Picture the scene. A graphic designer in Toronto has a new tablet device on the way. She’s excited – this is a powerful bit of equipment that’s going to help her craft some stunning designs for her clients. But she’s anxious too. This was a big investment for her, an expensive piece of tech, and not only does she need it to arrive safely, but she also needs it to arrive soon. She’s got a big new project coming up, and the tablet device is going to be critical.
Hundreds of miles away in New Brunswick, someone is feeling that same excitement and anxiety. A man sits at his computer, checking his orders. His tech supply business is going well, and customers from across the country are choosing his brand to find the devices and solutions they need. He’s just sent out a tablet to a graphic designer in Ontario, and he knows she’s going to love it. But his business lives and dies by the customer experience – so he wants to know how the delivery is going. When is his customer going to receive her item?
But there’s an issue. The 3PL business model means queries are coming in from two directions, as both sender and receiver track the same package. VA Transport is working with a combination of a legacy database system and an external transport management system (TMS), and there is no web interface. Both senders and receivers face a difficult and disjointed tracking process, contacting the handlers and waiting to receive the data from VA Transport’s own systems.
What’s needed is a self-service portal – somewhere all stakeholders can come to find up-to-the-minute tracking data for their parcels. But how is this done?
Conceptualizing the Self-Service, Streamlined Experience
VA Transport had been here before. They’d spent years looking for an IT partner that represented a good fit for their business, but time and time again, the candidates had come up short. VA needed a partner that offered more than development expertise – they needed a partner that understood the reality of VA’s business in a profound way, and could translate the company’s vision into real, workable solutions.
They turned to IBM in search of this partner, and the team at IBM’s Montreal office pointed them in our direction. As an IBM Platinum Business Partner, we have built a reputation as a trustworthy and reliable IT provider, ready to develop and deploy customized digital solutions with integration and usability at their very core.
From our very first meeting, we were able to take on board the unique challenges facing VA Transport in the 3PL market. Based on this understanding, we articulated our conception of how a modernized self-service portal would work, outlining the key challenges and steps to overcome these obstacles.
Mapping out the project and developing a clear and concise roadmap for implementation was only part of the strategy. We also worked with VA Transport to help them understand financing, offering guidance on potential government funding sources and other aspects of support. This comprehensive focus sealed the deal for VA Transport’s management team.
Design, Development, Implementation
VA Transport was already working with a wealth of data, but this data was held within the external TMS. The first challenge was to access this data, clean and restructure it, and make it usable for senders and receivers alike.
Next, perhaps the greatest challenge of the project – developing an intuitive user interface for interacting with this data. This began with a minimum viable product, or MVP, which would be the first microphase of the interface’s development. Deploying the ReactJS Javascript library, we created a front end that would meet the needs of both sets of users.
With the MVP as the foundation, we began a modular development of the new system, developing building blocks that integrate directly with the core interface and database. These modules can be integrated and decoupled as required, facilitating swift growth for the system into a highly effective portal for users. The testing of these modules began immediately, and the Agile methodology meant we could quickly identify potential issues and put them right essentially in real time. For instance, the survey module – the initial iteration proved unsuitable, so we made alterations to improve the questions and function of this component.
We also worked closely with VA Transport to assess the needs and expectations of their users. VA’s senders – largely retailers and manufacturers – needed more than just a list of current deliveries in progress. They needed a search filter that would locate specific deliveries based on key criteria, as well as geolocation-based live tracking of orders in transit. With this need identified, we created modules that would fulfil this.
This was going to be a fully self-service portal – something VA Transport had never dealt with before. To support them during the rollout and ongoing operation of this portal, we assisted the VA team as they explored the regulations and tools required to handle confidential user data in a secure manner.
Tangible Results and a Robust Delivery Management System
VA Transport now had a custom-built self-service consumer portal. Within weeks of implementation, VA Transport was already seeing measurable results, including a finalized service delivery agreement with one of its biggest clients to date. The client needed to track consignments in transit and monitor delivery to its end consumers – the portal made sure of this.
With an intuitive, user-friendly, and highly efficient delivery management system, VA Transport was able to grow sustainably and effectively. The portal became a key asset and selling point as they approached prospective partners, solidifying VA’s position as Canada’s third-party logistics provider of choice.
Another tangible benefit was found in the modular structure of the system. SIA Innovations’ use of modular building blocks enables efficient scaling for the platform, as well as the development and deployment of new features and functionality. Robust, enterprise-aligned building blocks can be reused easily and integrated effectively with future technologies. VA Transport’s investment in technology has provided them with an evolving and scalable system ready to meet the needs of users today, and also far into the future.
Discover What SIA Innovations Can Do for You
VA Transport’s custom-built delivery management system is just one of our many customer success stories. With over four decades in the industry and hundreds of satisfied customers, we are perfectly positioned to deliver unique client solutions that support profound market agility and a real competitive advantage across North America.
Contact us today, and let’s discuss what we can achieve together.
