Using Electronic Signature Capture (ePOD) with Inform ERP

Eliminate time-consuming tasks of filing signed shipping tickets and proof-of-delivery phone calls

View, email, fax or print signatures from any PC

• Connect wirelessly: Synchronize your iOS or Android device running the ePOD app wirelessly to Inform.
• Download easily: With a couple clicks, download truck manifests and delivery schedules to individual driver’s devices
• Upload signatures instantly: Once drivers return to the office and connect their device to the company WiFi, collected signatures are quickly uploaded and attached to the invoice. Invoices can be optionally set up to automatically send through DDI’s Inform ERP Software

• Customers sign for their merchandise at your sales counter. Signatures are automatically attached to the sales order. When receipt is printed, customers will instantly see their signature.
• Capture Pad Options - With two different capture pads available you can choose the one to better suit your business operations

Prior to device setup, DDI System will configure the ePOD syncing service on your server. Once complete, we will provide an API URL, which you must be enter into each device, allowing the device to connect to your Inform database.

If you have not yet received your API URL, please contact Alaina to schedule this one-time configuration.

1. Run Inform.

   

2. Go to File > Company > Master.
3. Click the SMTP Server Information tab.
4. Click Edit.
5. In the ePOD API Username and Password boxes, type a case sensitive username and password of your choice. They can be set to anything you’d like; however, note them as they will are required for app setup.
6. If you want to require printed names for all signature captures, then click the Images/Signatures/eDocs/Connections tab. Set Signature Capture Printed Name Required Y/N to Y.
7. Click Save.

To use ePOD on your Apple device, you must be using Inform ERP 21.0.20.x or later.

1. For Apple devices search the App Store for DDI ePod 3, or go directly to Apple App Store.
2. Launch the app.
3. When prompted, enter the Username and Password you chose above, and the API URL provided by DDI.

   Alternatively DDI can provide a quick configuration barcode. Click the small icon in the API URL field to launch the camera and scan the configuration page. Manually enter the Device ID of the truck that you assign in Schedule the truck, below.

To use ePOD on your Android device, you must be using Inform ERP 21.0.20.x or later.

1. For Android devices search the Google Play Store for DDI ePod 3, or go directly to the Google Play Store.
2. Open the ePOD app. Click the Settings button located in the lower right corner. Enter the API URL into the similarly labeled field.
3. Manually enter the Device ID of the truck that you assign in Schedule the truck, below.

1. Run Inform.
2. Go to File>Company>Truck.

   

3. Select an existing Truck.
4. Click Edit.
5. Type a value for the Device ID. It can be a combination of letters or numbers up to six digits. It's best to use the existing Truck Code as the Device ID, making it easier to distinguish between Inform and the devices.
6. Click Save.
7. Repeat for each device.

1. From Inform, go to Warehouse > Truck Manifest, and build a delivery route for your truck.

   

2. Note of the Ship Date located in the upper left hand side, and click Search.
3. Drag orders from the Orders grid to the truck on which you want them delivered.
4. Click Sync Enable, and then on the confirmation message, click Yes.

1. Run the app on your device, and then click Sync.

   

2. In the Connection box, Host Available indicates that the device can connect to the server and should therefore be able to sync successfully. If this displays as No Connection, then you must troubleshoot the network connectivity. Ensure that the device is connected to a wireless network that can communicate with the server. Firewall settings may need to be adjusted to allow the device to connect.
3. In the Delivery Status box, review the Device ID and the number of orders that are signed, compared to how many orders are currently on the device.
4. In the Date to Sync box, set the date to the Ship Date specified earlier in the Truck Manifest. If your syncing tomorrow's truck route, the date should be changed accordingly.
5. To add notes to the order, tap in the Driver Notes box, type your notes, and then tap Done. These notes will be appended to Internal Comments on the order in Inform. There is no practical limit to the amount of text you can include in notes.

   

6. When you are ready to upload signatures to the server, where they will be attached to the order automatically, tap Sync. Signed orders are removed from the device, and the unsigned orders for the truck are downloaded (based on the date).

If you are unable to sync but still wish to obtain signatures, orders can be manually added to the device. Click the + button located on the top toolbar (from the Orders screen). Type the exact order number and repeat this step for all truck stops. Signatures obtained will attach to the orders the next time you sync.

The driver can also take and attach up to three photos to the order. For example, the driver can use the ePod app to snap a photo of a package left at the front door.

1. On the ePod App, tap Manage Photos.

   

2. Tap the camera icon to frame and snap the photo.

   

3. You can then either Use the photo or Retake.

   You may take up to three photos.

   When ePod syncs with Inform, the photos are uploaded to the Attachments on the order.

1. From the device, click the Orders button located in the top toolbar.

   All orders currently synced to the device appear. The device defaults to this screen each time the app is launched.

2. Tap an Order, and then tap Set Signature.
3. Rotate the device horizontally.

   Tip: To do so, you may have to disable the orientation lock. You can find instructions on this procedure by checking your device instructions, which you can find on the internet.

   

4. In the Signed By box, type the name of the person signing for the order, and then tap Done.

   This information is required if Signature Capture Printed Name Required was set to Y in the Company Master during setup.

5. Now have the customer sign in the empty white box with a touch-compatible stylus or using their finger.

   

6. When the customer returns the device, accept it by tapping the check icon.

   

   Tip: To re-sign, tap Edit Signature.
   
   On the Signature page, tap in the upper right, and then tap Delete.
   
   Re-sign, and then tap the check icon.

7. If multiple orders exist for the same shipping location, you will be prompted to copy the signature to the additional orders.

   Tip: To avoid sync failures, do not enter any special characters when entering the name.

1. On the app, tap Sync, and then tap Sync again.

2. When the sync completes, you can view the order information in Inform.
3. Open the order, and the Driver Notes appear in the Internal Notes. Edit the notes as necessary, and then click Save.

   

4. To view the signature and shipping details, click the Shipments tab on the left hand navigation bar.

   

5. Photos are uploaded to the Attachments on the order using the naming convention DeviceID_manifest_YYYY_MM_DD_hh_mm_ss.png

   For example, a photo of a package delivered on the truck associated with the device ID P8, taken on December 3, 2018, at 12:47 pm would be
   P8_manifest_2018_12_03_12_47_48.png.

   To view photos, click the Attachments tab, and then click the File Name link.