Customer Story:
Farmiloe

Like many businesses with a long and proud trading history, Farmiloe had built its success on deep customer relationships and an exceptional product offering. But as customer expectations around delivery evolved, it became clear that the technology underpinning its logistics operation needed to keep pace.

The business had an existing route planning system in place, but it was a legacy platform – expensive, complex to use, and limited in scope. It handled planning, but offered nothing in the way of driver tracking, digital proof of delivery, or customer communications. And with a significant price that for the planning tool alone, it represented a high investment for a relatively narrow return.

When Stephen Pantony joined as Distribution Manager in October 2025, he quickly identified that a more modern, integrated solution could unlock meaningful gains – in efficiency, customer experience, and value for money. The opportunity was clear:

• Route planning required two separate sessions each day – an initial plan at 3pm and a second pass at 4pm – meaning loading couldn’t begin until around 4:35pm
• Without real-time visibility of drivers, customer service teams had to call drivers directly for updates, adding time and friction to every delivery query
• Responding to last-minute customer requests was difficult, limiting the team’s flexibility
• Proof-of-delivery was entirely paper-based, creating administrative overhead and making audits more time-consuming than necessary
• With the launch of Farmiloe’s new brand, 34 St John, the need for precise time slots and Uber-style delivery tracking was becoming a commercial imperative

For a business with ambitions to grow – and a premium customer base with equally premium expectations – the case for change was compelling.

Stephen already knew Access MaxOptra. He had introduced the solution at a previous employer and was a committed advocate – so when he joined Farmiloe, it was the natural first call.

After reviewing what the incumbent supplier could offer (including an upgraded version of their platform), Stephen concluded that MaxOptra remained the stronger choice – not just on price, but on usability, functionality, support, and the quality of the overall package.

The switch to MaxOptra gave Farmiloe access to a fully integrated platform covering:

• Intelligent route planning and optimisation
• The Access MaxOptra Driver App with digital proof of delivery – including photo capture and electronic signature
• Real-time driver tracking, accessible across the business
• Automated customer messaging, keeping recipients informed throughout their delivery journey
• Access MaxOptra Vehicle Checks, replacing paper-based inspection records
• Aggregated reporting for operational oversight

This time around, Stephen also took advantage of Access MaxOptra’s implementation and training support. Working with Access MaxOptra’s implementation specialist Kim, Stephen was able to unlock features he hadn’t previously explored – including the live driver tracking view for the customer service team and the full suite of reporting tools.

“The Implementation Team showed me a few things I didn’t know… The implementation process made all the difference.”

Stephen Pantony,
Distribution Manager, Farmiloe

Driver adoption has been a real success story. With Access MaxOptra’s intuitive app, the vast majority of drivers got up to speed quickly with zero issues – a testament to how straightforward the platform is to use, even for those picking up digital delivery tools for the first time.

The impact of moving to Access MaxOptra has been felt across the business – in cost savings, operational efficiency, staff morale, and customer experience.

Cost savings

• Switching to Access MaxOptra delivered annual savings of over £15,000 on route planning costs on the system cost alone.
• Critically, Access MaxOptra’s package also includes driver tracking, digital PODs, customer messaging, and vehicle checks – all previously absent from Farmiloe’s technology stack

Faster planning, earlier departures

• Planning time has been significantly reduced: loading now begins between 4:10 and 4:15pm, compared to 4:35pm previously – saving around 20-25 minutes per day
• Drivers finish earlier as a result, improving satisfaction and reducing overtime

Greater flexibility and fewer missed opportunities

• The team can now respond to last-minute customer requests – turning a source of frustration into a competitive advantage
• Interdepartmental relationships have improved as a result, with the answer to customer queries shifting from “no” to “let us try”

Improved customer service

• Customer service staff can now view live driver locations, meaning queries can be resolved quickly without putting customers on hold or calling drivers away from the road
• Automated customer messaging keeps recipients informed throughout their delivery, reducing inbound calls to the customer service team
• Digital ePODs – including photos and electronic signatures – are immediately accessible to anyone in the business, streamlining dispute resolution and customer communications

Better compliance and reduced admin

• Access MaxOptra Vehicle Checks and online ePODs have eliminated boxes of paper records, making audits and compliance checks straightforward
• The shift away from paper-based processes has reduced administrative burden across the operation

Overall team morale has also improved, with Stephen noting that the ease of the system has made people’s working lives noticeably better.