UK retail relies on logistics and courier firms getting goods to individuals and businesses on time and efficiently. The future remains unclear with the full impact of Brexit not yet realised and the issues caused by a continuing pandemic. However, one thing is clear, the increase in demand for deliveries is here to stay. This increased demand is putting a strain on firms as they struggle to recruit and retain their workforce. How can the industry respond to these issues in a post-pandemic & Brexit landscape? Self-employment technology specialist, Wise, is helping to solve these industry-wide issues by providing technology that helps both the delivery companies and their subcontractors.
Chief Technology Officer at Wise
Wise currently works with over 180 UK logistics companies to help them better engage their self-employed workforce. The tech specialist sees first-hand how logistics companies are forced into a constant cycle of recruitment and onboarding to replace departing subcontractors and are passionate about helping the entire industry tackle these issues head-on.
James Orton, Chief Technology Officer at Wise, said: “The key pressure point for logistics firms is recruitment. The recruitment process is never-ending as they must ensure they have enough resources to deliver all packages on time or risk losing key contracts.
“As a company, we’ve been scoping the issues for a long time, stripping back the processes to figure out how technology can provide a solution. We discovered companies spending hundreds of hours completing manual paperwork and scanning & uploading docs to the cloud, with one firm explaining that onboarding one new subcontractor could take up to four hours. “The Wise system helps streamline these manual processes. Companies invite subcontractors to download the app, and the individual uploads documentation, signs contracts digitally within the app and this is then available to view by the company.”
The Wise system is free for companies, and they can access the following:
- A strategic overview of its current subcontractor workforce and their status through an intuitive dashboard
- A slick and branded onboarding process for prospective subcontractors.
- Reduce the time it takes to onboard by using the Wise app to get all documents signed and ID uploaded digitally.
- Stay ahead of HMRC & customer audits with a complete overview of your subcontractor network.
- Push policy and contract updates to your subcontractor network through the app, and get them digitally re-signed.
Whether you’re working with 20 self-employed subcontractors or 500, the same issues around finding and onboarding drivers are prominent. The need to do this compliantly has recently intensified with the Uber case surrounding status showing how weaknesses in the clarity of an engagement can cause widespread issues.
James added: “We’re delighted to see the Wise system making a difference on the ground; the companies using the system have cut onboarding times and can reinvest that time into the frontend effort of beating the recruitment drum. We’ve built-in tools to help manage compliance, including UTR reporting and contract update functionality. The subcontractor is now offered products to help them manage invoices and tax responsibilities, with tons of exciting new features launching over the coming months. Using technology has now become essential for companies if they want to be efficient. Those that do will feel the benefit both in the short and long-term.”
To find out more about Wise and how it’s improving self-employment through technology, head to www.withwise.com
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