Proof of Delivery: Your Key to Documenting Confirmed Deliveries

As a delivery manager, you must know that a successful delivery starts with ensuring addresses are correct and planning routes that ensure drivers’ on-time arrival. 

Then comes dispatching these routes to drivers, tracking them in real time, coordinating with them, and addressing their issues promptly to keep them on track.

Then comes the stage where your drivers hand over orders to your customers and mark deliveries ‘Complete.’ 

But hold on, you’re missing something crucial.

Wondering what it could be? 

Well, it’s collecting proof of delivery!

It is no longer about taking a picture of a package today but serves as the digital record of a successful delivery.

This blog explores POD, its types, the benefits it provides, and how you can use Upper’s route planning software to collect it.

What is Proof of Delivery?

Proof of delivery is a confirmation receipt showing the order was delivered to the intended recipient. 

The two primary types of POD are:

• Paper POD: A physical document that your customer signs once they have received an order successfully. However, delivery companies are increasingly switching from paper-based POD to electronic or digital proof of delivery. 
• Electronic POD: In this method, delivery agents collect your customers’ digital signatures, eliminating paperwork. If the customer isn’t available or opts for a contactless delivery, delivery agents click photos of the parcel to verify delivery completion. 

Here are the essential delivery details every POD should contain:

• Carrier name and logo: Name and logo of the carrier company handling the delivery
• Name of recipient: Name of the person receiving the delivery
• Address of recipient: Detailed address of the delivery location
• Details about the customer’s order: Description of the items and quantity ordered
• Transaction mode: Method of payment used for the order
• Delivery date & time: Date and time when the delivery was made
• Shipping details: Information about the shipping method used
• Product specifications: Product details, including size, weight, and other requirements
• Tracking number: Unique code assigned to the shipment for tracking purposes
• Barcode or QR code: Code used for scanning the shipment and obtaining details
• Item quantity and weight: Quantity and weight of the items being delivered
• Recipient’s signature: Signature of the person receiving the shipment as Proof of Delivery (POD)

5 Benefits of Digital Proof of Delivery

Proof of delivery is a great asset for a delivery company as it helps them maintain a verifiable legal document for every successful delivery.

Here is how the digital proof of delivery helps.

1. Increased accountability

Proof of delivery serves as a crucial touchpoint that indicates where your delivery agent has handed over the order to your intended recipient. Until your customer signs a POD document, your driver stays accountable for any loss or damage to the order. 

Once your customer signs the proof of delivery document, it confirms that the order was delivered in the desired condition. It also passes on the accountability from your delivery agent to your recipient and leaves little room for customer disputes in the future. 

2. Enhanced customer satisfaction

Proof of delivery provides the customers with the option to inspect their parcel before they accept it. If they find potential issues like damages or missing items with their order, they can reject it.

Proof of delivery empowers customers with more control over their orders upon arrival, helping you build their trust and confidence in your delivery services. This helps retain your existing customers and boost repeat sales. It also attracts new customers when your loyal customers spread good word-of-mouth about your brand.

3. Lower returns, refunds, and redeliveries

Proof of delivery helps document that your delivery team has delivered goods to your customers safely and accurately.

If a customer later claims that they didn’t receive their package or it was damaged and requests a refund, e-POD helps determine the veracity of their claim. Accordingly, you can either approve or deny returns, replacements, or redeliveries to minimize associated unwanted overhead costs.

4. Improved legal protection

While paper-based proof of delivery is prone to risks, such as staining or duplication of signatures, electronic POD is immune to all these. 

It, therefore, acts as more reliable evidence that helps prove you have completed a delivery as per the agreed-upon terms. It acts as a safeguard that acts as legal evidence in case legal disputes arise in the future.  

5. Effortless record-keeping and reporting

If you handle large orders daily, keeping track of all your deliveries using paper-based POD can be time-consuming and tedious. On the contrary, digital proof of delivery software helps you record electronic proof of delivery documents.

You can view photos, signatures, and notes for each delivery stop in one place and access them easily. This helps eliminate paperwork and track delivery updates in real time, increasing your operational efficiency. 

The next section describes how you can let your drivers collect the digital proof of delivery.

7 Steps for Drivers to Collect ePOD Using Upper

Upper’s delivery management software provides ePOD to help you capture paperless delivery records, such as signatures, photos, and notes, for successful deliveries.

To let your drivers use the electronic proof of delivery, you must enable them to choose from multiple options based on the level of autonomy you may want to provide. 

For example, you may allow or prevent your drivers from capturing images of packages, collecting customers’ e-signatures, and adding delivery-related notes. You can also set permissions similar to these for skipped stops. 

You can also configure up to 5 custom fields to help your drivers add more information for each completed or failed delivery. Based on specific delivery service business requirements, the entries in these fields can be text, numeric, or Boolean.

Here are the steps for your drivers to collect proof of delivery using Upper’s route planning and optimization software.

Step 1. The first step involves downloading and installing the Upper Route Planner driver application on their mobile device.

Step 2. Once your driver completes a delivery, they can mark it ‘Completed’.

Step 3. Drivers can click ‘Successful Delivery’ to open the screen with the same name. The app displays the following options under the ‘How did you make the delivery?’. 

• Delivered to the intended customer
• Delivered as per instructions
• Delivered to another person
• Package delivered to mailbox
• Other

Step 4. Similarly, drivers can choose the relevant option for unsuccessful deliveries from the following on their app.

1. No one is available to receive delivery.
2. Can’t locate the address
3. Bad weather
4. Not sufficient time
5. Other (Please specify)

The driver can select one or more options based on how he has completed the delivery.

Step 5. On scrolling down the screen, drivers will find the section ‘Add Photos’. Clicking ‘+’ allows them to capture or upload photos of items successfully delivered.

Step 6: The ‘Add Signatures’ allows them to collect your customers’ signatures as reliable proof of delivery.

Similarly, they can add delivery notes (instructions, delivery conditions, etc.), to communicate relevant information regarding delivery with you or your internal team.

Step 7. Your drivers can also fill in the delivery information in the custom fields you configure depending on your unique delivery business requirements. These fields can either be numeric, alphanumeric, or characters.

Use Upper’s Proof of Delivery: Make Delivery Confirmations Speedy and Reliable

Proof of delivery is integral to efficient logistics operations and exceptional customer service. It is tangible evidence of a completed delivery, helps foster trust, and mitigates customer disputes.

Embracing a proof-of-delivery solution protects your business against legal suits and penalties and enhances your customers’ overall delivery experience. Upper’s proof-of-delivery feature can help you verify successful deliveries and maintain irrefutable proof of deliveries for future reference. Want to give it a try? Take a 7 days free trial now.