Designing a Mobile Logistics Platform

Backed by Australia Post, MailPlus is the nimble pick-up and delivery service thats tailored to small and medium-sized Australian businesses.

Every day, drivers are under pressure to save time and be efficient. They were using printed spreadsheets to log and keep track of tasks.

The UX challenge was to craft an app to be just as mobile, fast and efficient as the Mailplus drivers.

Key Tools

Key Skills

Field Testing

Data Driven Design

Data Capture

Reachability

The data-driven approach

To gather quantitative data, a primitive app called 'Run Capture' was created. The app would track driver geo-location without need for intervention, rolling out nation-wide for multiple franchises and runs.

This data established how drivers were most/least efficient and how runs were structured.

Drivers could also add notes about each stop such as errands performed and items delivered.

Simple statistics in the Run Capture app about errands were displayed back to the driver. This gamified the data-collection process with drivers trying to achieve personal bests and outdo each other.

This provided a wealth of data about how many clients and errands they would record in given timeframes in different areas.

Understanding the data

The run capture app revealed that the majority of drivers make one stop to service multiple businesses, walking between them as opposed to returning to the vehicle each time. Drivers who adopted this approach are more efficient in terms of errands, but less effective at sales. This behaviour varied between low and high business density regions.

Low Business Density Regions

Less volume of clients and errands per stop

High bulk order purchase (the night before) per business.

Excellent add-on sales. Driver has more time to talk to each client and tends to have greater stock availability.

High Business Density Regions

High volume of clients and errands per stop

Less bulk order purchases (the night before) per business

Poor add-on sales. Additional items often requested at time of delivery, that are not in stock.

Understanding the Users

Qualitative interviews were conducted with drivers on two seperate runs to better understand and isolate each region's 3 top pain points.

Low Business Density Regions

Primary pain point: driving routes

Long and ineffective driving routes that didn't capitalise on the amount of businesses available
Typically only one business to service per stop
Sales and errands hard to increase at driver-level, as customers pre-ordered in advance

High Business Density Regions

Primary pain point: sales process

Selling additional items on a run means returning to the van which reduces efficiency
Stock logging on-paper is tedious and resulted in mistakes at the end of the day
No easy way to know if you have product available for sale, resulted in missed opportunities

It was also observed that drivers in high business density areas, while efficient at getting to multiple clients often missed errands as they didn't always carry the list with them or tick off errands as they go.

Solutions

Restructure runs to reduce KMs travelled & better group businesses.
Replace paper based stock and inventory management with in-app functionality
Simple errand 'to do' list, automated and gamified to optimise efficiency
Smart inventory recommendations based on prior purchase, means driver more likely to have stock on hand
Statistics and sales figures shown in-app to encourage cross-selling personal bests
App must be usable one-hand per stop!

Designing for Reachability

ONE HANDED USE

Field testing underscored the importance of drivers being able to use the app one handed, as they use their other arm for carrying goods. This meant deliberate placement of buttons and features for the thumb.

List scrolling and operation (a frequent job task) was placed in the natural zone.

Completing a job and finalisation tasks were placed just a reach further to prevent accidental taps

Secondary tasks such as signature and proof of delivery were placed a stretch further, as these functions should only be undertaken after items have been delivered.

Closing Sales

Cross Selling

Batch pricing and stock management were a hassle for drivers to do on the spot in a paper based system. This resulted in reduced efficiency and missed cross selling opportunities.

The sales process for drivers was streamlined by giving them on-the-spot access to stock levels and sales in-app, without need to do maths or return to the van. Drivers can easily increase batch volume on product fulfilment or add on entirely new items with totals bulk prices updated automatically.

By recording sales data, it also ensures franchises can maximise greater on-demand availability of products region by region to accurately forecast future sales.

This automated calculation for drivers, streamlined the driver's run process making it a pain free addition to their day while also increasing franchise profitability.

How did we ever get along without it? The prompt and reliable service of mail & parcel pick up greatly assists our business by saving time and money in avoiding downtime with staff out of office. With the helpful and friendly staff at Mailplus servicing our every requirement, I would highly recommend using their services to assist any business.

-Valeco Homes

Thank you so much to everyone at Mailplus for everything this year! I really want to say just how wonderful Morris (Mailplus Crows Nest) has been; he is always prompt, very friendly and always willing to go the extra mile

-Variety, The Children's Charity

We use Mailplus on a daily basis for the delivery of our mail from the Post Office, pickup up outgoing mail and lodging it with Australia Post

-Europcar

How did we ever get along without it? The prompt and reliable service of mail & parcel pick up greatly assists our business by saving time and money in avoiding downtime with staff out of office. With the helpful and friendly staff at Mailplus servicing our every requirement, I would highly recommend using their services to assist any business.

-Valeco Homes

Thank you so much to everyone at Mailplus for everything this year! I really want to say just how wonderful Morris (Mailplus Crows Nest) has been; he is always prompt, very friendly and always willing to go the extra mile

-Variety, The Children's Charity

Successful Delivery

The digital solution became an essential part of Mailplus drivers' daily routine- providing a structure that removed assumptions and guesswork.

It ensured greater consistency around errands and simplified their driving route while also providing a new revenue stream- with the ability to cross sell with ease.

The Mailplus franchises gain greater transparency to the run process and access to real time metrics that increase efficiency, productivity and profitability daily.

Nationwide Stats

100+ Franchises 20,000+ Daily Deliveries 7,000+ Happy Customers