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Case Study: Automating Workflow for a Kampala Logistics Firm

How a Kampala-based logistics company reduced operational costs by 40% using custom Desishub automation and real-time delivery tracking.

Table of Contents

  1. The Client Challenge: A Sea of Paperwork
  2. The Solution: Custom Logistics Portal
  3. Core Features of the Automation
  4. Integration: Mobile Money & SMS
  5. The Results: 40% Increase in Efficiency
  6. Why "Off-the-Shelf" Software Failed
  7. Key Lessons for Ugandan SMEs
  8. Conclusion

The Client Challenge: A Sea of Paperwork

A prominent logistics firm based in Kampala's Industrial Area was facing a "scaling crisis." With 50 delivery trucks and hundreds of daily orders, their manual process was breaking down.

  • The Problem: Waybills were handwritten, delivery times were estimated over phone calls, and invoicing happened 3 days after delivery.
  • The Cost: Frequent errors in address, lost paper receipts, and delayed payments from clients.

They approached Desishub Technologies for a solution that was modern, fast, and local.

The Solution: Custom Logistics Portal

At Desishub, we didn't just give them a website. We built a Custom Workflow Automation Engine using Next.js for the frontend and Golang for the high-speed backend.

The system replaced the physical office "in-tray" with a digital dashboard accessible by the dispatch team, drivers, and clients.

Core Features of the Automation

  1. Digital Waybilling: Orders are created instantly on a tablet. No more carbon paper.
  2. Driver Mobile App (PWA): Drivers receive delivery locations and routes on their phones. They can mark "Delivered" and upload a photo of the signature instantly.
  3. Real-Time Tracking: Clients receive a link to track their package live across Kampala.
  4. Automated Inventory: As items move from the warehouse to the truck, stock levels are updated in real-time.

Warehouse Logistics

Integration: Mobile Money & SMS

We integrated the system with MTN MoMo and Airtel Money APIs.

  • Auto-Invoicing: The moment a driver marks a delivery as "Complete," an invoice is generated and sent via SMS.
  • Payment Reconciliation: When the client pays via Mobile Money, the system automatically marks the invoice as "Paid" in the company's accounting ledger. No manual data entry required.

The Results: 40% Increase in Efficiency

Within 3 months of implementation:

  • Operational Costs: Reduced by 40% (fewer errors, less fuel wastage on wrong addresses).
  • Payment Speed: Time-to-payment dropped from 5 days to 2 hours.
  • Customer Satisfaction: Increased significantly due to transparent tracking.

Why "Off-the-Shelf" Software Failed

Before Desishub, the firm tried a popular international logistics app.

  • Why it failed: It didn't support Mobile Money payments natively, it was slow on Ugandan 4G networks, and it couldn't be customized for the "specific addresses" (e.g., "Behind the Total Station next to the Matooke market").

Key Lessons for Ugandan SMEs

Workflow automation isn't about buying expensive software; it's about mapping your actual physical processes to a digital system. In Uganda, speed and MoMo integration are the two "superpowers" that drive ROI.

Conclusion

This logistics firm is now dominating its niche because its tech stack works for them, not against them. They have reduced "busy work" and can now focus on growing their fleet.

Automate Your Growth

Is your business stuck in a loop of manual tasks? Book a Workflow Audit with Desishub.