Customer Story - Logistics Platform

Systems Integration, Load Tracking, Alerting, & Analysis

Client wins new customers and reduces supply chain costs by unifying real-time load tracking across multiple carriers and software applications with 1043 Labs.

The Client

For over 50 years our client has provided bulk transport and logistics solutions for large multi- nationals in the chemical & plastics industries. The company generates more than $250M in annual revenue with a fleet of 2000+ trucks, trailers, and rail cars. In addition to dozens of truck and rail terminals, they also provide their own customers an extensive network of warehousing and packaging facilities across North America.

The Challenge

Multiple acquisitions and business requirements led to dozens of software tools and manual processes being used to inefficiently track the supply chain. Lack of a unified view of operations resulted in:

Inefficient Load Tracking

Because data were stored in multiple systems, load tracking was not integrated in an end-to-end visual dashboard.

No Real-Time Financial KPIs

Data were only available in spreadsheets, which often were several days behind.

No Real-Time Notifications

Transport delays and other events with customer and/or financial impact did not trigger timely notifications.

No Common Reporting

Internal users could not share a common view, and external users (customers, partners) had no way of accessing any data online.

The Solution

1043 Labs built a software platform that unifies several disparate software systems and data stores with a cloud-resident, single-view data warehouse and UI dashboard. Software includes:

Unified Web Portal
Real-time truck/rail load visibility, including dynamic geolocation, load-based financial reporting, and a robust set of performance KPIs. Includes data inputs from the client's internal systems, terminals, warehouses, and rail yards, and also from outside carriers the client employs to manage integrated/ 3PL supply chains.
Relational Data Warehouse to Support a Unified Web Portal
Legacy load tracking, facility/inventory management, and order entry systems all integrated in a cloud- resident warehouse to support a unified view.
Financial KPIs
Dynamic snapshots of key financial indicators, with both per-load and cumulative reporting.
Client and Internal User Access
Enterprise-grade user authorization and APIs to support both internal use and courtesy or for-profit upstream (client) or downstream (3PL partners) portal access. Separate Portal Admin app for configuration and user management.
Notification Service
Extensible AWS Lambda and SQS queue-enabled notification service with full API and UI support.

The Results

Success! We partnered with our client and delivered a fully modernized, market-leading logistics platform that was deployed on time and on budget. Client results to date:

More Business

Won new business with their ability to offer a unified portal so their customers can access real-time views of cargo locations and delivery times.

Better Intelligence

Making better business decisions with real-time access to shipment and financial data.

Higher Profits

Improved profitability by reducing cargo hold times with real-time alerts and notifications.

Faster Decisions

Increased daily operational efficiency.

Happier Staff

Reduced load-related customer queries by 23% with reliable end-to-end visibility and real- time dashboards for internal users and external customers and partners.

"1043 Labs has done everything we've asked of them, and then some. They have transformed our business. In fact, our partnership with 1043 Labs may be our most powerful strategic asset as we continue improving in the fast-evolving world of bulk material handling and supply chain logistics."
- Technology VP, Client