Paper-based tickets are prone to damage, getting lost, or are often illegible or incomplete. The paper tickets are sent to the office where they are used by the admin to key information into appropriate systems for billing. This information is used by contractors and project managers to review the costs of labor, transportation, and materials. Because the data must be re-keyed into an office system, errors, misunderstandings, and delays can occur, which means project owners are challenged to see the big picture of what is going on, how much the project costs, and where and why delays are occurring.
When you digitize paper tickets, efficiencies increase, along with productivity and revenue.
Studies show that our industry generates over one million paper tickets per day in the US alone at a cost of over one billion per year. The number of tickets and price goes even higher if you are a global business. Four to five-part tickets carry information such as the name and address of the buyer and seller, source and destination of the product, description of the product, and the quantity. Often material inspectors will add additional information to the tickets.
Each part of the paper ticket is handed out to various departments and individuals on the job site. For example, the seller wants a signature on his ticket while the delivery manager will take the ticket as proof of delivery. The buyer receives a part of the ticket and sends it to accounts payable for paying invoices. By the end of the day, one paper ticket has been handled by five or six people – and these same people handle a large number of tickets each day. Imagine trying to keep them straight!
By removing paper, data can be entered directly into a mobile phone, tablet, or laptop out in the field or when on the job site, sending the data directly to business systems in real time. Drivers can receive electronic signatures and utilize electronic proof of delivery screens. Truck drivers can deliver their information electronically as soon as the materials are delivered, which means invoices can be sent directly to suppliers for quicker payment.
Paper-based forms are a thing of the past as ticket information is displayed instantly on a driver’s mobile device. Drivers have all the information they need to perform their jobs without having to reach out to dispatch or managers, causing delays in the delivery process. Drivers can pull up their next ticket so they are quickly prepared for their next job. Drivers can be on the road instantly once their current delivery is made.
MOBILEticket is part of Command Alkon's Logistics Process Suite, an eTicketing application that eliminates paper, reduces driver time and promotes jobsite safety. Everything that used to be on paper is not on your mobile device. With CONNEX, you can share the information with all your trading partners so that everyone can be up to speed with what has been ordered and what has been delivered.
No longer does our industry have to be last in productivity; we can be first in operational efficiency by removing paper from the job site.
