JW Filshill, one of Scotland’s oldest independent food and drinks wholesalers, is using Podfather logistics software to improve customer service. With a fleet of rigid trucks, Filshill supplies its own Keystore brand of convenience shops alongside national accounts such as the Scottish Prison Service. The company also delivers ambient goods to over 1,600 independent customers across Scotland and the north of England.
Using Podfather’s fleet planning, route optimisation and electronic proof of delivery (ePOD) software, Filshill is boosting customer service with automated ETA notifications, and performance reporting with integrated dashboards and customisable reports. ePOD features, including the ability to digitally capture date, time and location stamped signatures and photographs, are also improving the efficiency of Filshill’s 1,000 plus deliveries a week.
“Podfather helps us fulfil our promise ‘Delivering Success’,” commented John O’Neil, Senior Ops Manager at JW Filshill. “Using Podfather we know our vehicles, and drivers, are roadworthy and ready for the day ahead, our customers know when to expect us so can plan ahead for the incoming delivery, and we have the data and tools we need to evaluate our performance against key customer and business KPIs.”
A fifth-generation family run business based in Renfrew, JW Filshill was first established in 1875 and has been recognised as one of the best wholesalers in the UK. The business is built around its customers’ needs, and a mission to deliver success to all customers, suppliers, and staff. The company reached a £200 million turnover milestone in 2022 and, in a drive to improve efficiency and productivity, and support a 10-year growth strategy, Filshill moved to a purpose built, 120,400 sq ft distribution centre near Glasgow airport in 2023.
Using Podfather, Filshill’s drivers are guided through a series of vehicle checks at the start of each shift. Recorded on the Podfather app, this ensures compliance and provides timely notification of potential defects for intervention and remedial works. Checks can be customised to include vehicle or equipment specific inspections. The Podfather app also give Filshill complete visibility of its fleet once on the road. Using the app, back-office staff can see when a driver logs on or off and this information can be shared with customers via text or email, complete with a live tracking link.
“Being able to let our customers know when to expect a delivery helps them ensure they are ready and correctly staffed,” O’Neil continued. “This means they only need to pay staff for the hours they are needed and it ensures the fastest possible turnaround once we arrive onsite. Capturing POD evidence using Podfather is also quick and easy.”
The data captured and stored within Podfather is further supporting Filshill’s business objective as it is ‘Always Looking to Improve’. By comparing planned versus actual, including delivery times and time onsite, Filshill works to a KPI for deliveries made in accordance with agreed customer delivery windows. Performance dashboards and customisable reports within the software make this type of analysis easy to undertake and easy to share.
“I am currently evaluating core KPI markers within the business. For example, we are slightly underperforming on our promise to deliver 97 percent of deliveries within a defined customer window,” O’Neil concluded. “With Podfather I have the data and tools I need to understand how this is happening and take action to improve.
“I can look at reordering deliveries or consider moving a delivery to a different route, or I can go back to the customer and talk about their specific requirements.”
