Chris Ristovski’s very first task for his very first job was to answer a phone call from a disgruntled customer demanding, “where’s my delivery?” Ever since then, he’s been working on creating tools to solve that problem—and many more encountered by businesses when it comes to delivery management.

Now CEO of tech business SubTrux, Ristovski’s software works to empower businesses to take control of their delivery management needs with a state-of-the-art system that enables any company to manage their deliveries, whether they own their own fleet or outsource to external transport firms. The company’s ultra-transparent software system allows complete management of the entire delivery process in real time, and is being touted as a game-changer that’s bringing full visibility and control across the spectrum of the goods transport industry.

“I’ve lived and breathed the challenges of managing the customer experience throughout my business life” says Ristovski. “I’ve seen every frustration, not only from a customer perspective but also from a business management and optimisation perspective. I invested in a lot of different systems over the years trying to find a better way to do business and help customers—the other software out in the market would solve one problem, but then a new one would emerge. So in the end, I decided to put a team together, and said right, we’re going to build something amazing here—a technology platform, not just to resolve my issues but to put businesses back in the driving seat of customer deliveries. Then our journey began.”

The SubTrux delivery management software platform effectively reimagines the entire delivery experience with its ability to transform the delivery industry and the way it’s managed—with its perceived lack of transparency, inefficiencies and poor collaboration—from the ground up.

It’s a twofold approach: a delivery management solution providing total supervision and control of the movement of goods, and a marketplace solution that gives access to a sizable network of independent drivers, effectively circumventing restrictions placed by traditional transport companies dictating when and how often deliveries can be made. What’s more, the solution can be applied to companies operating their own delivery fleets through to those dealing with external partners who need a little extra support at times of high demand—or even minor retailers with occasional small-scale delivery needs.

Ristovski first applied the emerging technology solution to his own business—Soilworx, a landscape and garden supplies business that operates with heavy delivery requirements throughout Melbourne. This was the testing ground before joining with other companies to adapt SubTrux to a more diverse range of retailers. The result of this process has been an elegantly refined software solution that automates the complex moving parts of the delivery process while maintaining base-level human control, ensuring all stakeholders can have eyes on any part of the operation.

The SubTrux delivery management software platform achieves transparency via simple status checkpoints marked through driver messaging, image scanning, photography and timestamps—all these and more visible on the monitoring system by human operators who can reach out whenever there’s a hitch. This automation allows smooth planning allocation as well as straightforward CoR compliance via a system of checks and balances. No matter how many deliveries are in the queue, a press of a button organises those jobs and assigns a list of drivers ready to set off.

The same system can be applied to retail businesses of any size that have an existing arrangement with a transport company who lack a comparable level of visibility. Retailers can request for their existing transport drivers to log in to the SubTrux app so as to provide a measure of oversight and control over the operation.

What sets this software solution in a class of its own is how it can support retailers who don’t have their own trucks or transport solution. SubTrux Marketplace provides access to a network of ad-hoc drivers, where more than 2000 contractors—all subject to a strict onboarding process to ensure reliability—can be tapped for one-off deliveries, capacity overflow, on-demand last mile deliveries or for multiple jobs at day rates. The intuitive interface allows users to post a job to the market within as little as 20 seconds, with a delivery underway within half an hour at anywhere between 30–50 per cent less cost than what a normal transport company would charge.

The SubTrux Marketplace offering provides a great deal of flexibility in delivery options, with the capacity to deliver freights from a single box to even larger than 25 kilos via a diverse range of vehicles available—ranging from bicycles and cars right through to semi trailers, large trucks, and even earth moving equipment. This network serves to maximise empty load space, enhancing driving efficiency and thus introducing an environmental benefit, reducing emissions by introducing more efficiencies and cutting miles that people are travelling to deliver freight.

“The customer experience is immediate,” says Ristovski. “They’ve got full visibility, they know who the driver is, they know what time they’re coming, they can track the driver, they can see the delivery drop point—they get photos and validated timestamps, and when the delivery arrives there’s ratings for customer and driver and live dashboards matching reporting to ETAs—and it’s all quick and easy to use.

“Even if drivers aren’t logged in, we’re constantly reaching out to them through text messages. We always find someone. The automation on the back end is always, consistently, looking for the next driver to take your delivery.”

SubTrux works closely with business clients to understand more about their operations, ensuring their solution can be tailored to fit. By providing the proper tools, the system can unleash the power of knowing where any delivery is at any time, installing a transparent and fully manageable channel of communication between sender and receiver.

“Transparency is the key,” adds Ristovski. “The system lets you be honest and forthcoming with your customer. ‘This is when you’ll get it, if we’re late, you will know.’ It’s live, you’re not waiting for the phone call. It’s clear.”

SubTrux provides delivery solutions to firms such as Bev Marks beds, Super Retail Group and Soilworx. Retailers are welcome to get in touch with SubTrux to discuss how the firm can improve the delivery experience for their customers, save costs and tap into their full potential.