MNG Kargo Boosts Handling Capacity to Meet Increased Demand
The Turkish courier company expanded its operations in the consumer space to adjust to an increase in e-commerce volumes and widespread shifts in customer expectations.
Zebra Success Story: MNG Kargo
Overview: Courier Challenge
Scale capacity to meet an increase in customer demand as MNG Kargo expanded its operations in the consumer space.
Benefits / Outcomes
- Enhanced customer experience
- Improved employee experience
- Significant increase in handling capacity
- Ability to scale to future spikes in demand
- Long-term view over operating costs
- Reduced costs from improved device uptime
About MNG Kargo
The e-commerce market in Turkey has experienced rapid change in recent years. The pandemic resulted in swift growth over a short period of time, which meant all companies were forced to review their working processes to keep pace. E-commerce volumes increased by almost 60% and widespread shifts in customer expectations had a significant impact on courier companies.
In response, MNG Kargo, one of Turkey’s leading courier companies, launched a major technology project. Every day, MNG Kargo provides a service that meets worldwide standards to 700,000 addresses throughout Turkey, while also shipping to 220 countries around the globe. A key driver for this project was a major shift in MNG Kargo’s strategic focus. Previously, it serviced companies’ courier needs but, due to spiralling demand, it moved into the consumer market too. As a result, its shipping volumes doubled, and MNG Kargo set out to overhaul its technology infrastructure to meet new requirements.
The Challenge
Commenting on the project, Cengiz Yilmaz, IT Director, MNG Kargo, says: “We were using smartphones in the field. As these devices aged and workloads increased, problems arose. We started to see a high level of breakages and faults. Limited battery capacity was also a problem while barcode scanning performance was poor, leading to workflow inefficiencies and errors as our people had to manually enter data. Costs were rising too due to the need for repairs. We therefore looked to deploy enterprise-grade mobile devices. And to develop a coherent and flexible infrastructure, we put a technology transformation process in place, with mobile phones being replaced by rugged handheld terminals. The project was approved after a detailed cost-benefit analysis.”
The Solution
Luna Group, an expert in field service and logistic technology, was selected as MNG Kargo’s lead technology partner for the project. The software for mobile devices was developed by MNG Kargo in-house, while Luna Group would advise on the selection of mobile devices. Technical tests were carried out on a range of products, using Zebra equipment and devices from other vendors. MNG Kargo’s technical team conducted the testing before moving on to field performance tests across a number of its depots.
With every package scanned throughout its journey, barcode scanning performance in terms of speed, ease and accuracy was a key criterion. Battery life and the ability of devices to cope with knocks or drops were also high on the wishlist.
Data from field tests, which included the time taken for processes to be completed, and users’ feedback were analysed. The results all pointed to the TC57 rugged mobile computer, with its strength, excellent barcode scanning performance, ease of use, process speed and outstanding battery capacity all considered to be outstanding.
The Zebra Difference: Outcome and Benefits
A Smooth and Efficient Deployment
Using the Zebra TC57 devices, MNG Kargo was able to take NEXT, its software application developed in-house, to the next level. Luna Group added a total of 4,000 SIM cards to the TC57 devices, and set-up procedures were carried out on each device to integrate them with various applications. This meant other features required by MNG Kargo could be implemented using NEXT software. The updated version of NEXT, operating on the TC57 devices, includes contactless credit card payment processing and data and voice communication capabilities. This meant all field staff were now equipped to operate their courier service applications and communicate with the outside world using a single device.
As part of the project, another outcome of the collaboration between MNG Kargo, Zebra and the Luna Group was that the approximately 3,000 Zebra printers, consisting of GK420d printers and ZT230 industrial printers, were updated to provide error-free barcode printing. Software developed by the Luna Group permitted printheads to be monitored so any necessary amendment can be identified before any problem arises. With this solution, MNG Kargo achieved a 100% monitorable device infrastructure.
Following completion of the project, a Zebra OneCare™ Service and Support contract was put in place to provide helpdesk support and fast repair turnarounds to ensure operations are uninterrupted and devices continue to function properly. OneCare delivers a five-year assurance of service quality over a manageable and monitored infrastructure.
Technology Transformation with Reliability at the Heart
The project is delivering improvements across key areas. Field teams are delighted with the devices, which are enabling them to manage their tasks with greater efficiency and accuracy. Customer service is improved too through the availability of realtime tracking data and the option to pay for packages when they are picked up or delivered by couriers.
Enhanced efficiencies and operational visibility also mean MNG Kargo has scaled to manage the spike in deliveries and it has the capacity to seamlessly adjust to any future growth in demand. Furthermore, the robust nature of the mobile devices means MNG Kargo is seeing a huge reduction in maintenance costs associated with support and repairs. And, with its OneCare contract in place for five years, it has the reliable enterprise platform set up to confidently run its business with a clear view over predictable costs.
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