How TopDevs created an interconnected system of web and mobile apps for couriers, merchants, and delivery companies from the ground.
Spain
iOS, Android, Web
Logistics & Tracking
July 2022 - In Progress
Delivery Heroes is a tech startup with the initial idea of creating an Uber Eats-like delivery ecosystem for the market of Spain with a feasible plan for future market expansion.
The system is meant to provide unique functionality separately for all the major user roles: couriers, restaurants, and delivery management companies to assign and control each delivery order in real-time.
Our client makes a profit from subscriptions of different tiers that are available for purchase by various user roles: merchants, couriers, and delivery companies.
2 iOS Developers, 2 Android Developers, 2 Backend Developers, 1 UX/UI Designer, 1 QA Engineer, 1 Project Manager
Couriers, Restaurant Managers, Delivery Companies
iOS App Development , Android App Development, Mobile App Development, Backend Development, Frontend Development, UX/UI Design, Quality Assurance, Project Management
To create an app system for couriers and other delivery process parties, we needed to develop a complex set of functions when it comes to the app logic and its implementation.
However, this kind of complexity gives a competitive edge compared to other on-demand delivery applications in this market niche.
Challenge 1
Automatic assignment of orders
One of the major challenges was to develop an automatic assignment of delivery orders. It is a complex system that distributes orders between couriers based on a number of factors, such as the geographical location of the couriers or the chosen method of automatic order assignment: "the nearest available courier", "one by one" and "send to all".
One of the main difficulties in creating such a system is to take into account a large number of variables that affect the choice of the most suitable courier for each order. To do this, we had to use machine learning algorithms that can take into account many factors, as well as analyze data about past orders and courier characteristics to make more accurate decisions.
Business Value
Automatic assignment of orders allows business owners to reduce the time spent on making decisions when it comes to the assignment of a courier for each order, as well as reduce the likelihood of errors associated with the human factor.
In addition, the automatic assignment of orders allows the courier service to better manage its resources, as the system can determine the busiest and most free courier zones and adjust the number of orders assigned to each zone.
Challenge 2
Task Pricing
Calculating the shipping cost of an order is a complex task that relies on certain parameters and algorithms. One of the main difficulties in creating such a delivery price calculation system is determining all the parameters that affect the cost of delivery, such as the distance between the sender and the recipient, weather conditions, the level of delivery urgency, possible traffic jams, time of day, availability of additional services, etc.
Business Value
The benefits of creating such a delivery price estimation system are increased transparency and accuracy in the calculation of shipping costs, as well as reduced time spent on making decisions about delivery pricing. Customers can quickly and easily find out the delivery cost of their orders on the website. Likewise, the courier service can quickly and accurately calculate the shipping cost of orders.
In addition, the automatic calculation of shipping costs allows the courier service to manage its resources more efficiently.
Challenge 3
Real-Time Courier Tracking
The functionality of sending a link to the client by mail to track the movement of the courier may have several difficulties in implementation.
One of the main difficulties is the need for accurate and timely processing of information about the movement of the courier. We had to make sure that the information displayed on the tracking page is accurate and up-to-date, and that customers receive real-time information.
In addition, when using the tracking page to advertise or connect to various entertainment services, we had to make sure that it will not affect the operation of the page and will not slow down the tracking process. We also needed to prevent possible compatibility issues, as not all clients may be able to access certain services or devices.
Business Value
The advantages of a real-time courier tracking system are the ability to provide customers with accurate and timely information about the movement of the courier, which can increase the level of customer confidence in the courier service. In addition, the ability to place ads or connect various entertainment services on the tracking page can provide an additional source of income for the courier service.
Challenge 4
Analytics
One of the major difficulties in the implementation of analytics for managers is the need to collect and process a large amount of data, such as information about orders, couriers, delivery times, and so on. This may require the use of special tools and algorithms.
Besides, we had to ensure that the analytics provided by the app are accurate, up-to-date, and useful to managers. For this, various methods of data analysis can be used, such as statistical analysis, and others.
Business Value
The analytics functionality in the courier delivery application helps managers to obtain valuable information about the work of the courier service. For example, managers can use this data to optimize delivery routes, refine the efficiency of couriers, and improve the customer experience.
Also, analytical data can help managers make more informed decisions and improve business processes in general.
Challenge 5
Third-Party Extensions
When it comes to the integration of third-party extensions in order to get more orders from them, it is crucially important to ensure reliable and secure merge between the courier application and third-party services. It may require the use of special technologies and protocols such as APIs and OAuth.
In addition, our engineers had to make sure that the courier application can correctly process and display orders received from third-party services. It may require modification of existing business logic and interfaces in the application.
Business Value
Integration of third-party services for a courier application allows to expand the client base and increase the profitability of the courier service. For example, when connecting third-party services, such as food delivery or fast delivery, the courier service can receive more orders and increase its turnover.
Also, connecting third-party integrations can help the courier business niche improve the quality of provided services and increase customer satisfaction.
Challenge 6
Map View for Managers
One of the main difficulties in the implementation of the map display functionality is to ensure the correct demonstration and update of various information on the map, such as available couriers, their current location and status, order details, etc
The manager application required the use of special technologies and data update protocols, such as WebSocket, Server-Sent Events, Long-Polling, and others.
Business Value
The map view functionality can help the manager quickly and conveniently find delivery points and optimal routes, as well as track their location and order status.
In addition, displaying information about available couriers can help the manager optimize the distribution of orders and improve the efficiency of the entire courier service.
We have provided a full cycle of IT outsourcing services to a client who wanted to develop an ecosystem of on-demand delivery products for various user roles.
It is reflected in a web application, Android and iOS mobile apps where each part serves each own business objectives.
A merchant dashboard is an interface for restaurants that allows facility managers to easily assign delivery orders to a number of in-house and 3rd party couriers.
It is an interface for delivery companies that have their own fleet of couriers. This dashboard allows them to create or receive delivery orders and assign them to couriers.
The functionality of the dashboard for delivery companies is quite similar to the dashboard for merchants, however, it has some unique features like courier onboarding, courier training, specific staff management functionality, etc.
Native iOS and Android mobile apps allow couriers to receive orders assigned to them from a merchant or delivery company interface and see the pick-up and drop-off pins on the map.
Overall
We have managed to deliver a fully-functional cloud ecosystem of last-mile on-demand delivery products. A mix of PHP Laravel and React technologies allowed us to create a web app interface for merchants and delivery companies.
Kotlin and Swift technologies helped our mobile app developers to create native Android and iOS mobile apps for couriers concurrently that look attractive and work with the highest possible performance.
it's time to sum up the
The TopDevs web and mobile development team helped a client to implement and monetize a tech startup idea in the form of a fully-functional cloud ecosystem of web and mobile products for the last-mile on-demand delivery market niche of Spain
The provided full-cycle development services, including web development and mobile app development, had laid a foundation for huge business transformation serving to improve the efficiency of the global courier service and customer satisfaction rates.
The functionality of mobile apps for couriers includes:
75%
A set of delivered functionality allows to scale the efficiency of order delivery by 75% minimum.
34%
An additional tool for service promotion while users track couriers in real-time allows merchants to get more orders.
A GPS-enabled fieldwork platform created by our custom web application development company, supporting logistics and real-time tracking.
A custom fintech application development project — a secure payment processing app for SMBs, designed to streamline billing and transactions.
An AI-powered simulation tool built by our mobile application development company for the sports & coaching industry.
A fitness coaching app suite built by TopDevs as a healthcare and mobile application development company, enabling personalized training experiences.
A web application for effective dance contests scoring where each user role, be it a dancer, studio owner, or a competition director, gets the desired functionality.
A sports mobile app system that connects fitness coaches with clients and allows them to train, manage and monitor the person's progress.
A macOS application that helps golf club administrators to fill and maintain internal content on a remote database.
A mobile application that alerts about potential risks and traffic constraints on the roads based on the information received from the server.
A mobile application that helps elderly people to get full benefits from smartphone use - from connecting with close people to an automatic emergency call.
A mobile app for the event industry. The app where one can find schedule, information, location, and tickets on different events around the US.
A web application for online dating that combines 5 websites for users' convenience and SEO promotion and allows finding a potential partner via various filters.
A mobile application for effective car transportation connecting carriers, dealers, and buyers that provides numerous benefits for each distributed role.
Calibre is a kind of an electronic passport for expensive watches that allows watch owners to track the authenticity of a particular device.
Qliq is a powerful HIPAA-compliant communication platform connecting diverse medical institutions and patients.
A mobile application that matches the clothes sizes and defines how a particular outfit of the same brand will look on different people's figures.
An IT solution for businesses with a customer-centric approach that helps them identify buyer habits and provide a personalized customer experience.
A beauty streaming service connecting beauty industry experts with their fans via special subscriptions to learn from the best.
A mobile application for fitness activities that monitor each move of the user through the camera, provides the necessary sport load, and allows them to reach any fitness goals.
A digital platform connecting fitness services providers with fitness enthusiasts that helps to improve health without being tied to a place.
A MacOS application that helps office workers to optimize the size of the most common file formats like pdf, docx, png, etc.
A mobile application for property managers and maintenance technicians aimed at increasing tenant satisfaction efficiently.
A pet camera app connecting pet parents with their adorable pets via live video streaming and interactive games playing at distance.
Meld is a dating platform for African Americans professionals that helps to find a perfect match or make friendship with new acquaintances.
BabelBark is a website and mobile application uniting pet businesses, shelters, veterinary clinics and pet parents to take care of their pets.
ArTv is a video and audio streaming platform that gives access to media content with a pool of interactive features making streaming more enjoyable.
Helpy app is designed to help healthcare professionals in finding the fitting treatment or continued care for patients in a timely manner.
