Whether you’re involved in the movement of goods to the nation’s supermarkets and high streets, or delivering parcels directly to doorsteps, the winter months and run up to Christmas always present the UK logistics sector with a series of challenges around demand.
However, with the current economic circumstances of rising costs set against ongoing recruitment and talent shortages around UK delivery drivers, this year’s peak period is set to be unlike any other.
One thing is for sure, the natural surge in demand for goods to be moved around the country and delivered to doorsteps is not going to be deterred, so the onus has fallen on logistics business owners to improve their processes to both increase efficiency and best prepare their firms.
One way this is being done is through the increased use of technology to cut down on the admin required to recruit, onboard and manage self-employed delivery drivers. Wise, a self-employment technology specialist, is now being used by over 250 UK last-mile delivery firms, with its free platform helping these businesses to onboard new subcontractors digitally in a matter of minutes.
By harnessing the Wise platform, main contractors are now able to quickly recruit new talent without all of the traditional issues around documentation, interviewing and onboarding these subcontractors manually. Within the main dashboard, main contractors are able to see a total overview of their workforce, check the status of new subcontractors being onboarded and even share contracts digitally, through to the accompanying mobile app.
Simon Hills, Chief Executive Officer of Wise, said: “We know the stress-points that face every single delivery firm as the peak period approaches, and these are only going to be exasperated by the current spike in costs. However, we know that by harnessing technology such as the free Wise platform, we’re able to alleviate a number of these stresses and help business owners spend more of their time on growing their companies.”
Historically, when going through onboarding a new self-employed driver, it has involved a lengthy process and lots of back and forth around driving licences, tax information and being set up financially. Now, as the sector competes over a reduced talent pool, it has never been more important for businesses to be able to efficiently find and onboard new drivers in a timely manner.
Now, as more firms continue to harness integrated digital platforms, they are experiencing a competitive advantage over firms still opting for traditional processes around this admin. By providing a fast, intuitive onboarding process using the Wise platform and accompanying app for drivers, delivery businesses are able to provide a much smoother, hassle-free self-employment experience to their subcontractors, giving them the best chance at driver retention in the long term.
James Orton, Chief Technology Officer at Wise, said: “We know just how important self-employed delivery drivers are to the UK supply chain and so we’re passionate about improving the entire self-employment experience through innovation. We know that the Wise platform not only saves these subcontractors time and stress by handling their invoices, registering them for VAT and sorting their tax returns, but it also helps them to maximise their take-home pay, which is more important than ever at the moment.”
To find out more about how Wise is revolutionising self-employment within the UK logistics industry, or to enquire about a FREE contract review, head to www.withwise.com
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