Transportation and logistics are integral to a business’s success. However, this very industry can increase the overhead for our business. When you don’t gain visibility into your fleets or notice an increase in gasoline prices, it can impact the efficiency of the logistics and transportation industry.
Resource shortage and changing political and economic scenarios are some of the major challenges faced by this industry.
The revenue generated from the trucking industry alone is $732.3 billion (Statista). This industry's growing market size and importance necessitates a mobile app to automate the processes and improve the visibility into shop floor activities.
This article discusses the importance of outsourcing mobile app development to a capable partner and emphasizes the importance of developing the transport and logistics mobile application.
An Overview of the Industry
The transportation and logistics industry is a part of the business supply chain network that links the producers, suppliers, consumers, and delivery/freight services for better movement of goods.
1. Global freight forwarding saw an 11% year-on-year growth in 2022. The challenges facing this aspect of the industry include port congestion and container shortage
2. The logistics market is expected to grow at 6.8% CAGR this decade (FTIConsulting).
3. It is important for businesses to adopt last-mile delivery solutions and enhance their driver retention capabilities to survive the market and enhance growth opportunities.
4. It is equally important to consider looking for options to lower the carbon footprint in your logistics services to be sustainable and efficient.
5. Timeliness of the supply chain, quality of the inventory and resources, and cost-effectiveness of the overall industry are the three key drivers of growth.
Now that you have seen the growth statistics, the key drivers, and trends that can impact the industry, it is time to look at the steps you should take to find the right app development partner.
6 Steps to Hire the App Development Company for Transportation and Logistics
It is important to follow a step-by-step process to find the transportation and logistics mobile app development company.
Step#1 - Discovery and Requirements Gathering
The process should begin with identifying the requirements for your business application. You should start an internal process where you discover the need for a mobile application. Do you have limited visibility into your fleet? Are you facing operational difficulties? Is your current process not allowing you to optimize the supply chain?
What are the different elements of your business that needs to be automated? Why do you need a mobile application? Will a desktop application suffice?
When you answer these questions, you determine the mobile application requirement. You are also claiming that this is the only method that can help fulfill the demands of the industry.
Step#2- Search for Mobile App Development Companies
Sourcing mobile app development companies for the next logistics and transportation app should be your first consideration. You need to look at the right places to collect data to help you find the ideal partner for your business app needs.
You can use websites like Clutch to determine companies with good ratings and a decent portfolio. It would help if you looked at websites and companies that help source tech helpers for business app development.
This search across websites and social media will fetch you a list of all the top mobile app development companies that can support your vision.
Step#3- Assess their Portfolio
You will need to shorten the list to get to the final mobile app development companies that can help you with your business requirements. For this purpose, you should look at their portfolio. If it is as impressive as their ratings, you can decide to go ahead with them.
1. When you are evaluating their portfolio, you need to see:
2. If they have experience developing a mobile application similar to your idea
3. What type of interface have they created in the past?
4. What makes their portfolio unique from others in the niche?
5. The clients they have attended to and the solutions they have offered.
Step#4- Features and Technology Stack
When you are looking for a transportation and logistics app development company, they should be proficient with the technology stack that helps develop the mobile application.
1. If you plan an Android app, they should be proficient with Android Studio and Kotlin.
2. If you plan to build an iOS app, it should be well-versed with SwiftUI.
Similarly, the application development company should be proficient with the features that make the mobile app unique.
1. If you are introducing AI-driven route and fleet optimization, you need AI engineers on onboard
2. similarly, for features like distribution management and manufacturing management, the engineers should have an insight into the supply chain. They should be aware of how it operates and understand the business logic. This will help develop the mobile application backend and provide useful features.
You need to look for a developer or development company that is aware of the latest trends that command the industry.
Step#5 - Budget, Communication, and Transparency
This is where your shortened list goes into a detailed assessment of the top three companies. You will need to determine your top three based on the following factors:
1. Budget: During your requirements gathering stage, you would have defined a budget that can best fit your needs. At this point, you need to check the estimates or cost of developing for each company on your list. The one that aligns with your budget can be added to the top three.
2. Communication: You may not share the culture or communication language with the development company. That’s why it is important to have a process that can help determine seamless communication between the parties involved. You need to check with the clients on their promptness and communication protocols. You can send some questions to their email and see how they respond.
3. Transparency: This is an important factor when hiring a partner to help with mobile app development. You can go ahead with an in-person meeting or connect with their past clients to see how transparent they are with the app development. It will also allow you to see how they proceed with mobile app development.
Step#6-Contract Signing and Kick-off Meeting
After connecting with the team virtually or in person, you can finalize your mobile app development partner. You should ask a few questions about the development process, methodology, how they visualize your solution, and their expertise to determine your partner.
Once you have identified the company you wish to partner with, it is time to sign a contract with them. Make a detailed contract outlining the work scope, timelines, milestones, and budget. Before commencing the project, host a kick-off meeting to discuss the process and deliverables, so everyone is on the same page.
Top 7 Factors to Consider When Choosing an App Development Company
We saw the steps you should take to ensure you reach the best-fit partner for your app development goals. Let’s look at the factors that play a pivotal role in your choice.
1. Industry-specific Proficiency: Are they proficient in your industry, specifically your niche? For example, if you are a freight company, you might need a niche-specific application. If they have worked with freights in the past, they would know the trends in the industry, the needs of the user, and the buyer persona.
2. Access to Technologies: They should have a suitable infrastructure and access to the technologies needed to build the application. For example, their infrastructure should support the need for AI or database-based application requirements. They should have the tools required to build MVP or design the app and launch it successfully.
3. Design Best Practices: Do they have a defined methodology to design the mobile application? What are the best practices they have embraced to create the ideal designs for business apps? Check if they follow the design guidelines set by the mobile operating systems. If yes, they would be able to launch the ideal prototypes and interfaces for your applications.
4. Data Security: When you hire mobile app developers for your business app development, you need someone who understands the need for security. There are a lot of security issues that can lead to data breaches. The app developer should know what level of security your application needs and provide appropriate solutions.
5. The Apt Services: When hiring a transportation and logistics app development company, you should look at its services. It is important that they offer end-to-end solutions. At the same time, they should offer regular services too that can help you with partial development.
6. Knowledge Transfer: Check the process for transferring the knowledge and source code at the end of the project. Do they provide you with the source code with comments? Do they have project documentation that you can use to learn more about the mobile application? Will the company provide the essential training needed to use the mobile application?
7. Maintenance of the Application: Do they provide maintenance services for the application? What is the after-launch support extended by the mobile app development company? This is an important question before hiring a mobile app development partner.
5 Benefits of Transport and Logistics App Development
What purpose does the transport and logistics app development offer? Should you go ahead with creating an application for your business? Here are all the benefits of having a mobile app for your logistics business.
1. Paperless Operations
You need to look at several things when handling a logistics or transportation business. For instance, you must conclude the invoicing, manage the fleet, and keep up with the resources and hiring processes. You can complete this via mobile apps and don’t need to include paperwork. All the documentation is done through the app, including verification, which makes things easier for the business.
2. Reduces Operational Costs
You will have better visibility into the gas prices, empty miles, and other details that attribute to your operational costs. As a result, you can plan the fleet better and utilize available resources. This can improve the cost efficiency of your business.
3. Optimize the Routes
When you have a mobile app integrated with GPS, you know the best route to reach the destination faster. This can help improve the deliveries and enhance customer experience. It is one of the best benefits of owning a mobile application.
4. Assess the Performance
You have a complete view of the performance of the logistics and transportation industry stakeholders. You can track the driver’s performance, the admin’s ability and the customer’s view. This will help you improve the business and provide more features to engage the customers.
5. Fleet Management Solutions
When you have a large fleet, managing it can become difficult. You are always curious to know the vehicles that are available and the ones utilized. This gives a better view into your fleet and helps you manage them better.
Top 5 Advantages of Outsourcing the Development to India
It is only possible for you to develop the mobile app in-house if you have the resources. It can take away the focus from your business and delay the launch. Outsourcing mobile app development to India can help in many ways.
1. Accessibility: As the time zones differ and customer support is available 24/7, you can access the team and seek help around the clock. This ensures immediate response to your problems and effective solutions.
2. Cost-effective: The hourly developer rates in India are lower compared to other countries. As a result, the overall development cost would be well within your budget.
3. Friendly Policies: The policies in India are determined in a way to prevent data leaks and support data privacy while ensuring good GDP growth and better taxation
4. Implement Latest Technology: The country has access to the latest tools, technologies, and infrastructure that can help accelerate application development.
5. Structured Management: The organized way of managing the projects is a major reason you should outsource to India. They will have a single point-of-contact handling all the project-related aspects.
Conclusion
We saw how the transportation and logistics industry is growing and requires a mobile application to enhance its capabilities. It will improve the cost-efficiency and productivity of the people within the business.
You should search, research, shortlist and evaluate the mobile app development companies before hiring them. Outsourcing app development to countries like India can help with cheap labor. Given the pressing need to transform your organization and make it more efficient, it is important to partner with the right technology company.
Expert App Devs is a leading logistics and transportation app development company. We have the necessary infrastructure and resources to accelerate development. To build a cost-effective solution for your business, connect with our team by filling out the contact us form.
Jignen Pandya
Vice President at Expert App Devs
Responsible for creating a sales funnel, attracting top-of-the-funnel customers, and converting the target market.
