- 1system from booking to delivery
- AWBseries for prepaid and postpaid
- PODuploaded against delivered packets
- .NETwith an SQL database
The challenge
Every consignment has to be booked, moved, delivered with proof and followed up if something goes wrong.
A courier business runs on volume and speed. Every consignment has to be booked correctly, picked up, moved through hubs, delivered with proof and followed up if something goes wrong. XFAS ran this work on a manual system, which made it hard to keep records accurate, to find a consignment quickly and to know what had been booked, manifested, dispatched or delivered at any point.
The business also works through many parties: clients, franchisees, co-loaders, co-couriers and runners. Each has its own bookings, loads and pickups, and all of it had to be managed together.
XFAS needed one system to run the consignment journey, from booking to delivery, with controlled access for each user.
What we built
Catabatic built a courier management system for XFAS. Staff set up the network once, then book, manifest, dispatch, pick up and deliver consignments in the same application, with tracking and customer care alongside.
Setting up the network
Done once, and kept up to date.
Coverage
Zones, with pin codes mapped to states, so the zone shows as soon as a valid pin code is entered.
AWB inventory
Generate AWB number series and allocate them to a franchisee, branch or client, as prepaid or postpaid.
Rate master
Rates are managed in the rate master.
Branches, clients and company
Branch, client and company masters. Each client has its code, GST details, associate branch, address, start date and pickup service.
Associates
Franchisees, co-loaders, co-couriers (partners) and runners or delivery boys.
Users and access
Roles, system users and access rights, so each person can do only what the administrator allows.
Running the operation
Booking to delivery, with tracking and customer care.
Manual booking
Book from a client, franchisee, co-courier or walk-in. Choose document or parcel, air, surface or road, and standard, express or bulk delivery. Enter the COD amount where it applies. Invalid pin codes are rejected. AWB numbers run on automatically for each piece, and a manifest can be created from the booking screen.
Bulk booking and scanning
Scan packets by barcode reader or by hand, match each AWB against the ID number from an Excel sheet, and book the whole batch after a summary of packets matched and mismatched. Imported packets are scanned the same way.
Pending packets
Pending booking, pending manifest and pending dispatch lists, with express packets marked in red and export to Excel.
Hub operations
Packets are in-scanned and moved on manifests. Create, view, print and discard manifests and add packets to them. Dispatches show what is ready to go and what has gone (outward). Incoming loads show manifests arriving (inward).
Pickup
Schedule a pickup for a client with a runner, a time and a period. The pickup log shows each pickup, and it can be rescheduled.
Delivery
The out for delivery list, with a status update for each packet. Delivered packets are listed, and the proof of delivery (POD) is uploaded against each one.
Tracking
Click any AWB to see its tracking details, from booking through scan-in. POD can be printed from the booking list.
Customer care
Set up complaint types. Raise a complaint against an AWB, assign it, update it with remarks and close it. The complaint list can be filtered as assigned to me, open, assigned or closed.
How it works day to day
- 1
Set up
Zones and pin codes, AWB series, rates, branches, clients, franchisees, co-loaders, co-couriers, runners, roles and access rights are created and kept up to date.
- 2
Book
A consignment is booked manually, or a batch is scanned in. Each piece gets an AWB number, and the zone appears from the pin code.
- 3
Hub movement
Packets are in-scanned and added to a manifest, which is printed and dispatched outward. Incoming loads are received at the destination hub. Pending lists show what still needs booking, manifesting or dispatch.
- 4
Pick up
Pickups are scheduled with a runner for a client, logged, and rescheduled when needed.
- 5
Deliver
Packets go out for delivery, the status is updated, and the proof of delivery is uploaded once delivered.
- 6
Follow up
Anyone can track an AWB. Complaints are raised against the AWB, updated and closed, with the history kept.
In use
Where it runs
Built for XFAS.
Who uses it
Staff at XFAS, with roles and access rights set by the administrator.
Technology
Built on .NET with an SQL database.
Running a courier network?
Tell us how you book, move and deliver. We will reply with how we would build it.