Context
JAG Timber is a firewood and timber delivery business based in Oxfordshire, founded in 2004. Over two decades the team have built a loyal and sizeable customer base spanning domestic households, local pubs, commercial premises and a separate wholesale operation. The business is highly seasonal, running at full capacity between September and April.
For years it ran entirely on manual processes: paper diaries, handwritten delivery notes, phone orders and cash or cheque payments. Jill managed all administration, invoicing and customer communications, while co-founder James led deliveries and yard operations alongside a small team of drivers.
Challenge
As the business grew, the infrastructure supporting it had not kept pace. High order volumes, a diverse product range and a customer base spread across domestic, commercial and wholesale segments had created an administration burden that was becoming unsustainable.
- Invoicing and payment processing were at, and sometimes over, capacity
- Orders were taken by phone and copied to paper delivery sheets, creating errors and duplication
- Drivers worked from paper, with no real-time visibility of routes, loads or delivery confirmation
- There was no way for customers to book online, check availability or pay securely in advance
- The existing website was informational only, with no shop or booking functionality
Jill recognised that without intervention, growth would come at the cost of her health, family life and the sustainability of the business itself.
Approach
We began with a thorough discovery process, mapping the entire journey from customer order to delivery on a whiteboard with the team, so the solution would fit the realities of a yard-based operation with physical stock, seasonal peaks and a broad customer demographic.
We then built a new website with an integrated e-commerce shop, a customer-facing booking calendar that lets people choose a delivery date at the point of purchase, and the centrepiece of the project: a bespoke operations app used daily by the whole team.
- Real-time order management, visible from any device including a mobile phone
- Driver-specific views showing individual routes, loads and delivery details
- One-tap delivery confirmation at the point of drop-off
- Built-in analytics comparing order volumes across weeks, months and seasons
- A book-on-behalf-of facility for customers who prefer to call in
We also migrated the accounts from Sage to Xero, linked directly to the app, and integrated secure online payment that required upfront settlement, eliminating the historic problem of unpaid invoices.
"Alun and Tom basically listened to everything we wanted, and then gave us more than we wanted. They added bits we hadn't even thought of and extended our tech thinking."
Outcome
Order processing, delivery management and payment collection now run through a single, automated workflow. Drivers load according to their app, complete deliveries and confirm them, all without paper, while Jill can monitor everything in real time from her desk or her phone.
With the operational friction removed, the business has served more customers without a proportional increase in stress or headcount. By the second winter with the system, order volumes were up by roughly half on the previous year, and the online shop attracted a new customer segment. Most meaningfully, the owners have regained control of their time and can take holidays knowing orders continue to be processed.
"Right from when a customer orders to when the driver presses the button to confirm delivery, it's brilliant. It has changed our lives from a whole-family, whole-business point of view."