Mainstream New Zealand began in 1992 as a virtual business providing freight services between Auckland and Christchurch.
With over 300 staff members today, the company has locations across New Zealand and provides logistics solutions for sellers worldwide.
Suppliers, customers, and staff leverage the company’s internally developed freight management system (FMS) to manage consignments, and its warehouse management system (WMS) to automate warehouse pick, pack, and dispatch processes.
Both proprietary systems utilize Rocket UniVerse to deliver the capabilities both the business and their customers need to succeed.
After evaluating off-the-shelf FMS solutions, Diane Haliday, co-owner, Mainstream New Zealand, realized creating a bespoke solution was the only way to deliver the capability to grow efficiently and in alignment with business and customer needs.
Her knowledge of applications based on Rocket MultiValue led her to create the entire business infrastructure with Rocket UniVerse at its core.
Still, many processes remained paper-based or at least required data to be transferred manually to the FMS.
“Our customers needed an online portal so they could get quotes, enter consignments (shipments), print shipping labels, and track deliveries,” said Haliday. “They wanted real-time proof of delivery, which meant we not only needed a portal for them but a means for our drivers and staff to update our systems in real time.”
Delivering solutions to both staff and customers with the same Rocket UniVerse database at the core was critical due to the just-in-time nature of the business.
While Diane was steadfast in her approach and convictions, some IT staff were less sure about building around a Pick database. Their concerns were quickly addressed when they were introduced to Rocket U2 REST, allowing the team to use familiar tools including RESTful services to create APIs that leverage MV data and business logic to both automate manual, paper-based processes and to provide capabilities including mobile and web interfaces.
Working with their partner, mvSolutions Ltd., Mainstream created web-based applications that provided the real-time interfaces they needed in the warehouse, on the road, and at the customer’s location. The portal provides both web browser and tablet access, empowering customers and employees (drivers and office staff) to access quotes, enter consignments (shipments), print shipping labels, track deliveries including real-time proof of deliveries, and more.
Rocket MVIS delivers capabilities such as automation, logging, and monitoring as well as DevOps and cloud capabilities that allow Mainstream’s IT team to deliver solutions to market that many larger players have yet to achieve.
“The original Rocket U2 REST solution came at a critical juncture, allowing us to transition from manual processes to digital or automated workflows on the online portal without fuss,” she said. “We have literally grown from having a single trade route to being a multi-milliondollar integrated carrier, all on the back of Rocket UniVerse. Our strategy has allowed us to grow rapidly, intelligently, and efficiently, and I’m excited to see how future solutions support our continued growth and innovation.”