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When it comes to improving profitability for electrical contractors, minimizing downtime and reducing time spent checking to see if a delivery has arrived can add up to significant savings.

That’s why Paramont EO invested in a state-of-the-art delivery notification system in 2019. The family-owned, full-service supply and logistics problem-solver helps commercial contractors maximize profit by creating custom solutions to meet their needs for every job. Merging its existing delivery program with new technology resulted in an industry-leading delivery communication standard that is proving its value on a daily basis.

“The delivery notification system takes out the guess work so electrical contractors can plan their work,” said Erica Gallagher, who is Paramont EO’s chief technology officer.

According to MCA, Inc., material handling accounts for 40% of an electrical contractor’s time in the field. “If the goal is to reduce job-site material handling, then the cost of the material is far less important than the effective use of labor,” wrote Phillip E. Nimmo IV and Heather M. Moore, co-authors of a report in EC&M magazine. “Contractors need to ask their suppliers what they can do to provide the correct material at the installation location at the time the labor is ready to install it.”

Guess what is the number ONE cause for lost productivity on job sites?

1. Waiting for material.

And that’s why Paramont EO leverages the latest technology to improve the effectiveness of its deliveries. With Paramont EO’s text ahead notification system, electrical contractors spend less time waiting for deliveries, and more time installing product.

No more standing around waiting for material on a job site.

Paramont EO’s state-of-the-art notification program makes deliveries more cost-effective, using a geo-fencing technology that accesses the physical location of the company’s trucks and the intended jobsite. Electrical contractors are notified when their material is “Out for Delivery”, and provided with an estimated arrival time along with a real time tracking link to view shipment status. In addition, the company’s truck drivers take a photo of the delivery, which is instantly emailed back to the electrical contractor with a time stamp and geo-code showing where and when the delivery was completed.

“The text ahead notifications have been great for our field guys,” said Craig Holst of Kelso-Burnett in Rockford, Illinois. “To know where our delivery is, in real time, and more importantly, when they can expect to receive it, is a huge time- and labor-saver. It allows our guys to spend more time working, and less time waiting.”

Here are three reasons why electrical contractors want hi-tech delivery:

Electrical Contractor Solutions: 1. Proof of Delivery

The innovative program includes proof of delivery, which eliminates a lot of where-what-when-who questions and provides detailed, valuable documentation for each order. Electrical contractors receive photos and signatures correlated with order acknowledgments and invoices for every delivery.

Knowing the status of a shipment helps electrical contractors, who often must schedule availability for freight elevators and loading docks. “They can plan a break so they can be at the dock when the shipment arrives,” Gallagher said.

In fact, the electrical distributor in Chicago, Illinois, can also capture signatures at their material counters and will call areas, facilitating efficient, paperless solutions that ultimately improve productivity and customer service for the electrical contractor.

“The delivery notifications are HUGE, with being on such a big job and how many different deliveries are happening in a day it helps tremendously,” said Nick Rosario, assistant project manager at Aldridge Group in Libertyville, Illinois. “We are constantly reaching out to vendors asking for delivery dates and times. With this system, it is no longer needed!”

In part, the enhanced technology also helps Paramont EO keep its trucks on time.

Typically, the company’s 22 trucks are on the road by 5:30 a.m. every morning. Because most first runs are completed by 10 a.m., their drivers are available for second- and third-runs throughout the day.

Electrical Contractor Solutions: 2. Faster Deliveries

Paramont EO’s state-of-the-art mapping system compares delivery routes so it can identify overlaps and improve efficiency. Using GPS mapping data, important details such as time traveled, historical traffic patterns, idle time and maximum speeds are analyzed to make delivery estimates accurate and reliable. The mobile app even provides drivers with real-time alternatives based on traffic flow.

This kind of time savings brings out the best in Paramont EO’s upgraded fleet of trucks, which were intentionally diversified to offer a wider range of deliveries for electrical contractors. The company’s investment in different types of trucks has created more benefits. The sprinter vans, for example, are extremely efficient at zipping around congested Chicago. The straight trucks in two sizes—medium and large—pick up slack from the vans to accommodate larger orders of cable and big lighting fixtures. The stake-bed truck (i.e., open boxed truck) is perfect for big projects like airports, municipal buildings and data centers that need switch boards and other oversize materials. The open top on these trucks makes those special deliveries more efficient, saving time offloading the material and reducing the chance for injuries.

Electrical Contractor Solutions: 3. Easy Transactions

Paramont EO’s delivery-notification program allows electrical contractors to sign once and then attach the signature to multiple orders for a single delivery. Electrical contractors are also able to verify order totals, quantities, description and pricing before signing. “It’s all in one place so it helps the Accounts Payable Department and takes the stress off electrical contractors in the field,” Gallagher said.

Greg McDonnell, assistant project manager at Aldridge Group in Libertyville, Illinois, agrees: “The Paramont delivery notification system is extremely helpful to our field and project management teams. The minute I get the delivery notification I can call the specific foreman and tell him what the material is for and have them pick it up. Also, when tracking costs on a job it is beneficial to be able to go back in my email and see when a certain PO was delivered—instead of having to dig through hundreds of packing slips.”

This hi-tech program is one of more than 50 cost-effective, time-saving services that Paramont EO offers to electrical contractors on a daily basis. The Chicago, Illinois electrical distributor is a full-service supply and logistics problem-solver that helps commercial electrical contractors maximize profit by creating custom solutions to meet their needs for every job. For more than 50 years, the family-owned electrical distributor has built its business to better serve contractors with a 125,000-square-foot, fully stocked and loaded warehouse boasting one of the largest electrical supply inventories in the state. Its services range from kitting and staging to onsite job trailers, around-the-clock on-time deliveries to repair services and project management to reduce contractors’ expenses.

“State-of-the-art delivery notification is about accountability, transparency and helping electrical contractors become more efficient and profitable,” Gallagher said.

Paramont EO’s delivery notification system is used throughout the greater Chicago area with locations in Chicago, Woodridge and New Lenox. To receive assistance with your next shipment, please visit www.paramont-eo.com or call 844.Paramont.