Introducing Automation at WEL Companies to Expedite Logistics Scheduling Processes
Summary of the Problem
Manual Processes, Different Systems, and Not Working Together
WEL Companies had many manual processes when scheduling appointments for truck drivers to pick up and drop off loads. Multiple factors in the processes determine the actions needed, including:
- Different web portals and APIs through which appointments must be made
- Varied locations, facilities, and providers requesting shipments
- Inconsistent data returned when making appointments and receiving errors
Between some routes needing appointments for multiple stops, the timing of each appointment adhering to cross-state legal requirements, and the intricacies of the legacy Transportation Management System, tribal knowledge prevented easy onboarding of others into the process.
Approach to the Solution
Architecting Data Into Usable Formats
Through interviews with subject matter experts, Zeytech and WEL Companies created documentation of knowledge and parameters previously passed down only through verbal communications and training. Using this documentation alongside data regularly synced from the AS/400 (Legacy TMS), SQL queries format all pieces into human-readable, automation-ready structures.
Automating Appointment Scheduling
With data captured properly, Zeytech automated the process of scheduling appointments and worked through multiple hurdles with WEL Companies, including:
- Varies Web Portals: Each customer could use common web portals, or make their own.
- Solving Anti-Spam Measures: Working with CAPTCHAs and rate-limiters protecting websites from malicious actors.
- Navigating User Interfaces: No two portals are the same, but common functionality warranted reusable code.
- Standardizing Information: Interpreting what the data shows versus what the portal expects before using portal responses to update data.
- Handling Outcomes: Changes occur in websites, standards, and data, so accommodations must exist for unexpected results.
Use Case Highlights
Technologies Used
- SQL Server
- Power Automate
- REST APIs
- CSV, JSON, and Excel Files
- JavaScript
Zeytech Services
- Technical Advising
- Data Engineering
- Process Automation
- Process Documentation
- Data Operations
Business Impacts
- Documented Business Procedures
- Improved Data Quality
- Automated Manual Procedures
- Standardized Process Decisions
- Visualized Previously Hidden Data
Need to Solve a Problem?
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If you are you in need of a new solution, stuck on a current business problem, or just not sure where to turn, contact us today to discover how Zeytech can help lead your company into a future of IT efficiency and effectiveness.
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