Case Study CAT Scale, Inc. Using Interactive Techonlogy to Expedite Work in the Trucking Industry

THE CHALLENGE

The Client Company provides professional truck drivers with a reliable, accurate, and certified scale service through a cooperative relationship with their 800 truckstop partners in North America. They are totally committed to maintaining their #1 position in the industry through a variety of measures, paramount being exceptional customer service. Goals for the first phase of the site aimed at providing services for the drivers. Thus features of the public site include general company information, tips on how to position one's truck for a proper weigh, and other frequently asked questions of interest to drivers. Hands down, however, the biggest challenge we encountered in Phase I was the client's request that we provide dynamic maps and driving directions to all scale locations, and that we make this information downloadable.

Phase II created an Intranet, offering enhanced services to the truckstop partners, with the goal of allowing them to communicate with Corporate in a secure manner, on a 24/7 basis. It allows them to order basic supplies like scale tickets and printer ribbons, and even submit their requests for coop advertising funds. A popular feature is the monthly newsletter, downloadable in PDF format. One other key service: the most current procedure manuals in PDF format are always available from the web site.

The Next Phase will also address partner needs. We are working to allow them to submit their weekly reports online. Once completed, this feature will automatically calculate all of the math, and fill in the repetitive information, based on the code and password supplied. All the partner will need to do is type in daily sales information. Best of all, we are working to integrate this with their mainframe computer system, so it need only be entered once for all record-keeping purposes both local and at headquarters. Once this service is in place, weekly report faxing and the incumbent bookkeeping procedures, will become obsolete.

OUR CREATIVE SOLUTIONS

We worked directly with the Marketing Manger, who was primarily responsible for the site and as needed, with IT and operations personnel.

• We partnered with MapQuest, to handle the dynamic locator maps and driving directions.
• We created the look and feel of the site, using corporate colors and a highway motif. Our goal was an easy to navigate, user-friendly site which would download quickly. This was especially important since some truckers access the site from their laptops, and work with slow modems.
• When creating the Intranet, we worked closely with the IT and operations personnel, to assure that we arrived at a solution that maintained network integrity, while helping the Client meet partnership needs.
• We setup the initial shopping cart for the CAT Scale merchandise, and later, rearranged the shopping cart to integrate it with their corporate shopping site, making the change seamlessly.
• In the near future, some of the site will be reformatted for WAP technology, so that drivers who access the Web via wireless, will be able to use the features. This is just one more example of how we work with our clients to help them continually adjust to technology's evolution.

RESULTS

We delivered each phase on time, and within budget, despite many internal changes throughout the nine months this project was in development. At each introductory phase, the target audience embraced the site, and usage grew as hoped. In fact, plants that were not yet online clamored for connectivity, so that employees could use the team-building tools.