FAN Courier - Interview with the developer of a fantastic app

Did you have any prior development or coding experience?

Yes, we do have some experience, as this is our second mobile application. The first one has been developed a few years ago but the features were rather limited, compared with the new one. We received a lot of feedback from our clients regarding the first app and we ended up implementing the features that were the most requested by our customers. Therefore, this app was developed especially for the clients and their needs. The current version that we have just launched, offers: - Improved design. - Improved AWB Tracking experience. - The possibility to generate an AWB. - The possibility to place a pick-up order. - The possibility to locate the nearest pick-up/drop off FAN Courier location. - Price estimate.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing mobile app?

I would say our main challenge was to set up a connection and maintain a balance between our internal systems, developments and the external developer, always keeping in mind the final user and his/her experience. Therefore, we could say that the most difficult part was to make things as easy as possible for our clients. We are aware that our clients are very busy and they are always trying to be as efficient as possible, and we did our best to help them and make the application user-friendly. The main difficulty derives from the fact that this is after all an operational application and the truth is that we need certain information in order to deliver as successfully as we promise. But, as I said, our main focus is to offer an enjoyable experience to our clients, so a big number of mandatory fields that we need to deliver are already prefilled and there are many helpful comments in all Forms that ensure the customer will be able to finalize all that he needs to accomplish in the mobile application. Considering this is an operational application, our internal IT department was a big contributor in the developing of all of the APIs that are at the heart of this application and had to return certain responses based on different conditions. Although we did our best to ensure that the app is as intuitive as possible, we are aware that there is room for continuous improvements and we are open to receive feedback at [email protected]. Another challenge was the test period which actually extended over a period of approximately six months as there were many particularities to be tested, along with UX/UI issues.

Name a few of your favorite apps and reason you love them.

From a professional point of view I really enjoy using Wunderlist to keep on track with my specific tasks and Team Gantt to get a bigger picture of the projects I coordinate. From a personal point of view, I really enjoy Duolingo because it’s probably the most accessible and friendliest way to learn a new language.

How long have you been working on this app?

I would say the decision to develop this app was taken about a year ago, but we effectively started working on it in July, so it took us about 9 months to finalize this version.

What need of the user did you have in mind when developing this app?

Our objective was to offer an alternative channel for our non-corporate clients who are always on the move. Some of them cannot be found at the same address or they are not able to print the AWB (Air Way Bill) because they are not connected to a printer, so this application offers more flexibility especially for these types of customers. Furthermore, the application is also available for corporate customers as an alternative to the SelfAWB Account they use to manage their shipments. The dashboard of the mobile app offers a clear image on the shipments they have sent in the last month and also the status change notifications will be very helpful for some of them.

In what way do you think your app is better than similar apps on the market? Please describe in detail what innovation you think you bring and what you are proud of in your app.

We could say the innovation factor starts with the possibility to generate a transport document/AWB and place an order for pick-up directly from a mobile device and continue with the QR Code that the app returns and is used by the courier in order to print the AWB(s). We’ve started analyzing this idea for quite some time, and are happy that we managed to gather all the knowledge and resources to develop it. As far as we know, this is the only available mobile application that provides all the necessary tools to generate an AWB and drop off their shipments based on a simple QR Code. The flow is as follows: The user fills in the AWB Form --> the app generates a QR Code --> at this point, the user could generate another AWB or place an order for pick up --> the user selects the shipments for pick-up from the list --> he places the pick-up order --> the courier prints the AWB(s) from his mobile device based on the QR Code(s) and he picks up the envelope(s)/parcel(s) --> user receives status updates until the shipment is delivered (optional).

What are your future plans and expected features of the coming new versions of this app?

Based on the feedback we shall receive, we are considering implementing the following features: - Customer support ticketing service. - Additional delivery options, Smart Lockers (eBOX) and alternative pick-up/drop off partner locations (Collect Point). - International shipments. - Mobile payment.

Assuming new users of your app are reading this page. What do you want to ask them to do (contact you about X, Share the app, etc.)?

Although throughout the development period we always had in mind maximizing our customer’s satisfaction, we are sure they hold valuable insight, as how to improve the application or to better suit their needs. In that sense, we are open to receive feedback of any sort and we encourage them to write to us at [email protected]. Furthermore, if they do enjoy the application we would definitely appreciate if they share it with their community.