Ward truck is a logistic company, that provides logistic and transportation services across the United States. The company offers trucking transportation, freight safety, and consolidation, inventory management, warehousing, brokerage, and supply chain management services.
Imagine if you had a tech or software that could record all the details of the inventory, fetch you the information on the orders whenever you needed it, and manage the freight loading and unloading accurately, would you be willing to adopt it?
And what if we say you’d save hundreds of workforce/fieldwork hours a week? You’d most certainly want to try it, right?
For logistics companies, speed is everything, and managing the details accurately is more crucial. Humans are bound to make errors and managing the tasks manually would only increase the workflow issues and reduce the end results.
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When logistics companies have some tech and integrations that could help them solve their business issues accurately, save time, and manage the freight, it could eventually streamline the workflows and retain the business continuity without hampering it for any reason.
When WardTruck had the same issue of a disrupted workflow, inaccurate freight management, and weren’t achieving their business goals due to manual tasks management, AVASOFT worked and got them a tech integration that could simplify their redundant tasks, and record the details accurately while maintaining the automated workflows.
Why was it important for WardTruck to have integrations and applications for solving their business problem?
Wardtruck is a leading logistics and transportation company that works on importing and exporting goods. They wanted to scale their business, streamline their manual processes, automate the redundant tasks and assess their freight management accurately.
When the dockworker used the forklift to load and unload the freight, they’d manually record the details of the Pro (Excel sheet with all the details of the freight), delivery details, active door, inactive door details, and all the freight data. Most of all, everything was managed manually and handwritten in a log book. Hence, we gave them a solution where a Thor device was embedded in the forklift to record the details and manage them effectively. A software was installed in the device that’d help to maintain the data accurately, and would also make the data accessible in the field. AVASOFT automated the manual task and transformed its workflow with end-to-end digitalization.
We developed different applications for the dockworker and the supervisor with different UI, keeping in mind the different persona.
How did our solution help to solve Ward’s business issues?
We analyzed the business use case and understood that a majority of their tasks happened in the field. The dockworker and the supervisor wore gloves in the field and wouldn’t be able to work through the screens if the widgets were too small. With the glaring sun and the gliding gloves in the field, we wanted to make it easier for them by enlarging the widgets and increasing the size of the fonts and the buttons on the screen.
To maintain the specific dimension of the freight, we ensured that the scanner gave all the details when the parcel is scanned. And to ensure every detail is stored in a single application, we connected the weighing machine so the dockworker can weigh the freight and can get the details on the Thor device itself.
We also added the Zero button to nullify before weighing and ensured the weights are accurate for every freight. To keep the communication straight and clear, we enabled text messages for the supervisor and the dockworker. When any discrepancy arises, the supervisor can message the dockworker and vice versa. The supervisor can also configure the timings based on the truck’s departure priorities.
To keep track of the dockworker, we installed auto log-offs that automatically logs off if the dockworker sits idle for a specific time.
We advanced, upgraded the app, and made sure that the app is agile for any platform or environment. In a span of just 3 months, we were able to develop, test and deploy the app without any issues. The user experience was important to us and hence, we worked on improvements and added more features as and when needed based on the client’s requirements.
Benefits observed in this use case
- Persona-specific applications for dockworkers and the supervisor helped solve issues specifically.
- Alert messages that could be sent to the supervisor from the dockworker and vice versa made communication easier.
- Misload issues were easily managed due to automation and user mapping in the Pro (Excel sheet with all the details of the freight).
- The pro number was mapped from the target info with the actually completed transaction to track task completion. Tracking was easier due to pro number mapping and hence improved accuracy in shipment tasks.
- Labeling shipments with guaranteed (Safe and security ensured), freezable (for refrigerated products), and hazmat (hazardous or chemical products) helped to segregate the products accordingly for easy and safe shipment
- Enabled image attachments to resolve the damage, shortage, or excess issues.
- Developed a SharePoint server to make the data accessible for all. Details like the pro number, freight code, damaged picture (up to 10 pictures), handling unit with details, the shipment type (guaranteed, freezable, hazmat) date, timings, weight, and dimension were all incorporated.
- The supervisor and the dockworker were able to do bay inquiry, door inquiry, loading and unloading door inquiry easily using the application.
- The pending loads were also known easily with these inquiries.
Tech stack
Speed and accuracy are everything for logistic companies. With these digital transformation solutions, Ward was able to make huge growth and attain a leading position in the industry.
