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How One Company Literally Transformed Their Business Using MVIS

January 12, 2022

As the new MultiValue Evangelist it’s been exciting to see how more and more organizations are coming to the realization that MVIS can literally transform their business. Before I go into specifics about how a local/regional freight forwarding and logistics company from New Zealand transformed their business from a small start-up to become a global, customer-focused “powerhouse”, let me start off with a brief story (actually an analogy) to help illustrate a challenge facing so many businesses today.

Imagine that it is one week before the Super Bowl, and you walk into your local ‘big-box’ consumer electronics store to buy that big, flat screen TV that you always wanted. You had the TV already picked out, but the clerk had to order it. You paid for it in the store and completed the transaction. The clerk said “thank-you” and stated that the TV will be shipped directly to you. You go to the retailer’s website and discover that – much to your surprise (and disappointment) – there was no customer portal to help you determine “if” or “when” the TV has shipped, its delivery status, and if it arrives damaged, you have no way to print a return shipping label – unless you called Customer Service and wait (seemingly forever) in queue. I mean, how frustrating, right? How could this be in today’s customer-centric eCommerce world?

Most recently we talked with Mainstream New Zealand (let’s call it MNZ for short) who called MVIS a “game-changer” (hold that thought).

Internal third-party systems were running siloed

MNZ was already using U2 REST but was still manually implementing many processes and workflows. The data from their Freight Management System (FMS) and their Warehouse Management System (WMS) was either paper-based, or at best, had to manually be transferred between these systems to provide their customers with status updates pertaining to their delivery. This was not done in real-time, because there was no system in place for the drivers to update the delivery information until the end of the day. Additionally, there was no process to track pallets between the warehouses and their trucks as the FMS and WMS systems were running siloed.

Customer-facing systems needed updating

Prior to adopting MVIS, MNZ had no online customer portal. Customers today expect real-time information with just a few mouse clicks via a self-service portal. Before implementing an MVIS-based solution, MNZ’s customers had to call MNZ Customer Service to find out if/when their orders have shipped, if there might be any delays, if a liftgate is required, delivery date, etc., and shipping labels were created manually.

MNZ knew that they needed to modernize BOTH their internal systems as well as customer-facing systems to grow and scale their business and to increase employee and customer satisfaction

Enter Rocket MVIS

Once MNZ adopted MVIS, they were able to accept data feeds from all third-party systems, including their FMS and WMS systems – utilizing RESTful services to create APIs that leverage MultiValue data and business logic. They subsequently were able to automate all the manual, or formerly paper-based processes, and most importantly stand-up web and mobile-based portals to provide the following capabilities and benefits:

  • All systems (WMS, FMS, U2 Databases) are integrated and communicating in real-time and accessible via web and mobile-based portals
  • Drivers now use tablets to record and upload all shipment details in real-time to their mobile portal
  • Employees use scanners in the warehouses to record the movement of pallets
  • Customers can visit an online portal, (supports > than 1200 users per day) to get information on tracking including the ability to print shipping labels!

Results:

By adopting MVIS as part of their larger modernization strategy, MNZ can boast an end-to-end warehousing and distribution solution enabling them to achieve measurable results in employee engagement, customer satisfaction and retention and to grow and scale their business and subsequently compete with some of the larger carriers.

So, for MNZ, this truly was a “game-changer!”

Want to learn more, visit these links to the case study and the MVIS Datasheet:

https://www.rocketsoftware.com/customer-case-studies/mainstream-new-zealand

https://www.rocketsoftware.com/sites/default/files/resource_files/Rocket-MVIS_Datasheet_V6.pdf

I’m curious about any strategic business or IT initiatives that your company is planning and how Rocket MVIS can help you with your journey towards modernization. Please don’t be shy – email me at [email protected]

I’d love to hear from you.