ILP-Group

Organizational tool increased customer satisfaction to record levels

Customer story

When twoday helped logistics company ILP-Group with implementing WhatsApp Assistant, processes were streamlined and resources were targeted where they were needed. At the same time, customer satisfaction reached record levels.

The Challenge

ILP-Group began its operations in the mid-1990s and has since provided its customers with comprehensive logistics solutions from transportation to warehousing and picking.

The challenge at the Kotka port branch was that booking unloading times was time-consuming for both customers and ILP-Group staff. Dozens of transports from different carriers arrive at the port every day to be unloaded.

And because the operation is 24/7, several staff members had to be on call to answer calls from drivers in addition to their own work. This caused interruptions and took up a lot of work time as employees had to answer calls, arrange transport access to the port, schedule a suitable unloading time in the calendar, and provide instructions to drivers.

In addition, supervision was difficult because there was no clear view of how many trucks were coming for unloading at any given time. Sometimes there was a long queue, and sometimes there was none at all. The unloading order was also often unclear.

The logistics company wanted to improve customer service, optimize employee time management, and facilitate work planning.

The Solution

ILP-Group worked with twoday to solve the problem. First, a workshop was organized to jointly open up the process and its key junctions. Previously, the company had no factual information about when the transports would arrive, making anticipating operations extremely challenging.

Based on the workshop, twoday made a cost-effective proposal for using WhatsApp Assistant as a solution for booking unloading shifts and organizing unloading work. The project was implemented during the summer holidays, and the finished product was delivered in a matter of weeks. In addition to weekly meetings, communication related to the project was handled through a shared portal, which provided everyone with a common view of the project and enabled smooth communication in one place.

The implementation of WhatsApp Assistant has enabled drivers to easily book unloading shifts and receive detailed instructions for the unloading location. Unnecessary communication has been eliminated: now drivers engage in an easy and straightforward dialogue on WhatsApp, where they are asked for their departure point and registration number, as well as the desired unloading time. WhatsApp Assistant returns a unique link with direct navigation instructions to the correct location at the port.

An automation for the booking calendar was created, ensuring that both the driver and the unloader meet at the right time and place. The previously problematic issue of forming queues has also been eliminated, and unloading times are now distributed more evenly. Needless waiting has been eliminated in many places.

"The project was completed ahead of schedule, and the agreed costs were kept. We were almost shocked at how smoothly everything went. In addition, we were able to quickly roll out the service to our customers, and it has been well received by users."

ILP-Group Director, Jaakko Pohjanvaara

The Value

Booking and releasing unloading shifts are now much more convenient for drivers. On the ILP-Group side, organizing and predicting unloading work has significantly improved, and WhatsApp Assistant has freed up time and human resources for primary tasks. The manageability of the unloading booking calendar has also improved - now it is automatically up to date.

User satisfaction has skyrocketed to a whole new level. The service is now being expanded to other company processes as well. ILP-Group noticed that while WhatsApp is often associated with customer service, it is also excellent for internal communication and smoothing out processes.