Demanding customers in logistics.
How to deal with them?  

As a logistics service provider, you face high Service Level Agreements (SLAs). These contracts specify customer-specific performance levels and responsibilities. Have you also noticed that customer demands and expectations are increasing and changing more frequently? That’s why ensuring SLA compliance has become more important. You need clear agreements to ensure a smooth collaboration. In this blog, you will learn how to set service levels per customer and maintain an overview.

Customers expect efficiency, reliability, and quality. A high level of service has become the norm. Your customers also want to track shipments in real-time and be proactively informed about any delays or issues. In the e-commerce era, they want to know precisely when orders will be received, down to the minute. Moreover, they require more information, such as photo proofs, certificates, and signatures. As a logistics service provider, you certainly don’t want to handle hundreds of phone calls and emails. With today’s technology, you can address these challenges. How can you make the lives of planners and drivers easier?

Demanding customers require flexibility.
To provide up-to-date information, drivers need to have the right tools. When you expect a lot from them, you must empower them as well. After all, drivers need to indicate when each package is delivered. Each loading and unloading address has its own rules and instructions, depending on the product and the client. One customer may want a photo of the unloaded cargo, while another wants a package delivered to a neighbor. Drivers cannot possibly remember all these details, especially when instructions change regularly per address. Moreover, in many logistics companies, there is not enough time for training.

Board computer are no longer sufficient
Mobile devices offer a lot of flexibility with an endless number of features and sensors for smart support and scanning. Is using a board computer still adequate in this day and age? Drivers need a device for handling transports both inside and outside the cabin. Moreover, such a device should be easy to use. Many fleet managers struggle with board computers because they are often not user-friendly. The software and technology are outdated.

Are you considering purchasing new board computers? Especially today, it’s crucial to work with a modern and flexible solution. Being able to adapt quickly to customer needs has become a prerequisite. To meet SLAs effectively, the worlds of transport management and board computers need to come together, in a user-friendly manner for planners and drivers.

Drivers want satisfying work
Driver shortages are becoming more severe. Competitors are ready to lure away your best employees. In this tight labor market, you want to keep your drivers happy. It’s important that they go through the day with a smile and not get frustrated with all the administrative tasks. How can you make their work easier? What role can new systems and technologies play in this? After all, you don’t want to train drivers for every customer’s request.

Planners want insight
In recent years, planners have gained more control over their own fleet. However, managing drivers, charters, and exceptions remains challenging. Additionally, planners need to consider SLA instructions for each loading and unloading address, which can be cumbersome. How can they ensure optimal fleet occupancy, routing, margin, and minimal CO2 emissions? How can they be proactively informed about delays such as traffic jams? How can the planner maintain control and oversight through a central dashboard?

The advantage of an App
Everyone is familiar with the images of offices in the 1980s. Various devices such as a telephone, fax, and calculator cluttered the desks. Nowadays, all these functions are integrated into our mobile phones. Whether you want to take a picture, send a message, or perform calculations, your mobile phone can do almost anything.

This philosophy is also the basis of the plug & play Driver-App. The app that combines order information, vehicle data, and hour registration can be easily downloaded from the App Store. You can centrally handle all order-related information: order management, track & trace, POD scans, barcode scanning, damage registration, photos of shipments, and pallet registration. You can also monitor vehicle data in real-time: mileage, fuel consumption, CO2 reports, driving behavior, tachograph data, tank data, and traffic information. Driver data is fully transparent, including hour registration, delays, overtime, and rest times.

Real-time communication
Add to that the ability for planners to communicate in real-time with their own drivers and charters. It provides control when receiving proactive notifications of any deviations from the schedule. With such a Driver-App, you provide your drivers and charters with the right information at the right time, both inside and outside the cabin. Real-time updates make their workday easier, more efficient, and more enjoyable. With the right app, they can be productive every day.

Benefits drivers
As a native app, drivers can download it directly from the Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android). After a short registration, they are linked to your system, and seamless communication can begin. Register, download, and go.

Drivers need a user-friendly and ergonomic solution that requires no training. They deal with an influx of information every day. With our Driver-App, they only see what’s necessary, allowing them to make the most of their day.

With the Driver-App, drivers can take photos of shipments and scan documents. It supports drivers both inside and outside the cabin. With a press of a button, all information is instantly available to everyone. All of this is done intuitively. With the app, you always have evidence that shipments were delivered on time and correctly.

Simplifying IT processes
Regardless of how you look at it, there are increasingly more challenges for logistics service providers. SLAs require simplification and process optimization. With the Driver-App, you can streamline your processes, increase your fleet occupancy, and enhance the visibility of your operations. Your drivers can easily meet the growing demands. As a result, their job satisfaction will increase, making them more loyal to your company, which is crucial in a tight labor market.

The introduction of the Driver-App also leads to more control and efficiency in the office. Planners can provide specific instructions and ensure that activities at loading and unloading locations are in line with the SLAs. They can proactively respond to changing circumstances. Are you ready to simplify IT? Take the step towards the Driver-App. During the summer period, we offer subsidies for onboarding the Driver-App. Take advantage of our summer subsidy now! Limited subsidy spots available. Send an email to: subsidie@simplydeliver.com