improve quality of service.
To read the document, and for more information on Pall-Ex’s track and trace products, visit www.pallex.com.
Pall-Ex
Tel: 0808 144 2808
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