Contactless delivery service – freight transport where there is no human contact between the courier and the end customer – has become not only a very popular but also an essential service that companies had to offer to survive due to the COVID pandemic.

Just as the unique situation in Estonia forced several small shops to close down, the Nopri dairy farm in Võru County also had to shut down the farm shop on the second floor of the dairy house. As demand for the goods remained, there was an urgent need to find a way to deliver dairy products safely to both local and remote customers.

Cooperation was started with another Estonian company, and now the transport and work management software GSMtasks is used to offer the contactless home delivery service. In cooperation, it is possible to deliver high-quality goods to customers safely and quickly.

About the farm

Nopri farm, located in Kärina village in Rõuge municipality, has been firmly in place since the middle of the 19th century. Tiit Niilo, the owner of Nopri Talumeierei, manages the eighth generation on the lands of the ancestors and stands out with his innovative mind and a great will to act.

The state-of-the-art 7-star smart barn has created all the prerequisites to offer the best living conditions for livestock and to bring the purest Estonian milk and dairy products to the consumer. There is no doubt that Nopr’s cheeses, curds, and other products are highly valued by Estonians and have gained recognition elsewhere as well.

However, a modern farm is not the only one that is remarkable for the Nopri dairy farm. The special situation forced the farmers to close the farm shop loved by the locals. However, a new solution was quickly found and a drive-in service was opened in the garden house. It allows visitors from further afield to buy Nopri’s dairy products contactless and at a reasonable price.

For those who find it difficult to get there themselves, a convenient home delivery service is provided as well – free of charge and contact free!

Contactless home delivery – how to organize?

Nopri decided to start providing home delivery service largely due to circumstances.

“Due to the pandemic, we had to find additional ways to sell our products. We decided to start with home delivery for the customer – fresh dairy products directly from the farm to the customer’s home, “explained Karl Niilo, Nopri’s marketing manager.

Orders can be placed on the company’s website and certain risk requirements are set for the delivery of the goods, which both couriers and customers must follow. Currently, 3 to 4 drivers are distributed across Estonia.

But how to arrange fast and efficient execution of a large number of online orders when there are only a few couriers?

In this respect, Nopri came to the aid of the Estonian transport management solution GSMtasks.

“Since we haven’t been involved in courier service before, we originally navigated using Google Maps. When the number of orders increased, it was no longer possible – we needed a professional solution,” Niilo explained the need to introduce GSMtaks software.

In the past, Nopri has used the Navirec GPS solution, so the transition to the same company’s transport management software was logical. With the help of GSMtasks solution, courier schedules and routes can now be planned in just a few minutes, and the user-friendliness of the solution is very satisfying.

GSMtasks makes work organization easy

How does Nopri organize home delivery with the help of GSMtasks’ solution?

Orders reach the GSMtasks’s solution

Orders placed in the online store reach GSMtasks, where they are distributed to drivers either automatically or manually.

In addition, GSMtasks allows to automatically optimize travel routes – so that the courier should travel as few kilometers/miles as possible or spend as little time as possible fulfilling orders.

With optimized itineraries, Nopri can fulfill a very large number of orders in one day, using only a few couriers. Efficient driving routes also help to save on fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.

Tasks are sent to the courier’s mobile app

Online store orders are converted into tasks for couriers who see all-day tasks in an optimized order and with routes on their mobile app.

In addition to the customer’s data and destination address, the driver also sees additional delivery information left by the customer when placing an order (“Please leave the package behind the apartment door“, “Leave the goods at the garden gate“, etc.).

When the courier starts driving, he/she marks the start of the delivery and automatically sends an SMS notification to the customer. It is possible to customize the notification to suit one’s needs, but for the most part, the approximate arrival time of the goods, courier’s contact, and a tracking link are added. This way the movement of the goods can be viewed in real-time. Nopri uses the notification function to notify customers of the arrival of a courier in a timely manner.

Contactless delivery of goods

When the courier arrives at the destination, he/she leaves the goods at the agreed place. Instead of the usual paper delivery notes, the courier uses a digital document available for users in the GSMtasks app. A digital signature and photos can be added to the delivery note.

Nopri has pointed out precise rules for their home delivery. The courier and the customer must not be closer to each other than 3 meters (9.8 feet). Thus, for example, a picture of the customer with the goods can be attached to the delivery note to confirm the delivery of the goods. This way, no signature is needed and the delivery can be totally contact-free.

After the delivery, the courier marks the task finished and can start the journey to the next customer. The statuses of the tasks are automatically updated in the GSMtasks system as well, so the home delivery service provider always has an accurate overview of the tasks that have already been done, failed, or pending.

Home delivery can be provided by everyone

Arranging a home delivery service is, in fact, easier than thought and completely affordable for smaller companies that do not want to recruit new employees.

GSMtasks’ work and transport management software enables efficient use of the existing workforce and offers customers a safe way to conveniently order the desired goods at home.

With the help of smart software, companies can significantly increase their sales turnover without incurring large expenses. In addition, automated route planning and optimization allow significant savings in transportation costs and time.

“GSMtasks software is easy to use. When developing the system, customer support has been very efficient and operative,” Niilo praises the user-friendliness of the solution and the professionalism of the customer support.

If you want to know more about the solution or ask for advice, send an e-mail to mirko@gsmtasks.com or ask for a 14-day free trial.