Imagine Error-Free Business Documents

Amazing things are still happening in Nazareth--Nazareth, Pennsylvania, that is. Motor carriers can now generate and send shipping documents over the Internet for a reasonable price, thanks to a new offering from Bader Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Nazareth.

UniversalPOD™ is Bader's latest Internet-based proof-of-delivery (POD) service designed to assist the trucking industry.

The software company has been involved in document imaging since the late 1980's and received a U.S. patent for their technology in 1995.

Since that time they have integrated their expertise in imaging and Internet technology to create a service where subscribers can store all their POD documents online at one central location: www.universalpod.com

Major companies such as Home Depot, have embraced the technology as a flexible, accurate solution to paper documents, which in the heat of conducting business have been known to be lost. Bader originally developed the system for Mill's Pride, a manufacturer which handles 300-400 truckloads a day, mostly with Home Depot. "The large volume resulted in lost paperwork (for Mill's Pride)," said Dave Bader, President of Bader Technologies, Inc. "For the last nine months the service has been working like a charm."

UniversalPOD makes it possible for the retailer, shipper and consignee to receive data direct from the manufacturer. The program also made it possible to track each shipment up and down the supply chain.

"Sometimes I get between five and seven PODs per trip because of different delivery stops." said Judy Danch, billing manager for PDQ Transit in Columbus, Ohio. " I used to spend a few hours on the copy machine nut now we just scan the POD and pull it up (on the office computer). I know immediately if a document wasn't scanned. Everything moves faster and is more accurate."

PDQ Transit began using UniversalPOD last May, and according to Danch the program has cut down on paperwork, phone calls and searches for lost documents.

Subscribers to UniversalPOD who have established Web sites can immediately begin storing PODs and their customers will be able to view shipping documents. Those without Web sites will have pages setup by Bader at no charge and receive free Web site hosting. Free Web site hosting is also offered to carriers with Web sites as an additional incentive to subscribe to the service.

Small to mid-sized trucking and third party logistics companies will find the cost of the UniversalPOD service reasonable. For about $500 a month, one to ten users can initiate up to 2,500 actions, said Bruce Katynski, Bader's Marketing director. Companies must also have an office scanner, however for the monthly fee Bader provides complete customer service, software upgrades and secure Internet sites.

Documents posted to the UniversalPOD site can be viewed with a password and the PRO Number (or other internal referencing number). The PODs can also be printed or faxed directly from the POD Image Viewer. All documents are stored indefinitely.

"If a company tried to duplicate what UniversalPOD provides, they would pay between $20,000 and $30,000 in setup costs," said Bader. He added that future upgrades will expand the service to include load matching and automatic invoicing capabilities.

"We are really excited to help launch carriers into the 21st century with cutting-edge technology by providing a low cost, high quality service to the backbone of the industry--the smaller carrier," Katynski said.

Carriers offering this service to their customers will enhance several key areas of their business, Katynski said. "The most notable advantages will be in the areas of customer service, shorter payment cycles, increased customer loyalty, higher productivity, a clear competitive advantage and a high-tech image selling point to gain new customers."

Visit www.UniversalPOD.com for more and check out the "Visitor Page" for three demo sites that highlight the service's capabilities from different points in the supply chain: www.xyztrucking.com. www.bigmanufacturing.com, and www.largeretailer.com Visitors will need to download free software to view the demos. For more, send and e-mail to info@universalpod.com or call 610-746-0328.

Janet T.