Logistics and transport Case study
Booking apps and back office for a ground transport firm
Android and iPhone apps for passengers and drivers, plus a web admin and reservation manager: vehicle search, booking requests, ride tracking and payments.
- iOS
- Android
- WordPress plugin
- Twilio
- PayPal
- Client
- Ground transportation software company
- Service
- Mobile apps, Web apps, Integrations
- Years
- 2015–2017 (2 years)
- Stack
- iOS, Android, WordPress plugin, Twilio and 3 more
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, Web
Client details are private, so this study describes the client by type.
Overview
A ground transportation platform made of Android and iPhone apps for passengers and drivers and a web-based reservation and administration system. We designed the screens, built both apps and the APIs, and worked on the web back office.
The challenge
Two roles (driver and passenger), three booking modes (closest vehicle, hourly, point to point), live location and several third-party services had to behave the same on Android, iPhone and the web admin.
What we built
- Wireframes, app UI and image slicing for Android and iPhone
- Vehicle search by category with map, location autocomplete and distance via Google APIs
- Booking APIs for closest-vehicle, hourly and point-to-point rides, with accept, reject and cancel for drivers
- Driver tools: profile, vehicle linking, availability status and booking requests
- Passenger tools: ride tracking, favorite drivers and vehicles, and ratings
- Registration with Facebook login and Twilio SMS verification, plus in-app calling
- Payment integration including PayPal, and push notifications for upcoming rides, driver arrival, start and completion
- A web admin panel with reservation management (create, edit, cancel, export), rate and discount management, and vehicle import from spreadsheets
- Email and MMS handling for customers and affiliates when reservations change
How a system like this fits together
- Client side
- Services
- Third parties
In words: The Android and iPhone apps for passengers and drivers, and the web admin panel, all use the booking APIs. The APIs call Google Maps APIs for vehicle search and distance, Twilio for SMS verification and PayPal for payments. Registration also supports Facebook login from the apps.
Technology used
| Layer | Choice | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile | Android, iOS | passenger and driver apps |
| Messaging | Twilio | SMS verification at registration |
| Payments | PayPal | ride payments |
| Maps | Google Maps APIs | vehicle search, location autocomplete and distance |
| Login | Facebook API | sign-in with Facebook |
What happened next
- Delivered
The work described above was delivered to the client.
- Operational facts
- Our work on this project spanned 2015–2017.
Could this be your project?
- You are planning an iOS or Android app, or have one that needs a stronger back end behind it. Mobile app development
- You need a web application with user accounts, admin tools and reporting. Website and web app development
- You work in logistics and transport and want a team that has built for it before. Logistics and transport work
Questions about this project
How long did this project take?
Our work on it ran from 2015 to 2017, with 5,000+ engineering hours logged in total.
What technology was used?
iOS, Android, WordPress plugin, Twilio, PayPal, Google Maps APIs, Facebook API.
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