Blog Software Development Bulk shipping industry: disrupting the market with a digital platformBulk shipping industry: disrupting the market with a digital platform
With a heavy reliance on phone calls and messaging apps, the market for bulk materials shipping has faced limitations in terms of accessibility to information and conducting transactions. In response to this, our client is determined to disrupt the industry by introducing a digital marketplace for buyers and sellers. Together we have developed a platform that simplifies operations and mitigates risks, resulting in a more efficient and user-friendly business experience for hundreds of companies. The app is now available to users, providing them with a streamlined process for conducting their business and strengthening our client’s revenue streams.
Table of contents
Disclaimer: Please note that this case study is presented in an anonymous format due to a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with our client.
The client
The company is a European startup operating in the Mediterranean and African bulk shipping industry. Despite being a startup, the company benefits from the expertise and support of experienced stakeholders and a leading global business consultancy firm, ensuring a strong foundation.
The challenge
The bulk cargo shipping industry faces multiple challenges:
- It relies solely on peer-to-peer contacts.
- Business deals are conducted through phone calls and messaging apps.
- Many of the documents necessary for completing deals are manually signed by the involved parties.
- Smaller companies face challenges accessing critical information, impeding their business operations.
- Bulk shipping entails a complex process, including quality assurance, loading supervision, customs management, shipment tracking, and clearance handling.
- The industry is heavily influenced by the geopolitical situation in port-operating countries.
Moreover, many businesses that operate within the industry are used to the traditional ways of doing business.
For our client, this challenge became a chance to disrupt the industry with digitalization.
Product overview
Our team was approached with the primary goal of designing and developing a marketplace platform to streamline transactions, connect buyers and sellers, and provide access to various local services without extensive logistics and intermediaries. To address the concerns of various stakeholders, this platform offers a simple and effective approach, promoting equal opportunities for businesses of all sizes.
Why Boldare?
Boldare was the first choice for company stakeholders due to their trust in our Agile approach, which provided the necessary flexibility for their product. They commended our high level of engagement during the initial product discovery workshops and appreciated the significant value they gained from the experience.
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Our contribution: the product
As with every single product we create, we started our journey with the platform with a product discovery workshop. In this way, we gathered all the stakeholders together and explored their idea for the product. Knowing the details, we assembled a team consisting of:
- Product designer
- Two full stack developers
- Two front end developers
- Quality assurance engineer
- DevOps engineer
- Scrum master
The team had the support of our tech lead.
The partnership involved conducting workshops, using agile Scrum methodology, and leveraging a tech stack based on Node.js and React.js to refine the product concept and bring the platform to life.
Detailed tech stack:
- Front-end: Next.js, Mantine, Orval - restful client generator, Typescript, react query, AdminJS, PWA.
- Back-end: Nest.js, Prisma, Swagger, Strapi, Postgres.
The development process took 8 months. The app was successfully released to the market in the first days of May of 2023, according to the initial plans.
The app is expected to serve around 50 B2B users, with potential to reach thousands after geographical expansion to other regions or related industries, such as rail transport.
Service standards deployment
We have also implemented our service standards in collaboration with this client. Among the most impactful changes, we can mention:
- The introduction of the tech lead role, responsible within the development team for technology, solving technical challenges, documentation, and architecture.
- The establishment of the delivery lead role, tasked with ensuring timely, budget-friendly, and satisfactory delivery while keeping an eye on business goals achievement.
Additionally, we introduced a matrix for meetings and ‘artifacts’ (such as reports or roadmaps) as our standard approach across all service implementations.
Results: market-disrupting platform
The result of the collaboration is a one-stop-shop, user-friendly platform that serves as the backbone of the marketplace. It allows users to find, build, and operate entire cargo shipments, in a single, user-centric platform.
Users can analyze the market, discover new shipment opportunities, negotiate with other parties, build their own supply chains, and track cargo.
The core services of the platform are free of charge, ensuring accessibility for all users. Additional value-added services, such as quality checks, supervision of loading, customs procedures, shipment tracking, clearance, and auditing, will be offered as potential revenue streams. While specific details may not be disclosed, our focus is on providing comprehensive solutions that meet the diverse needs of users.
Product’s business impact
Together with our client, we have created a digital solution that can drive a paradigm shift in the bulk shipping market, streamlining processes and transactions while enhancing transparency for all parties involved.
With strategic investors and profitability in clear view, our client plans to leverage its platform as a foundation for global expansion and entry into new industries and regions. As the platform continues to gain traction, its impact on the industry will grow, showcasing the transformative power of digital solutions.
Conclusion
Our partnership has catalyzed the creation of the very first solution for the entire industry. It’s an organized bulk shipping platform that empowers businesses of all sizes making it easier for many companies to operate and grow. Through our expertise in product development, flexibility, and demonstrated commitment to innovation, we have played an instrumental role in shaping the product to drive success and digital transformation in the bulk shipping market.
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