Same Day Courier Network (SDCN) is a trading platform designed specifically for UK couriers and hauliers. It connects drivers looking to pick up loads nationwide with transport businesses needing reliable carriers. The platform includes features such as multi-stop management, live GPS tracking, invoice processing, electronic proof of delivery (POD), and a notification system to ensure transparency across all stages of the delivery process.
Managing Director
SDCN needed to accelerate the delivery of new features to its users and partners. However, the legacy technology stack was creating a bottleneck. Each new update tended to trigger issues elsewhere in the system, complicating ongoing development. The admin portal was built using legacy AngularJS, making development slow and resource-intensive.
Additionally, mobile applications were using web-view implementations with native wrappers in Objective-C and Kotlin. Managing multiple codebases (PHP Laravel backend, AngularJS admin frontend, Objective-C and Kotlin mobile apps) made cross-platform updates difficult and costly, significantly restricting SDCN’s ability to scale.
Having collaborated with ProCoders since 2020 under a dedicated team model, SDCN chose to expand their team to speed up feature releases and transition to a more efficient tech stack. The dedicated team consisted of:
This team managed the entire development lifecycle, closely working with SDCN’s product manager. Despite the complexity and fluid nature of the feature requirements, ProCoders successfully designed, developed, tested, and delivered incremental updates regularly.
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To improve maintainability and reduce future development costs, the SDCN admin platform was fully migrated from legacy AngularJS to Laravel Nova, with PHP Laravel and MySQL remaining as core backend technologies.
During this migration, new admin-focused features including enhanced user management, subscription handling, and detailed status tracking were added. Development followed an agile methodology, adapting regularly to shifting requirements while staying aligned with key business priorities.
The user-facing web applications for drivers and transport companies were also rebuilt, adopting Vue.js 3 for greater efficiency and lower ongoing development costs. This involved:
The approach to mobile app development changed significantly. ProCoders recommended a cross-platform framework — Vue.js 3 combined with Ionic and Capacitor — creating a unified codebase for both iOS and Android.
Ionic’s responsive capabilities also enabled the application to run seamlessly on tablets. The team’s primary tasks included:
The SDCN needs constant maintenance and development to further enhance the functionality and performance. We also have an APP to track members and send notifications for suitable loads, this also needs ongoing maintenance and development to enhance its features and benefit SDCN members further. We have a fantastic team looking us from customer services, front and back end developers, and a team who look for improvements for the both our admin side and the users experience
The migration of the SDCN admin portal from legacy AngularJS to Laravel Nova significantly streamlined administrative tasks and accelerated future feature development. Admins gained dual-mode login capabilities, enabling them to switch seamlessly between user and admin roles while preserving accurate geolocation data for effective user impersonation.
The platform introduced a CRM-style note system, allowing administrators to quickly add contextual notes to user profiles, improving internal communication and client management. Callback tasks further boosted administrative efficiency, providing reminders for client communications directly within the admin interface.
Additionally, admins can now instantly manage email subscription preferences for users, improving control over user communications. A particularly impactful feature was the introduction of automated, one-click demo account creation, simplifying API integration testing without affecting live data, thus enhancing the stability and reliability of system updates.
Rebuilding the driver application into a unified, cross-platform solution using Vue.js 3 and Capacitor resulted in a consistent user experience across web and mobile platforms. The adoption of mobile-first subscriptions integrated with Apple Pay and Google Pay allowed drivers to manage subscriptions, invoices, and registration entirely within the mobile application environment, significantly enhancing usability and contributing directly to increased user adoption.
A live availability map feature was implemented, enabling drivers to share their real-time locations to attract more job opportunities. Drivers can also display their planned routes, assisting businesses in efficiently allocating deliveries.
The application improved operational security through enhanced team role management, clearly distinguishing between primary users with full permissions and limited-access team members, restricting sensitive actions such as pricing or invoicing. Additionally, it ensured drivers could belong to only one company, preventing potential subscription misuse. Real-time messaging integrated within the app included conversation history, streamlining communication, and enhancing operational responsiveness.
Enhanced push notifications provided drivers with real-time, deep-linked updates on critical events such as bids, document approvals, and delivery statuses, ensuring continuous engagement and operational transparency.
The new transportation company application dramatically improved operational efficiency and communication between businesses and drivers. Companies can instantly allocate drivers from a live map, eliminating the traditional bidding process. Enhanced route visibility allowed companies to better manage and optimize resources by tracking drivers’ planned routes.
Transportation companies gained the ability to self-assign jobs posted by external entities, enabling automatic invoice generation and capturing analytics, which simplified administrative overhead significantly. Comprehensive workflow tracking with detailed status updates further improved transparency and accuracy in invoicing and cost management.
Cancellations became more transparent through the implementation of clearly documented reason-coded cancellations, improving reporting accuracy and operational accountability. Dynamic price management capabilities allowed companies to adjust job pricing flexibly before finalizing payments, and team leaders gained simplified tools to reassign drivers swiftly.
Built-in, centralized messaging improved the operational oversight between transport companies and drivers. Furthermore, integrated address book functionality facilitated faster data entry by autofilling frequently used contacts and locations, while the addition of saved load templates enabled companies to replicate recurring job details quickly, saving considerable administrative time.
Same Day Courier Network and ProCoders have built a successful partnership over more than five years. Within just one year, ProCoders significantly upgraded and rebuilt a complex product, added critical new features, and standardised the technology stack. This has resulted in reduced development costs, increased revenue, and enhanced overall efficiency.
Currently, both companies continue collaborating closely, developing innovative features to further optimise logistics operations in the UK, helping transport businesses increase profitability while enabling drivers to maximise earnings by reducing empty miles.
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