Sofa Delivery Company
See how we helped the Sofa Delivery Company reduce physical strain with onsite physiotherapy, saving over £3 million in productivity over five years.
Working with Sofa Delivery Company
In 2019, Sofa Delivery Company approached Response occupational health to provide a “Wellness Programme” for its staff. It is widely known in the furniture distribution sector that moving and handling large and heavy furniture can take its toll on employees’ physical health. The Wellness Programme was introduced by SDC to help mitigate potential aches and pains experienced by staff. In addition, the program showcased SDC’s strong commitment to employee health and wellbeing, positioning it as an “employer of choice” within the industry.
Challenge
We conducted initial scoping meetings with SDC to understand their locations, work practices, and physical challenges from an ergonomic perspective, and delivered a proposal outlining our plans to deliver monthly onsite clinics at their Central Distribution Centres (CDC). This onsite model allowed SDC employees to attend appointments with a qualified Physiotherapist at their workplace, reducing time away from work while addressing concerns about physical health and providing treatment as needed. We structured the clinics and designed a booking process to ensure that all CDC employees could access appointments conveniently.
Our approach
From our scoping meetings, we identified the need for detailed site visits before launching the service. These visits allowed us to understand specific job roles, work equipment, items and weights handled, and the type and frequency of manual handling training provided to staff. We also discussed best model for promoting the service to all employees.
- Frequency of Site Visits: An analysis of CDC locations and headcount was performed to determine how often onsite visits were required.
- Clinic Scheduling: We tailored clinic start times to maximize accessibility for early-shift drivers. A booking process was developed, with regular reminders sent to CDC managers.
- Clinician Training: We ensured that clinicians were fully trained on the specific fitness needs of SDC employees and contingency plans were made to cover clinics during any staff absences.
From an account management perspective, we scheduled regular meetings with the SDC leadership team to discuss service performance and any potential adjustments. - Promotion and Materials: Marketing materials, including posters and leaflets, were created to raise awareness among SDC employees across the CDC network.
- Consistent Processes: Internally, we developed paperwork, booking sheets, and process flows to ensure standardised service delivery.
From an account management perspective, we scheduled regular meetings with SDC to discuss service performance and any potential adjustments. Smooth monthly invoicing was also established for efficient financial transactions.
Result
Over the past five years, we have provided services to SDC across 22 sites, on a monthly or bimonthly basis. Employee feedback has consistently been positive, with monthly satisfaction surveys reflecting an impressive average score of 24.9 out of 25 based on survey questions which included satisfaction with assessment, advice quality, and overall experience.
Key Results:
- Net Promoter Score: An average NPS of 9.9 over the past 12 months, indicating that employees would highly recommend the service.
- Reduction in Musculoskeletal Absence: A decline from 15% to 7% with a continued downward trend.
- Return on Investment (ROI): Over 5 years, SDC achieved a six-fold ROI and saved over £3 million in productivity lost to absence.
- Employee Turnover: Reduced by 20%, leading to lower recruitment and training costs and improved employee job satisfaction.
Conclusion
The relationship between SDC and Response Occupational Health continues to thrive after five years of onsite services across the UK. We are now introducing additional proactive services, including “Fit for the Future” programs and ergonomic support for both office and delivery staff. Our new “Instant Access Physiotherapy” service will allow employees at smaller, remote sites (“outbases”) to access fast and effective treatment for musculoskeletal (MSK) issues impacting work productivity.
Response has been our partner of choice for over three years. In that short time, we have seen a positive bounce to our wellbeing and engagement scores in our annual colleague feedback survey. The bespoke training and ‘hands-on’ physio sessions have been well received by the team. Everyone is impressed by the quality of the service.
Alex Salden, Group Supply Chain Director, SDC
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