The photo shows a newspaper home delivery run list on an Apple iPhone. This is one of several forms a newspaper delivery run list can take on an iPhone. The feed comes from the newsagency home delivery software. Sexy huh?!
Newsagent software from my company, Tower Systems, has been interfacing to portable in-car devices since the early 1990s. The iPhone interface has been available since before the iPhone was officially released here in Australia. We like it because it is slim and can be easily stuck to the dashboard.
The benefits of all these portable in-car devices are a significant reduction in the use of paper and an equally significant saving of time – thereby enabling changes to be handled closer to the actual delivery.
While I do question the long term viability of newspaper home delivery – given a publisher controlled model which does not permit newsagents to act as independent business people – many of us continue to be involved in helping newsagents drive efficiency.
The iPhone interface is one of a range of time and money saving management tools available to distribution newsagents directly from the Tower Systems home delivery software.
You say it can be easily stuck to the dashboard. But unfortunally you will not be able to do that with the new Victorian laws they are bring out.
http://roadrules.vicroads.vic.gov.au/14_rule_using_mobile_phones_and_visual_display_units.html
Mark, This is why I have always thought an audio production of a run was much easier and safer. We do our Sunday run on a cassette and it is brilliant. Don’t have to take eyes off the road and can pause, rewind etc. To record our weekly runs would take too much time. I would like to see a package that would couple the run with voice recognition, and a medium to produce in the car, somewhat like our cassette system.
The ideal would be to drop the data to a GPS, which would analyse the most efficient route and then tell you where to go. One touch button required as you reach each waypoint.
i have a playstation portable device for our delivery run, and it is awsome. tower can put the data onto either psp or iphone, but the iphone is 3x the purchase price. it means you can do the run without having interior light on inside the car (safer), and one touch scroll down the run means its easy to find your spot on the page.
highly recomend to anyone.
Anon,
It is relatively easy to get an iPod dock/charger put in a car. This would comply with the new laws.
The very best way to effect home delivery is to do it by memory.
Memorise each throw and house and up[date daily by reading your stop starts. Result few misses and delivery can be effected in smart time. 52 k’s in one and a quarter hrs-best time worst one hr 30.
The “very best way to effect home delivery” is not to have one.
I could not find a more appropriate header to put in my six-pence worth of comments, so this one about home delivery will do.
Is there anyone in metro Syd facing problems with the changeover in the home delivery supply ie the award of contracts to new transport companies by Fairfax?
It seems to be getting worse despite assurances that it will be a smooth transition for our area as there’s not much changes in the personnel doing the job.
We are getting our papers for home delivery really late most days especially weekends and now today too.
Call to our rep does not get answered.
Subscribers are ringing up to abuse us and when trying to explain the situation to them, they insist that they are still not getting their papers by the certain time. Most likely one day when I am really not in the mood I will tell what they can really do with their beloved papers……
Really only 1 bad apple can sour the day.
But luckily there’s always 1 to save the day, ie a truly understanding home subscriber who will always ring just in case we miss their delivery by mistake and then be sympathetic to our situation. If only all were like that…