Custom Software Development for Freight Brokerage
- Custom Software Development
- $50,000 to $199,999
- Dec. 2024 - Ongoing
- Quality
- 5.0
- Schedule
- 5.0
- Cost
- 5.0
- Willing to Refer
- 5.0
"At every stage, I've felt like they've been invested in the success of the project."
- Construction
- Waco, Texas
- 11-50 Employees
- Online Review
- Verified
Rootquotient has built a custom software solution for a freight brokerage. The tool features CRM/lead management, database/information storage, finance/invoice generation, user permissions, and tool settings.
Rootquotient has delivered all of the requested modules, and the client is already seeing positive results from the engagement. The team has been dependable and trustworthy throughout the project. They have taken a complicated project, broken it down into manageable pieces, and delivered.
BACKGROUND
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I'm the president of Twisted Nail Broker Services, LLC, a freight brokerage specializing in the shipment and procurement of construction aggregates for commercial projects in Central Texas.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Rootquotient?
I had contracted a previous firm to develop custom end-to-end software to manage my business. The first firm was unable to provide what I needed, so Rootquotient was tasked with not only continuing the work of the previous firm but elevating it and repairing the work that had been started. It was important to me that we not start over completely, and their team was confident they could accommodate.
Our primary goal was to build a handful of modules that, when combined, allow my team to automatically generate invoices while providing a foundation of gathered data that can then be leveraged in future modules outside of invoicing.
SOLUTION
What was the scope of their involvement?
Rootquotient has implemented a previously designed carrier and driver database, improved a previously designed vendor database, and created a CRM and invoicing system that integrates with the databases we maintained with the end goal of automating our data collection and invoicing processes as much as possible. Our tool features the following core modules: CRM/lead management, database/information storage, finance/invoice generation, user permissions, and tool settings.
What is the team composition?
We were assigned an account manager who manages our billing and team composition. We then had a senior project manager, a junior project manager, and 3 key team members who worked with me throughout the project. At each stage, when additional or new resources were required, I would interact with 5-8 additional back-end team members. In total, around 10 people were known to be involved in the project.
How did you come to work with Rootquotient?
We found them on Clutch. We chose them because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, they offered good value for the cost, and their company values and goals aligned with ours.
How much have you invested with them?
We’ve spent around $150,000.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working with them in December 2024, and the engagement is ongoing.
RESULTS & FEEDBACK
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Rootquotient has delivered all of the requested modules. Their success has been a confidence booster that is going to lead to an expansion of the project scope so that we can further leverage the data gained in their performance in the development of the V1 modules.Our biggest bottleneck is our invoicing system and the intense amount of manpower required to scale the business model without simultaneously scaling our support system. I expect that after the deployment of the tool, we will be able to triple our support system output, allowing us to double or triple our revenue without any additional support staff.
These savings compound but can be seen individually in our collections process, where a 12-hour organization task is reduced to 60 seconds; in data entry, where we can now process invoices automatically, as a team, in perfect sync, from anywhere in the world; in our data collection, where we all have access to the same information and are no longer forced to rely on updates through the employee information grapevine; and in our quoting process, where we can save 50%–75% of the time it typically takes to receive a lead and produce/manage a quote. These solutions are currently being utilized. The success is measured primarily in employee efficiency, where we’re trying to increase our revenue per employee. The main bottleneck is our ability to process invoices, at least as far as time saved is concerned. The tool has synced all levels of employees in such a way that we’re all able to contribute to the data entry, which allows us to assign more resources to the creation of these invoices where we were previously limited to two people. Additionally, the method we use to input the data means that users can tag in and out at their convenience without disrupting or interrupting other users in any way. With these improvements, we can very safely estimate that our turnaround time on these invoices has at least doubled simply from our ability to assign double the people as previously allowed. Even further, we have accuracy improvements through a multi-submission auto check system, and we’ve reduced the time to process each ticket from 20–30 seconds to 10–20 seconds. Before the system was implemented, we had disjointed access to data that left teams answering and asking the same questions over and over again. As well, each employee had their own systems for storing data, which made accessing the data without that employee difficult, if not impossible. There have been several instances already where I’ve been able to skip contacting an employee for routine job information by simply visiting the job profile within our system where the data is stored. I keep a spreadsheet of our work pipeline, and having the information accessible has stopped us from needing to have one-on-one meetings where I interview the sales reps about their pipeline and projects. Now, they just need to send me an email with the job details, and I can look it up right away. Similarly, with our vendors, we can now all share the same notes and experience without having to share that information by chance with another employee. With the system, instead of relying on my individual experience with a vendor, I can open their profile and see the ongoing conversation about working specifically with that vendor and that vendor’s preferences. Finally, communication between accounting and sales has improved because they share the same documents, saved in the same format, to the same place for every job. This prevents the last-minute, often hectic, clamor for information if we ever have an issue with a customer account. Now, once the information is uploaded, it’s ready and available on an as-needed basis without further communication.
How did Rootquotient perform from a project management standpoint?
Because of the length and sizable scope of the project, there was a required amount of buy-in and trust that had to be established. Rootquotient was excellent at doing monthly or bimonthly check-ins at both the account manager and project manager levels.I’ve never worked with a more thorough team when it comes to documentation. Despite already being excellent at this with their own processes in place, Rootquotient has worked to create an update/project goals documentation system that fits with my strengths. As a specific example, they have internal tracking tools that I have access to but are difficult to quickly quantify without experience in those tools. They’ve volunteered to craft a presentation in my preferred format that keeps me hyper-informed throughout the process.There hasn’t been a time component to our project, though I would say that their estimations have been accurate throughout. I’ve been a bit more challenging as a client, and instead of providing predictable modules, we’ve attacked the full project in one go. The project has really built upon itself until we’ve gotten to a place where invoices can be created.Rootquotient has been communicative and accurate about any extensions that have resulted from my changes. They’ve provided advice throughout about how to best manage expectations while encouraging me to get to the release as efficiently as possible.
What did you find most impressive or unique about them?
It’s been extremely important for me to work with a team that I trust. I’ve been out of my depth tackling a project like this. I knew what I wanted but had no concept of how to get there.I haven’t been an easy client, as I’ve had limited experience in this type of project, and I’ve had specific requirements that have prevented Rootquotient from operating the way they preferred. Even still, their team has been dependable and trustworthy throughout. At every stage, I’ve felt like they’ve been invested in the success of the project, that they’ve taken joy in each milestone that we’ve achieved, and that they’ve been proud of the work they’ve produced. I’ve felt like I have a partner in this experience, not just a company that is building something for me.They’ve helped take a complicated project, break it down into manageable pieces, and through their effort, documentation, and persistence, we’ve created something that will definitely transform the way I do business.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have any suggestions for improvement.
RATINGS
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Quality
5.0Service & Deliverables
"Everything that we have received is both functional and warrantied, with support available"
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Schedule
5.0On time / deadlines
"Their team has been accurate in their timeline estimations throughout"
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Cost
5.0Value / within estimates
"They have been very fair in billing, both for rates and reassessments as project scope evolved"
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Willing to Refer
5.0NPS
"Absolutely, I will be referring them as needed and look forward to continuing to work with their team
