Challenge

CargGo was looking for a business partner able to contribute to the enhancement of their logistics marketplace platform. They needed front-end and back-end development services for building initial versions of two new functional modules. 

Client’s goal was to design and release the BI logistics dashboard and a cost estimation service for freight analytics - PriceFinder. 

PriceFinder was envisioned as the service for booking freight trucks. Our task was to develop the following functionalities:

• route selection freight;
• weight and dimensions;
• mode of transportation;
• date and time of freight loads and delivery.

Based on this data, PriceFinder could do the following:

• generate carrier rates and offerings with best prices per shipment instantly available;
• display routes consisting of several pickup and delivery points;
• process documents and shipping contracts based on the incoming data.

One of the challenges was to develop the freight analytics service that would make all the metrics automatically available online. We worked closely with CargGo’s in-house specialists to address this crucial requirement.

Our next task was to create a user-friendly logistics dashboard for 2PL and 3PL carriers. It was supposed to visualize all the operational data in a single-page view. The Upsilon team was required to develop the visual part of the service based on the design prototype provided by the client. The challenge was to define the proper way to visualize market data in the logistics industry so that stakeholders could access it from one place.

It was crucial to have an overview of the following data:

• visualization of US map with real-time tracking of all transport lines;
• % of on-time pickups percentage and % of on-time deliveries;
• total number of shipping detentions in hours;
• tender acceptance rate;
• overview of the US Logistics market including total number of bookings, monetary value of the market, etc.

Also, one of CargGo’s key requirements was iterative and fast delivery of the modules and the ability to update functionality due to customer’s feedback.

Solution

Upsilon was tasked with the web development of the two parts for the freight marketplace: cost estimation service and logistics analytics dashboard.

Logistics Dashboard for Digital Fulfillment Platform

Our software development team helped design and develop an advanced intelligence dashboard for logistics that provides 3PLs, freight brokers, and shippers with precise data visualization in a single-page view with automatic updates. It includes the following features: 

• Real-time tracking of all transport and cargos;
• Data visibility at every point of the shipment lifecycle;
• Powerful widget-based visualization capabilities;
• Custom reporting.

To visualize market data and give stakeholders access to it from one place we decided to use a widget approach. This was the best-suited solution as it offered significant advantages:

• The client can easily choose the type of data to be included;
• The client can customize widgets when needed (remove, add, filter, change their order, etc.)
• The data is regularly updated thanks to seamless integration into Aljex.

CargGo logistics analytics dashboard provides carriers with crucial data that makes operations more efficient. One can have easy access to:

• routes with maximum load
• current shipping volume in e.g. Nevada and its comparison to the previous month
• % of on-time deliveries per each state, etc.

Freight Cost Analytics - PriceFinder

Upsilon supported CargGo team with the implementation of PriceFinder - a freight analytics module built on machine learning to bring carriers and shippers together instantly and reliably. 

PriceFinder release version included the following functions:

• For carriers: the ability to create custom offerings based on combinations of multiple parameters (scheduling, routing, cost, transportation mode, and more);
• Automated documentation collection and processing;
• AI-powered pricing engine that generates dynamic cost estimations based on a real-time balance between shippers’ requests and carriers’ offerings.

PriceFinder brings maximum automation and transparency to freight booking and cost calculation, helping counterparties make the right decisions at the right price.

Result

We delivered the full scope of work on time, which was a critical requirement from our client. Two new functional models - freight cost analytics and logistics dashboards - provide all parties with the possibility to visualize disparate market data that serves to improve and streamline logistics operations.

The enhancement of the digital logistics platform functionality allowed CargGo to:

• Attract 20-30 new 3PLs per month to the platform
• Provide carriers' with a tool that helps them to make data-backed decisions, manage processes more effectively, and, as a result, reduce costs
• Gain 200-300K revenue per year from service fees
• Increase customer engagement and conversion rates with a new PriceFinder module
• Raise large sums of money during the next investment round 

After the implementation of new functionality, the online freight marketplace demonstrated a 600% growth in Q3 of 2019.