In the last few months, nearly every phase of the supply chain as we knew it has been impacted. New challenges have emerged as factors like social distancing, sanitization, and public health become increasingly more important.

Contactless-enabling solutions empower organizations to boost supply chain efficiencies and ensure employee safety. Implementing touch-free solutions throughout supply chains allows organizations to decrease entry errors while increasing visibility into over-shipped, short-shipped, or damaged inventory conditions, while also benefitting from a green footprint with the reduction of manual paper processes.

Removing Paper Processes in the Field with Proof of Delivery

Eliminate paper from delivery processes with the adoption of mobile devices and “sign on glass” Proof of Delivery applications. Instead of signing a piece of paper, a customer can sign on the glass screen of a mobile device to confirm delivery, removing both paper waste and inefficiencies.

Proof of Delivery is an electronic delivery verification that provides workers with a safe option to increase sales and delivery performance. It does this by reducing paper-based processes. providing real-time visibility into inventory availability, and executing accurate deliveries with mobile access to customer, order, and location information. Proof of Delivery includes:

• Electronic signatures: Reduce driver delays by automating processes to reduce costs, contact, printing, and errors.
• GPS and photos: Geo-fencing and electronic notifications eliminate the need for drivers to go into pickup/delivery facilities to announce their arrival. If drivers are asked to leave packages at a delivery site and take a photo, they can use GPS technology to verify the location.
• Remote Approval: Mobile apps allow workers to share a signature capture link via email or SMS. This enables remote signoff even when customers are not on site, such as installation, deliveries, or remote work sites.
• Document Retention and Sharing: Eliminate delays and resources involved in document handling and reduce missing documentation. This provides centralized, on-demand access to documents while automating the sharing of documents.

Contactless Driver Check-In

By digitizing this traditionally paper-based bills of lading process, organizations can provide touch-free safety benefits, as well as improve supply efficiency, inventory visibility, and data accuracy. Benefits of this include:

• Remote Visibility. Using electronic capabilities empowers organizations with better insights into warehouse operations and logistics in real time without being physically on site. Digitization allows back-office personnel to receive real-time updates while working at home. Drivers and recipients can also practice social distancing at the point of delivery.
• Going Digital. For jobs that can’t be done remotely (warehouse workers, truck drivers, etc.), going digital makes social distancing easier by eliminating the need to transfer paper documents from person to person. A digital platform provides increased safety, productivity, and visibility to every employee involved in getting a product from the warehouse to the store shelf.

Checking in Inventory with Real-Time Supply Chain Visibility

Contactless processes free up a business’ most important asset—its people—from having to worry about manually comparing inventory against contract terms and potentially missing critical contractual milestones.

Upon receipt of inventory, warehouse workers scan the PO receipt, then notate whether the shipment is late, missing SKUs, contains damaged items, or other attributes to provide valuable back-office information. Automatic process notifications are then sent to back-office workers (home or not onsite) to create follow-up tasks, all while the warehouse worker continues their tasks.

Warehouse users will actively reduce risk by preventing contractual compliance problems. Traditionally, supply chain and inventory compliance problems are detected downstream, often too late in the process to avoid costly penalties or hold vendors accountable. This actionable intelligence optimizes inventory and increases utilization, keeping the mobile workforce generating revenue and focusing on adding value and leading to benefits like:

• Allow users to easily and clearly visualize supply chain operations. Companies trying to deal with manual processes and spreadsheets to track inventory will find it almost impossible to provide staff and partners with the safety and peace of mind needed.
• Efficient supply chains track products and goods through distribution networks to keep supply chains moving and workers healthy, and ensure operations remain profitable. Online dashboards and the use of data analytics for real-time information provides real-time views of optimized supply chains.

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Looking to make your supply chain processes contactless? Learn more about DSI Proof of Delivery or schedule a demo to see it in action. For more information, call +1.800.217.8030.