Case Study
Forces Express
A unified international cargo & courier agent platform built with Next.js and MongoDB — featuring live shipment tracking history, an automated shipping calculator, and carrier consolidation.
Consolidating Global Logistics in One Portal
Forces Express simplifies global shipping out of India by consolidatng routes from premium networks (DHL, FedEx, Bluedart, Ekart). To scale their operations, they needed a fast, modern digital portal that could automate the quotation and booking processes while offering live, door-to-door transit transparency.
We designed and engineered a custom Next.js and MongoDB solution. It includes a self-service Shipping Cost Calculator that handles volumetric weights, a Live Tracking search engine with sub-0.8s response times, and a secure administration panel to manage shipments and nested milestones.
Goals
- Build a unified digital presence consolidating top-tier networks (DHL, FedEx, Bluedart, Ekart).
- Deliver a live tracking widget pulling transit history directly from the database.
- Implement an interactive pricing calculator to eliminate manual customer support quotes.
Challenges
- Standardizing tracking status and log histories across various underlying courier carriers.
- Designing complex calculator logic covering weight categories, dimensions, and destinations.
- Securing the administrative dashboard where shipments are generated and updated.
Consolidated Logistics Architecture
1. Unified Tracking Schema
Designed a nested mongoose schema storing deep transit milestones (status, location, details, timestamps). This standardizes tracking updates across different underlying carriers.
2. Volumetric Rate Engine
Implemented a calculator that determines shipping costs using actual vs. volumetric weight (L × W × H / 5000), supporting transparent fixed pricing for global destinations.
3. Secure Admin Controls
Created an administrative portal secured with JWT sessions and bcryptjs, allowing managers to issue tracking codes, input dimensions, and post milestone updates.
Security, Speed & Intuitive UX
- 1Custom modern web interface styled with corporate navy blue and orange accents.
- 2Robust Next.js routing coupled with dynamic Mongoose models for Shipments, Inquiries, and Users.
- 3Interactive shipping cost estimation widget that parses volumetric weights in real-time.
- 4Secure JWT session authentication using bcryptjs for administrative access control.
- 5Optimized MongoDB indexing on trackingCode keys to minimize search response times.
Key Outcomes
- Successfully launched a responsive global shipping MVP handling parcel & bulk cargo.
- Decreased support desk calculator quote queries by 75% via the self-service widget.
- Achieved sub-0.8s LCP on shipment status lookups using optimized database indexing.
Consolidated Logistics Screens
18-day sprint to launch
Database Schema & Auth
Days 1-4
Designed MongoDB models for Shipments (nested history arrays), Users, and Inquiries, implementing bcrypt credentials.
Tracking & UI Build
Days 5-9
Developed responsive landing pages, tracking widgets, doorstep pickup schedules, and contact portals.
Shipping Calculator
Days 10-14
Coded custom JavaScript algorithms calculating rates dynamically based on volumetric weights and country grids.
Admin Portal & Deploy
Days 15-18
Built secure shipment creation and transit updating dashboards, ran build validations, and deployed to production.
"By implementing unified shipment schemas and automated volumetric quote calculators, we eliminated administrative bottlenecks, enabling customers to obtain rates and track parcels with zero phone calls."
Logistics portal engineering insights
Consolidating tracking models
Instead of building multiple APIs, a standardized internal schema allows managers to unify tracking status displays under a single masked brand experience.
Volumetric calculations prevent loss
Relying solely on dead weight leads to pricing errors. Volumetric weight formulas integrated client-side ensure transparent rates directly during inquiry booking.
Dashboard session credentials
Logistics data contains sensitive customer contact details. Protecting admin endpoints using JWT authorization prevents scrapers from accessing database entries.
Explore the logistics architecture
See the Next.js and MongoDB codebase in context.