NOVEMBER 2024Operations & LogisticsOperational Platform Engineering

68% operational cost reduction through a unified dispatch and client platform replacing 7 SaaS tools

7 disconnected SaaS tools generating $180k/yr in redundant software cost and operational blind spots.

StackNext.js 16TypeScriptPostgresVerceln8nResendStripe
68%
Ops Cost Reduction

vs. prior tooling + labor cost

4 mo
Full Payback

on total project investment

$180k
Annual SaaS Savings

7 tools replaced by one platform

99.8%
Invoice Accuracy

from 91% pre-engagement

01 — Business Challenge

The problem

Axiom was running dispatch, client communication, billing, and reporting across 7 separate SaaS products — none of which shared data. Operations managers maintained 3 parallel spreadsheets to produce any cross-system report. Client visibility into shipment status was zero.

7 disconnected tools

$180k/yr in SaaS subscriptions for systems that shared no data and required manual reconciliation to produce any meaningful report.

Manual dispatch workflow

Dispatch assignments were made via email chain and confirmed by phone. No digital audit trail, no optimization, no load balancing.

Zero client visibility

Clients called for shipment updates 12–20 times per week. No self-serve tracking, no automated status communications.

Billing reconciliation bottleneck

Monthly billing required 3 days of manual cross-referencing between dispatch records, fuel logs, and QuickBooks. 9% error rate on invoices.

02 — Technical Constraints

Constraints we engineered around

No API access to legacy systems

Two of the replaced tools had no export API. Full data migration required manual CSV extraction and transformation.

Multi-carrier rate complexity

Axiom operated across 4 carrier networks with different rate structures. A unified rating engine had to normalize all carrier pricing.

Driver mobile access requirement

Drivers needed real-time manifest access on Android devices with intermittent connectivity. Offline capability was a hard requirement.

03 — Solution Architecture

What we built

Single Next.js 16 platform consolidating dispatch, client portal, automated billing, and reporting — replacing all 7 tools. n8n automation layer connecting external carrier APIs and handling all notification workflows.

Unified Dispatch Module

Role-based dispatch interface with drag-and-drop load assignment, driver availability matrix, and real-time manifest generation. Mobile-optimized PWA for drivers with offline sync.

Next.js App RouterPostgresVercelPWA / Service Worker

Client Self-Serve Portal

Authenticated client portal with real-time shipment tracking, document download, and automated status notifications. Eliminated 94% of inbound status calls.

Next.jsSupabase AuthResendTwilio

Automated Billing Engine

Rate calculation engine pulling carrier pricing, fuel surcharges, and accessorial charges. Invoice generation automated on delivery confirmation with Stripe integration.

StripePostgresn8nResend

Operations Dashboard

Real-time ops reporting across all lanes, carriers, and clients. Revenue per mile, on-time rate, and driver utilization tracked live with 7-day trend views.

Next.jsPostgres viewsRecharts

04 — Conversion Engineering

How we moved the numbers

This was an internal platform engagement — conversion engineering focused on operational efficiency: time-to-task reduction, error elimination, and automation coverage.

MetricBeforeAfterChange
Billing reconciliation time3 days/mo0 (automated)Full elimination
Manual data entry per dispatch~22 min~2.5 min89% reduction
Client status call volume18/wk avg1.1/wk94% reduction
Invoice error rate9%0.2%97% improvement

05 — Performance Improvements

Technical performance delta

MetricBeforeAfter
Software Cost$180k/yr$0 SaaS fees
Billing Time3 days/moAutomated
Status Call Volume18/wk1.1/wk
Invoice Accuracy91%99.8%

06 — Results

Commercial outcomes

Results

Single platform replaced 7 tools. Operations team now runs with 2 fewer headcount on the same volume.

68%
Ops Cost Reduction

vs. prior tooling + labor cost

4 mo
Full Payback

on total project investment

$180k
Annual SaaS Savings

7 tools replaced by one platform

99.8%
Invoice Accuracy

from 91% pre-engagement

Start Here

Ready to see similar results?

Book a 30-minute strategy call. We'll audit your current stack and map the clearest path to measurable growth.