Case Study: Real Results from Improving Documenting material delivery and proof of drop-off

Company: Keystone Building Supply

Industry: Construction Materials Distribution

Service Region: Multi-state Northeast U.S.

Challenge: Incomplete delivery records and customer disputes due to inconsistent proof-of-drop-off documentation

The Problem: Inconsistent Delivery Records and Rising Disputes

Keystone Building Supply delivers thousands of loads per month to active construction sites—ranging from major commercial developments to residential framing projects. While the company had a strong fleet and experienced drivers, they faced growing issues with delivery confirmation, missing materials claims, and delayed billing.

Key issues included:

Drivers using different POD methods (paper, texts, photos on personal phones)

Job sites frequently reporting missing or incorrect materials

Lack of centralized delivery documentation

Slower payment cycles due to proof-of-delivery gaps

These issues were costing Keystone time, money, and contractor trust. The leadership team decided to standardize and digitize their delivery documentation process across the entire fleet and warehouse network.

The Goal: Improve Delivery Accuracy and Accountability

Keystone set out with three primary objectives:

Ensure consistent proof-of-drop-off (POD) for every delivery

Reduce contractor disputes and returned orders

Speed up the billing and reconciliation process

The Solution: A Digitally-Driven POD Overhaul

Keystone equipped all drivers with a mobile app that:

Logged each delivery in real time

Captured photos of staged materials at the job site

Allowed for customer signature (or note if contactless)

Synced POD with dispatch and ERP systems

Result:

POD submission rate increased to 98% within 2 hours of delivery, up from 47% using the old process.

They created a simple checklist for every drop-off:

Time-stamped photo of unloaded materials

Job site signage or building number in frame

Signature from site contact OR “no contact available” tag

Driver notes on delivery conditions

Result:

Delivery disputes dropped by 63% in just 3 months.

With PODs synced directly into Keystone’s ERP system:

Customer service could view delivery status instantly

Sales teams were alerted when drops were complete

Billing was triggered automatically once POD was verified

Result:

Billing cycle time improved by 5 days on average, reducing Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).

Keystone rolled out hands-on training for all drivers, covering:

How to use the mobile app correctly

Tips for staging and photographing materials clearly

Common job site issues and how to document exceptions

Performance metrics were tracked per driver and reviewed weekly.

Result:

Delivery documentation compliance exceeded 95% across the fleet.

Key Results

After six months of implementation, Keystone saw dramatic improvements:

✅ Delivery disputes reduced by: 63%

✅ Average time to submit POD: under 2 hours

✅ Proof-of-delivery compliance: 95%+

✅ Billing and payment cycle improved by: 5 days

✅ Customer service calls about delivery errors dropped by: 54%

Lessons Learned

Consistency is key. Standardizing the process eliminated confusion and variation between drivers.

Photos make proof real. Visual confirmation helped settle contractor questions quickly.

Speed builds trust. Real-time POD gave job sites confidence and reduced back-and-forth.

Technology must be easy to use. The mobile app needed to be simple, fast, and reliable for field teams.

Final Thoughts

For suppliers managing high volumes of deliveries to job sites, documenting drop-offs isn’t optional—it’s a mission-critical part of the customer experience. This case study shows that with the right tools and training, you can eliminate disputes, improve cash flow, and build contractor trust at scale.

Delivery doesn’t end when the truck rolls out—it ends when the proof is in the system.

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