Tracking — ERP for a Logistics Company
Aristek developed a comprehensive ERP that automated all the business processes, improved employee productivity by 23% and decreased fuel expenditure by 31%.
Duration: MVP 6+ months
Technologies & Tools
- Ruby on Rails
- JavaScript
- HTML5
- CSS3
- Native IOS (Swift)
- Native Android (Kotlin)
Client
We delivered this project for a US-based transportation and logistics company. When the customer approached us with a request, they had around 60 employees, including truck drivers as well as office staff. Aristek united all the client’s processes in one convenient application.
Challenge
There were several problems that had to be addressed.
Firstly, truck routing had to be automated. It used to be done with Excel spreadsheets and the optimization was as good as the people working on it.
Secondly, there was a matter of cargo consolidation. Planning the optimal load for each truck and the optimal transportation for each load. This should also take into account the fuel expenditure and possible idle time.
Thirdly, the client needed to monitor their trucks’ position wherever they may be and receive timely updates on the status of the delivery for each load.
Finally, the exchange of information and documents between the truckers and the office needed to be sped up.
Process
The customer’s strengths lay in business management and fleet operations, not IT. So we began with finding what the client needed and translating it into specific actionable requirements.
After the discovery phase was over, the business owner remained involved in the project as a subject matter expert, along with the Chief Business Development Officer.
Stages of the Development Process
Business Analysis
Studying all the aspects of the customer’s business to accurately transfer the existing processes into the new application.
Scope of Work
Compiling a document that described the concept of the system, its parts, specific requirements it had to fit, and the timeline for the delivery of each.
Prototyping
Making a mock-up of a system allowed the client to get a feel of how it would work in real life and adjust the requirements accordingly.
Iterative Development
Each module of the system (Customer Relations, Fleet Management, etc.) was developed in turn and released when ready. This let the customer’s employees learn them without being overwhelmed, and allowed the company to start getting value sooner.
Maintenance and Improvements
A major system like this can be tweaked and upgraded indefinitely, so we keep working on it, adding features that the client requests.
Logistics ERP — Desktop Samples
Team
Our team structure for Logistics ERP development
Business Analyst
UX/UI Designer
Back-end Engineers
Full Stack Mobile Developer
Front-end Engineers for Mobile Apps
QA Engineer
Project Manager
Solution
- Customer Relations Management
- Human Resource Management
- Fleet Management
- Transportation Management
- Vendor Management
- Finance & Accounting
- Order Management
- Customer Module (to let them track their cargo and decrease the workload of the client’s employees)
- Mobile App
The system allowed role-based access to the features for better information security. In addition, it let the client abandon the multitude of applications in favor of one convenient solution.
Also, releasing each module separately allowed us to train the customer’s employees gradually, letting them get accustomed to the new system and appreciate its value. This both increased the customer’s ROI and decreased the internal resistance to change.
Logistics ERP — Mobile Samples
Results
The new ERP led to improvements in almost all the areas of the customer’s business:
- Increased employee productivity by 23%
- Decreased fuel expenditure by 31,3%
- Faster order completion
- Fewer downtime days for trucks
- Increased number of orders (customer retention rate Increased from 72% to 94%)
As the client keeps expanding his business, we remain their trusted software partner.