What is the challenge?

GEL Express specialises in fast, precise transport services for non-standardised cargo. The network, which boasts nearly 70 partner companies throughout Germany, offers overnight delivery of non-palletised goods. It meets a wide variety of special customer requirements, including no-signature delivery to contractually fixed locations, which the service provider has to document in a legally watertight manner.

“Since we’ve been using real-time status communication since 2007, our customers are accustomed to a very high quality of service,” explained Tobias Starosky, Chief Financial Officer at GEL Express. The transport alliance had invested a large amount in developing a proprietary IT solution. However, the custom solution was difficult, expensive and time-consuming to modify and update. “We thus started looking for an off-the-shelf solution that met all our needs and was readily adaptable.”

Solution

GEL Express was intent on finding a new delivery solution based on the Android mobile operating system in order to be perfectly positioned for future enhancements. It wanted an application that supported the following:

• Real-time status updates
• Chat function with drivers
• Provision of additional information for special delivery arrangements
• GPS tracking and estimated time of arrival
• Photo function to document no-signature deliveries
• Integration of inspection and handling processes in freight forwarding terminals
• Versatile enhancement tools to support product innovations

These requirements formed the backdrop against which the Express alliance’s managers first learned about HABBL software. “We immediately realised that HABBL would represent a huge milestone for us in terms of agile development and enhancement. We were so impressed that we stopped looking for other providers after our first contact with the HABBL sales team,” reported Starosky. Before the software was implemented in the alliance’s short-haul operations, HABBL developers had to add functions to fully support GEL Express’s handling processes – from the shipment search to the warehouse check.

Result

HABBL ticked all of GEL Express’s boxes. Drivers like the intuitive HABBL app. Delivery quality has measurably improved even more, thanks to its precise information. And the alliance can change processes in its affiliated operations with the push of a button in the HABBL web portal. “We are particularly thrilled with the flexible modification toolkit. We’re constantly making big and small improvements to our processes,” noted Starosky. For example, one driver participating in the HABBL tests suggested requiring the cargo to be scanned based on the sequence of stops. “It only took us ten minutes to change the workflow. That makes HABBL the ideal tool for us as an innovative transport alliance,” summarised Starosky.