We have made great progress in logistics. Gone are the times when we had to stand in long queues at the post office, waiting to send a parcel. All it takes these days is a smartphone and a well-designed app.
The operators, on the other hand, no longer have to constantly monitor the logistics and transportation operations. This is all thanks to the use of mobile app technology in the transportation and logistics domain.
In this blog, we will take a quick look at the features a logistics app must contain to become a valuable addition to the company. After that, we will briefly explain the costs involved in having a software company build this type of app for you.
Essential Features Of A Logistics App
A logistics application requires the designing and development of three modules depending on the user’s role. Here’s a glance at each panel and the features it must contain:
1. User Module
This section will be visible to the customer interested in using the services of the logistics company. Here are the key features for this panel:
- Register/Login - A customer can register either by creating a new account or signing in through an existing social media account.
- Picking a Vehicle
- Scheduling and Booking Management
- Rate Calculator
- Payment Gateway Integration
- Shipment Tracking
- Notifications and Real-time Alerts
- Transaction History
- Reviews/Ratings
2. Driver/Dispatcher Module
The staff of the logistics company will have a separate interface with different features, the most important of which are the following:
- Register/Login
- Manage Booking Requests
- Mark “Available” or “Busy”
- Consignment Details
- Tracking and Tracing
- Edit Profile
- Navigation (GPS)
- Mark Delivery Status
- Delivery History
3. Admin Module+Additional Features
This is the section the management will access. The admin will not only have the right to create and delete accounts but also manage every aspect of the application. Key features include:
- Dashboard
- Manage Resources (fleet, vehicle, drivers, etc.)
- Billing Management (for invoices, payments received by drivers and delivery personnel, etc.)
- Driver Monitoring
- In-app Chat Support
- Multilingual Support
- Document Linking/Uploading
Keep in mind, that the more features you add, the higher the cost of the final application.
What Will Logistics App Development Cost for You?
The costs related to app development for this field fall in the $30,000-$300,000 range. It takes approximately 2-6 months for a logistics app development company to create a full-scale software solution for this domain.
The various factors that affect the cost and time-related expenses are given below:
Software Platform
You will have to choose whether you want an Android-based or an iOS-based app, or even both (known as cross-platform app development). Strictly speaking, developing for Android may cost more than developing for iOS because the former is subjected to more fragmentation.
Cross-platform development is an excellent option if you don’t want to restrict your application to a single platform. Not only will the resulting application run incredibly on both Android and iOS, but it will be more cost-effective than a native app since you won’t have to get it developed separately for both platforms.
Frontend-Backend Technologies
The technologies, frameworks, and other tools you pick for front and backend development will directly affect the cost of your logistics application. There are many options, some of which may be costlier, but more scalable.
For instance, you will have to pay more if you want to hire an app developer for languages like Swift, R, or Golang. Expertise in newer languages is even more expensive. That’s because newer languages have fewer libraries and frameworks, so they increase the overall efforts the developers need to make.
Development Team
There are many differences between freelance developers and a logistics app development company. These also affect the final cost, so consider them carefully before you decide how to hire your development team.
Freelance developers are less expensive as compared to the development team of a company. However, a company comes with the assurance of greater productivity and mobility.
App Development Company Location
If you want to choose a mobile app development company, pay attention to its location. This is crucial because development costs (including the hourly rates) tend to increase as we move from east to west.
In Conclusion
The field of logistics has benefited tremendously from mobile apps that cover all the above-mentioned features. In fact, on-demand logistics app development appears to be on the rise based on all the current statistics and predictions.
The next big technologies to leave a profound impact on this domain are most likely AI (Artificial Intelligence) and IoT (Internet of Things).
If you have a logistics company, you will have to analyze how valuable such an app will be for you before hiring a logistics app development company.
The ultimate cost of developing and deploying such an application will depend on the features and the other factors related to the on-demand logistics app development process. Making a carefully thought-out decision will be easier now that you know the estimated cost of building a logistic application.
Author Bio - Tom Hardy is an experienced mobile app developer in an on-demand logistics app development company. He often takes interest in blogging.
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