image
ractangle
case study

Transportation Management System (TMS) Modernization

Transportation & Logistics

  • Software modernization
  • Cloud solutions
  • Backend
  • Frontend
  • Real Time Solution
  • Legacy System Modernization

Refactoring and modernization of legacy software for a freight forwarder with a global client base. Enhancing this web-based transportation management system with new capabilities and its subsequent maintenance.

client

A global transportation management solution provider with a vast portfolio of shipping services

  • image North America
  • image 100+ employees

A freight forwarding solution provider that has been uniting shippers worldwide with the most reliable carriers since the 1990s. They offer shipping by land, air, and sea for individuals and businesses, along with freight insurance and tracking solutions, via a web-based transportation management platform.

transport management system modernization

request background

Several TMS software development vendors — one issue: Poor code quality and low development speed

The client’s request boiled down to upgrading their TMS (transportation management system). This implied modernization of their platform with the subsequent development of new features and maintenance. They reached out to us after their previous vendors could not deliver the expected quality within the agreed timeframe.

Despite all the benefits of transport management system development outsourcing, the first vendor wasn’t able to deliver high-quality code. Bugs cropped up here and there, affecting the development pace and communication. The situation didn’t improve after handing the project over to another transport management solution development team — the rest of the vendors were trapped in the same issue.

Eventually, as a software development provider with a rich portfolio of fleet tracking and shipping management software solutions, we got the project.

challenge

Poor development practices atop legacy code of the transport management software system

A thorough audit of the freight forwarder’s platform revealed an array of serious tasks. Most of them stemmed from the poor software development practices of the previous vendors. Here are a few examples:

1. They didn’t take the overall architectural logic of the solution into account when implementing new features. This made the freight forwarding software system unstable.

2. When writing PHP code, they didn’t enable the OPCache library. As a result, adding an additional carrier to the freight transportation management system exhausted its capacity: the production environment response time was very high, and the 504 Gateway Timeout Error wasn’t uncommon.

3. Data desynchronization due to two databases and two backend services. The latter is considered a software development best practice (Netflix designed its system this way). However, the previous vendors put much business logic into the Node.js-based backend, leading to the desync. The fact that the freight forwarder's system stored enormous volumes of data — over 10 billion records in total — made things even more complicated.

On top of that, the freight management solution had lots of legacy code that required refactoring.

goals

  1. The main objective was to make the freight forwarder’s software faster and more reliable. This mostly implied fixing the flaws stemming from poor development practices and modernizing legacy parts of the system.
  2. The next step was to enhance this freight shipping software with new functions.
transport management solution

solution

From a buggy freight management software system with limited scalability to a fast, stable solution enhanced with new TMS features in three months

  • image PHP, Node.js, React.js, ElasticSearch
  • image 3 months
  • image 1-3 specialists

First, we mapped out the business side of our transportation management platform development process. Together with the client, we settled on a single protocol for communication between our teams, the level of the client’s involvement in the project, and the code deployment procedure.

The acquired reliability of our freight forwarding management system served as the foundation for the following enhancements, like developing dynamic rights-restricted income calculation and reporting.

Additionally, we integrated the client’s freight transportation management system with a zip code database (instead of the costly Google API), as well as solutions for cargo insurance, supply chain management, A/B testing, and customer analysis. On top of that, we moved the client’s TMS platform from an external hosting to AWS and slightly redesigned its frontend. As a result, shippers worldwide can enjoy all the advantages of the transport management system safely.

  • Migrated from MS SQL to MySQL as part of code modernization. MS SQL was that very legacy component that hindered the implementation of new features.
  • Updated PHP to the latest version and set up the OPCache library. This gave our freight management system the needed stability, allowing us to add a new carrier without compromising solution performance.
  • Fixed the data desync issue. This became possible thanks to reindexing the ElasticSearch database and developing a separate service responsible for keeping data consistent. The service can be launched both manually and automatically.

outcome

Significant savings and a considerable increase in the number of shippers using the client’s freight logistics software

  • Thanks to the migration from the Google API to the in-house database with zipcodes, the client now saves over $5K monthly.
  • Due to moving the client’s transportation management software system to the AWS hosting, they save around $10K yearly.
  • The integration of Google Analytics for user behavior analysis and A/B testing has unlocked the potential for customer-oriented development of the product.
  • Сode optimization has made this freight software solution stable and much faster.
  • Reindexing the ElasticSearch database has improved the speed of data access.
  • Due to the enhancements implemented by our team, the client’s customer base has increased significantly: over 1 billion shippers can now enjoy the benefits of this transportation management system.
freight forwarding software modernization
cta

Have a business idea?

Feel free to contact us and get a free cloud solutions software consultation session.

image
image image

Related cases

Articles you may also like

Big Data in Supply Chain: [9 Real Use Cases Included]

Big Data in Supply Chain: Real-World Use Cases and Success Stories

6 Use Cases of AI in Transportation and Logistics: [2024 Edition]

Use Cases of AI in Transportation & Logistics: Are They Relevant for Your Business?

IoT in Fleet Management: [Use Cases, Trends & Case Studies]

Employing IoT for Fleet Management: Benefits, Use Cases & Success Stories

 Last-Mile Delivery Optimization: [Key Strategies in 2024]

Last-mile Delivery Solutions: Optimize Logistics for Better Customer Satisfaction

Load Planning Software: [Features, Types and Benefits]

Load Planning Software: Features, Types and Benefits

Blockchain for Supply Chain Management: [Benefits & Use Cases]

Why and How to Employ Blockchain in Supply Chain Management (Tips & Success Stories)

How to Develop a GPS Tracking Software for Real-time Vehicle Tracking

How to Develop a GPS Tracking Software for Real-time Vehicle Tracking

Best Trucking Software in 2024: [Custom or Off-The-Shelf]

Best Trucking Software to Consider in 2024: Custom vs Off-the-Shelf

Multi-Carrier Shipping Software: [8 Use Cases & Key Benefits]

Multi-Carrier Shipping Software: a Guide to Enhancing Shipping Efficiency

ᐉ How to Build Custom Fleet Management and Maintenance Software

How to Build Custom Fleet Management and Maintenance Software

Transportation Management Software Development  [2024 Guide]

Transportation Management Software Development — A Detailed Overview

IoT Transportation: 6 Use Cases to Boost Supply Chain Visibility in 2024

Embracing IoT in Transportation and Logistics to Boost Supply Chain Visibility

How to choose the Best Transportation Management Software [2024 Guide]

How to Choose the Best Transportation Management Software: Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf

Top Logistics Technology Trends in 2024 | Acropolium

Top Logistics Technology Trends Reshaping the Industry in 2024

Warehouse Automation Systems [8 Benefits for Your Business]

Warehouse Automation Systems: Technologies Taking Warehousing to the Next Level

How to Develop a Document Management System for Logistics

How to develop a logistics document management system (case study included)

3PL WMS software: Why Choose a Custom SaaS WMS

3PL Warehouse Management System: Why Choose a Custom SaaS WMS for Your Warehouse

Supply Chain Analytics Software [Key Features & Use Cases]

Employing Supply Chain Analytics Software for Efficient Workflows — Key Features & Use Cases

The Best Route Optimization Software to Employ in [2024]

Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf Route Optimization Software: Which Serves You Best?

Logistics & Shipping APIs Integration Guide [2024]

A Guide to Integrating Logistics and Shipping APIs to Optimize Your Supply Chain Business

Machine Learning in Logistics & Supply Chain [6 Use Cases]

Adopting Machine Learning in Supply Chain and Logistics for Successful Automation

Best Truck Dispatching Software to Consider in [2024]

Best Trucking Dispatching Software in 2024: Custom vs Off-the-Shelf

Cloud Computing in Logistics and Supply Chain [2024 Guide]

Cloud Computing in Logistics and Supply Chain: Use Cases Included

ᐉ Warehouse Management Systems Development [2024 Guide]

Warehouse Management Systems Development: Empowering Real-Time Tracking and Visibility

Chatbots in Logistics & Transportation ☑️ Benefits & Use Cases

Chatbots in Logistics & Transportation: Benefits & Use Cases

Logistics & Transportation Software Modernization☑️ Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Logistics & Transportation Software Modernization: Best Practices and Lessons Learned

ᐉ Big Data in Logistics: Key Benefits [5 Real Use Cases]

Big Data in Logistics: Key Benefits & 5 Real Use Cases

Software for Freight Brokers ☑️ Increasing Efficiency and Profitability

How Software for Freight Brokers Increases Business Efficiency and Profitability: Real-World Examples

Logistics App Development ☑️ Building a Product That Will Help Your Business

Logistics App Development: Building a Product That Will Help Your Business

Logistics Management System [2024 Guide]: Use Cases Included

Why A Logistics Management System Is A Must For Successful Supply Chain Operations

Supply Chain Management Software System ☑️ Features & Integration

Supply Chain Management Software System: Its Features, Benefits, and How to Integrate a Suitable One

Freight Forwarding Software Solutions ☑️ 2024 Guide

How to Turn Custom Freight Forwarding Software to Your Advantage

Shipping Management System Development ☑️ [2024 Guide]

How to Automate the Shipping Process with a Shipping Management System

ᐉ How to Build an Airport Operations Management Solution

How to Build an Airport Operations Management Solution

ᐉ Guide of How to Integrate e-AWB for a Freight Forwarder

Guide of How to Integrate e-AWB for a Freight Forwarder

Blockchain Implementation in Logistics: Key Benefits & 3 Real Use Cases

Blockchain Implementation in Logistics: Key Benefits & 3 Real Use Cases

ᐉ How to Build a Fuel Management System [Complete Guide]

How to Build a Fuel Management System [Complete Guide]

Uber API Integration: A Complete Guide with 7 Benefits & Examples

Uber API Integration: A Complete Guide with 7 Benefits & Examples

ᐉ Why It Pays to Build Dispatch Management Software

Why It Pays to Build Dispatch Management Software

Logistics Customer Portal Development: Step-by-Step Guide

Logistics Customer Portal Development: Step-by-Step Guide

How to Build Vehicle Routing Software to Earn More and Drive Less?

How to Build Vehicle Routing Software to Earn More and Drive Less?

EDI in Logistics: How to Develop EDI Software to Make an E-Switch?

EDI in Logistics: How to Develop EDI Software to Make an E-Switch?

ᐉ Choosing a Map API ✔️ Mapbox vs. Google Maps — Acropolium

Choosing a Map API: Mapbox vs. Google Maps