Overview
Thriving economies rely on robust logistics systems to enable seamless value delivery and drive economic growth. In Nigeria, the daily movement of goods from one location to another underscores the need for efficient, accessible, and reliable logistics to sustain commerce. Such systems not only empower businesses but also create job opportunities, contributing significantly to Africa's largest economy.
I embarked on this project with only high-level words from the founders on what they wanted to achieve, the rest were on my shoulders asides writing the actual code, meaning I wore multiple hats in order to take the idea from 0 to 1.
My contribution
Product strategy
Product management
User research
Product design
Branding
The team
1 x product designer
2 x cofounders
1 x user researcher
2 x engineers
Year
2022
Challenge
Businesses in Nigeria lose an estimated $55 million (₦20.8 billion) daily due to inefficiencies in the logistics system. Lagos has quite a number of independent and company-associated dispatch riders, but then they are mostly offline and out of reach to businesses. Merchants are faced with vices everyday that cost them their businesses or make them lose trust in the existing logistics system, vice-versa. Also, lack of transparency has made merchants resort to self-help while curbing their losses.
Breaking down the problem
Conducted competitive analysis, field studies to fully immerse, gain perspective, customer behaviours, and observe frictions.
Key areas of focus
Fast and easy delivery from point A to B
Design a simplified and intuitive interface and interactive experience, that promotes usability, reduces or eliminates cognitive load, and to elevate task completion rate. Transparent ordering system that dynamically selects delivery vehicle type, based on selected category, distance, and weight class.
Transparent pricing
Design a pricing matrix that's fair to all (merchants and riders). Matrix function that works based on base fee, weight of item selected, category, and time. With this matrix structure, it makes it rare for merchants (businesses) or riders to outsmart the system, thereby increasing customer satisfaction ratings, DAU, and reduction in request cancelation. Base fees are allocated to weight classes (small, medium, and large), per kilometre, and per minute.
Increase rider availability in the pool
To ensure merchants/businesses have a wide range of delivery options. thereby promoting rider on-demand availability, we opened rider onboarding to beyond conventional delivery method (motorcycle and cars) to non-conventional personnel (bicycles, trucks, on-foot), as long as you going towards point B, and meet KYC verification requirements.
Realtime tracking
To enhance merchants' trust, and product confidence, design realtime mobile-first tracking feature for these businesses to be able to check progress and status of their order (delivery).
Safe delivery
Designed a thorough KYC process for Goflexnow riders. Depending on vehicle or mode of delivery, we ask for corresponding KYC variables. These helps with quality of riders we get on Goflexnow. Also, we designed PIN entry checkpoints during order pickup, and drop-off to avoid order mismatch, and impersonation.
Rider experience
We designed and built a robust rider app, as we understood that creating an efficient mobility solution, requires a seamless and intuitive rider experience as they are a major stakeholder in ensuring a successful outcome
Summary
Outcome
Goflexnow is currently operational in Africa's most populated city, Lagos. It officially left stealth mid- 2023, and has since onboarded over 600 riders, and grown revenue by 2x.