From half a day of month-end admin to around 20 minutes
How a family-run egg producer and distributor modernised its delivery operation with RouteMagic, bringing route optimisation, mobile van sales, ePOD and Xero-connected invoicing into one connected workflow.
- 20 min month-end statements, down from around half a day
- ≥30% admin and data-entry time saved (customer estimate)
- 100% van-sale orders recorded in the mobile app
- ≈97% delivered orders with a signed ePOD
A family-run egg producer and distributor.
Jim Blakemore's Farm Eggs is a family-run business in Pavenham, Bedfordshire. The family has been producing eggs since the early 1960s, supplying farm shops, cafés, local shops and other customers through its own delivery operation. Its delivery model depends on regular customer contact and an experienced team. Any new system therefore had to make the operation easier to run without disrupting the personal service customers already knew.
A successful operation ready for more flexibility.
Blakemore Eggs had built a long-established and successful delivery operation supported by its own Microsoft Access-based system. As the business evolved, the team wanted technology that could offer greater connectivity, flexibility and integration across the office, vans and accounts.
The existing system continued to hold the core operational information, but some processes still relied on printed paperwork, manual data entry and fixed ways of working. RouteMagic provided an opportunity to modernise those workflows while retaining the experience and processes that already worked well.
Route optimisation was one of the main reasons for changing system. Blakemore Eggs wanted each round to reflect the customers actually ordering that week, including delivery timing requests, instead of simply repeating the same historic sequence. The second priority was removing the manual handoff into Xero.
- Routes needed more flexibility. Customer ordering patterns were changing, creating an opportunity to plan rounds around the customers actually needing a delivery each week.
- More information could move digitally. Load sheets and van-sale tickets still involved paper, creating an opportunity to connect more of the delivery workflow digitally.
- Accounts needed a more connected handoff. Operational information still had to be entered into Xero manually, taking additional bookkeeping time.
- Route knowledge could be easier to share. When a regular driver was unavailable, another person still needed enough route and customer knowledge to step in confidently.
“Another major issue was the amount of manual data entry into Xero. Removing that has freed up a significant amount of bookkeeping time.”
One connected flow from call schedule to delivery, proof and accounts.
Blakemore Eggs went live with RouteMagic in October 2025. Telesales, route optimisation, mobile van sales, ePOD, payments and invoicing now sit in one connected workflow, with Xero integrated from the start. Instead of information being passed between paper and separate systems, each stage feeds the next.
The rollout was realistic and phased. Moving the legacy data exposed gaps such as incomplete addresses, and long-serving drivers needed practical support to adjust to a new way of working. Rather than change everything at once, the business prepared its customer and address data, coached the team, and introduced new processes in stages to keep the day-to-day operation stable.
- Call schedules. The team uses the call-sales and call-schedule workflow almost every day to manage customer ordering activity.
- Route optimisation. Stops can be sequenced around who actually needs a delivery rather than simply repeating the same historic round.
- Driver App and van sales. Every van-sale order recorded in production since go-live originated in the mobile app, replacing paper tickets at the point of sale.
- ePOD, payments and Xero. Signatures, payment records and invoicing sit inside a connected process, with Xero handling the accounting side without the same manual re-keying.
“The support has been very good. Barry has been particularly responsive whenever I’ve had a problem, helping us work through questions and get things resolved.”
Less admin. Faster month-end. More digital proof.
The clearest gains are in the time spent on administration, the move from paper van-sales tickets to the Driver App, and the availability of electronic delivery evidence.
By May–July 2026, three active RouteMagic users and two vans were running the core digital workflow through the system, handling around 677 delivery and van-sale orders, 686 invoices, 676 recorded payments and 30,500 units sold in a typical month.
A round no longer has to live in one driver’s head. Sickness or holiday cover used to be difficult because so much of the round knowledge sat with the regular driver. RouteMagic puts the route and delivery information on the tablet, reducing the handover needed when someone else has to step in.
Records are easier to reach and verify. Because delivery records are no longer tied to the old office server, the family can retrieve information and handle admin from home when needed. Cash collection is also easier to trace: around 96% of recorded payments are cash, and each collection is logged against the transaction, giving the office a clearer audit trail when reconciling the van and the money.
Start with clean data. Tom’s advice to other distributors is simple: get the data right before implementation. Cleaning customer and address information first makes the move smoother and helps the team get more from the system sooner.
- Month-end statements: from around half a day to around 20 minutes (customer-reported).
- Admin and data entry: at least 30% of Tom’s own admin and data-entry time saved (his estimate).
- Van sales: 1,979 of 1,979 van-sale orders recorded via the app since go-live.
- Electronic proof of delivery: 4,747 signatures captured, covering around 97% of delivered orders.
“The end of the month used to be a big time for sending out statements. Now it’s 20 minutes, probably from half a day.”
“Before RouteMagic, covering a driver’s round was difficult if they were off sick. Now, with very little coaching, someone can step in and simply follow the tablet.”
“The record keeping is so good that we can go back and we’ve got proof of everything. It’s made the whole process much more streamlined and easier to manage.”
Production source: May–July 2026, the three most recent complete months in the RouteMagic analysis. Month-end and admin-time figures are customer-reported.
| Outcome | Before RouteMagic | With RouteMagic |
|---|---|---|
| Month-end statements | Around half a day | Around 20 minutes |
| Van-sale tickets | Paper tickets | Recorded in the Driver App |
| Accounts | Manual data entry into Xero | Xero integrated, no manual re-keying |
| Covering a round | Difficult when the regular driver was off | Someone can follow the tablet |
| Delivery records | Tied to the office server | Reachable from home, with proof of everything |
RouteMagic has really helped improve the business. We’re continually improving, and we’re moving in the right direction.
The RouteMagic modules in use at Jim Blakemore's Farm Eggs.
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