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Home / Insights / Case Study / Application Development and Product Engineering Services Enable a Logistics Brokerage Firm Consolidate Processes and Build Automation
The logistics solution provider works towards connecting shippers with carriers, while improving customer and carrier experience through a combination of collaboration, transparency, and technology. However, the client was using various systems to manage their business operations such as shipment process management, customer management, carrier management, freight tracking, and accounting. Also, most of the day-today tasks were carried out manually which was not only time-consuming but also prone to error.
The client lacked visibility across different business processes and had a difficult time in sharing data across isolated systems. They needed a centralized system that could help automate manual processes, speed up integration, broaden visibility, and strengthen competitive edge. The client approached Synoptek for the Application Development and Project Engineering project.
To meet the client’s requirement of a centralized business solution, Synoptek began the engagement by carrying out a detailed study of existing business processes. Based on the assessment, we decided to develop a web-based Transport Management System (TMS) combining all their operations in one system that can overall help them improve operations, drive business, and provide better customer service.
Our initial approach was simple: to touch upon the basics for development of the solution that includes Shipment Management, Customer Management, Carrier and Capacity Management, Freight Tracking, and Accounting. But due to changing industry demands and new requirements, we pivoted multiple times in the first phase.
The integrated Workflow Management and ERP system integrates 21 major applications across CRM, Carrier and Shipment Management, Accounting, User and Document Management, Performance, and Customer Management:
We enabled a gamut of new technology features including:
With the TMS solution generating massive amounts of data, that needed to be analyzed, Synoptek also provided an array of BI and Data Warehouse Services to enable the client to get insight into various metrics and make evidencebased business decisions to improve performance. As part of this engagement, we:
The TMS solution is designed, developed, and supported to ensure it can operate 24×7 – even if the support team is not operating round the clock. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the solution helped the client in ensuring employees could work remotely – without any issue.
Today, the system is being used concurrently by five teams including Sales, Service, Operations, Tracking & Customer Support, and Billing & Accounting. 80% of the client’s trucks are tracked automatically – eliminating the need for tracking team to call each driver multiple times to check and status and ETA.
The solution is also helping the client build over 60% of shipments automatically, while providing statuses and POD to over 65% of the shipment – without any human involvement.
The implementation of the centralized Transport Management System solution has created tremendous impact on the client’s business. Not only has the solution helped in boosting revenue; it has resulted in improving productivity by over 110% with the ability to generate and support more business at 50% of the team size. At the same time, we have helped grow the brokerage firm’s customer base and empowering customers to recognize the firm as a technology leader in the brokerage logistics industry.
As soon as the solution was implemented, over 85 users representing 5 teams were switched over from the legacy application to the new platform in two different offices over a weekend. All legacy information was live in the system. In due course, Synoptek helped terminate 60% of licenses for the legacy system in 45 days and 90% in 90 days.
Today, the entire business is dependent on this solution which has helped the client in: