MANNA
MANNA, an organization on a mission to deliver wholesome meals to as many sick and at-risk people as possible, was in need of a reliable and efficient routing system. Learn how Route Manager 360 with GPS Tracking added order and precision to their delivery operations, helped them increase their client base and gave them the ability to create reports that save them ample time and money.
Founded: 1990
Services Provided
Areas Served
WorkWave Solutions
About MANNA
MANNA is a leader in evidence-based nutrition services, bringing together dietitians, chefs, drivers, and thousands of volunteers to cook and deliver nutritious, medically appropriate meals. They provide nutrition counseling to neighbors who are battling life-threatening illnesses such as cancer, renal disease, and HIV/AIDS. From hands-on cooking classes and nutrition counseling to the delivery of 3 meals per day, 7 days a week, MANNA provides nourishment, hope, and healing to their clients in various regions.
MANNA’s local and national advocacy efforts shine a spotlight on the need for medically appropriate meals to be incorporated in standard healthcare delivery models. They continue to forge new partnerships with local health insurers who reimburse them for providing services to their members, knowing that their services will bring about improved health and reduced healthcare costs. These partnerships illustrate MANNA’s vision for the future – a healthcare system that recognizes the healing effects of proper nutrition for people with serious illnesses.
The Challenge
With an expanding customer base and service route, MANNA had been experiencing difficulty managing and keeping track of delivery drivers and their time out on the road. Routes took longer than expected and the communication between the dispatchers and drivers wasn’t as efficient as they would have liked.
Before implementing WorkWave Route Manager 360 with GPS Tracking, the drivers needed to be more hands-on while on the road, punching in addresses to Google Maps and communicating manually with the dispatcher. Not only was that system a safety hazard, but it caused confusion, delays, miscommunication, and delivery errors.
One of their biggest challenges was that they didn’t have a system to hold the drivers accountable for their routes, lunch breaks or other stops. This unfortunately led to wasted time and money which no non-profit organization can afford. As an organization with ambitious goals to serve as many people in need as possible, they needed a routing system that would be HIGHLY RELIABLE AND EFFICIENT.
The Solution
Eager to find a seamless and efficient approach to managing their routing processes, MANNA started looking into the challenges they were having with their previous system. They discovered very specific areas that needed fine-tuning and decided that WorkWave Route Manager 360 with GPS Tracking was exactly the solution that would meet their needs.
We spoke to Cole Corrigan, MANNA’s Logistics Manager, who mentioned that learning the Route Manager 360 software was a straightforward and quick process. He told us that one of the most valuable features for them is its ability to create reports like, ‘Missed Delivery Reports’. While this may seem like just a small feature, creating reports like these allow them to remove clients who’ve missed multiple deliveries from the route, reorganize and waste fewer meals, add new clients to their routes, and save ample time and money.
I see real-time updates and the driver’s exact location. So, if there’s a flat tire we can see where they are and where the nearest tire shop is.
Cole Corrigan
Logistics Manager, MANNA
MANNA employs full-time drivers who have complex routes with many stops as well as 9-14 volunteer drivers who complete between 4-6 deliveries per day. Without an organized system and good communication, everything can become very confusing.
Cole finds it helpful to be able to see all the routes on the software at the same time and then simultaneously be able to hide certain ones. They often separate their full-time drivers from the volunteer drivers and only need to look at certain information. Route Manager makes it simple to do this.
MANNA utilizes Route Manager’s ability to print out routes for their volunteer drivers who have shorter routes with fewer deliveries. They do this because they don’t want to discourage anyone who is less tech-savvy from volunteering. Also, volunteers change too often to teach them a new software system, so it’s great to have this option.
For the employed drivers, however, WorkWave GPS Tracking and the mobile app are incredible tools for accountability, because both the drivers and the back office can easily track their deliveries, lunch breaks and other stops. If a driver is ever stuck in traffic and running late for a delivery, they can easily let the back office know through the app, who will then be in touch with the client waiting for their meal.
Route Manager also allows them to create more precise delivery time windows, which is crucial for clients with standing doctor’s appointments who need to know when their meals will be arriving in advance. With all of the stress that comes along with illness, these clients don’t need to be burdened with an unpredictable meal delivery schedule. With Route Manager, MANNA takes this stress out of the equation and everyone’s day can go more smoothly.
Knowing where our drivers are, how long they’ll be gone, how much time they have left and when they’ll be back is important. These estimated times are really big for us in planning the rest of our day.
The mobile app also allows drivers to be more hands-free, which makes their jobs easier and safer. Having the ability to click the navigation feature that will immediately pull the address up without having to type it up into Google Maps makes for an extremely convenient user experience.
The drivers utilize the app’s ability to capture delivery photos of meals they leave on clients’ doorsteps when they aren’t home. This helps to hold all parties accountable when any concerns arise. Cole also mentioned that the Route Manager’s lasso tool is a feature that makes his day-to-day operations smoother.
Route Manager 360, the GPS Tracking system and the mobile app have ultimately allowed MANNA to take control of their routes while providing the transparency and convenience any driver would want.
