42% faster dispatching: Replacing a Delphi dispatch system with a cloud web app (logistics)

Legacy modernization & logistics

The Challenge

A mid-sized logistics provider in Schleswig-Holstein plans routes for regional and long-distance part-load traffic. For years the core was a Delphi dispatch system: it only ran on a handful of office PCs, crashed under load, and could not be rolled out sensibly to drivers’ tablets or phones. Dispatchers printed lists, re-keyed changes multiple times, and fell back to Excel when the client froze. Maintenance by a specialized vendor consumed a five-figure annual budget without delivering new capabilities. Drivers often called the control centre because they had no reliable view of current stops and times on the road—tying up capacity and increasing errors in arrival communication.

Our Solution

Solution impressions

Groenewold IT Solutions structured the business logic from the legacy stack together with dispatch and IT in workshops and planned a phased migration to a modern, API-first web application. The core is a cloud-based dispatch UI with real-time vehicle status that initially covered only new orders and selected regions in parallel with the legacy system (strangler pattern). Interfaces to subcontractors and an existing TMS partner were implemented as stable REST APIs; sensitive data is transferred encrypted. Drivers received a progressive web app on their smartphones: tours, POD hints, and messages from one source. Development was done in Germany (Leer/East Frisia) with clear release cycles, automated tests, and a war room on go-live weekend so night distribution was not stopped unintentionally.

Results

After six months of productive parallel operation and a full cutover, key figures include (illustrative scenario): • 38 fewer hours per week of manual reconciliation and duplicate data entry for the dispatch team. • 42% shorter average time from order intake to first fixed tour assignment. • Roughly 47% reduction in external maintenance costs for the old Delphi stack (fewer emergency hotfixes and on-call interventions). • Far fewer short status calls to the control centre because drivers see the live plan on mobile—estimated 120 fewer per month. The solution scales with the customer’s growth and can be extended with forecasting and additional depots without sliding back into a monolithic silo.

Features

Feature overview

• –Web-based dispatch with real-time view of tours and capacity
• –Progressive web app for drivers (stops, status, short messages)
• –REST APIs to partner TMS and subcontractors
• –Phased migration without a big-bang outage
• –Role-based, tenant-aware permissions
• –Auditable history for tours and assignments
• –Monitoring and alerts for interface failures