Replacing check-in calls with a field-ready operations hub for Merida Logistics
Custom internal dashboard and workflows so teams could execute without headquarters on the line
Client
Merida Logistics
Sector
Logistics · Field Operations
Type
Internal Operations Software
Overview
Merida coordinates drivers, warehouses, and regional leads across several hubs. Day-to-day reality was a patchwork of spreadsheets, chat threads, and scheduled phone check-ins so central ops could “see” what was happening. Scaling meant hiring more coordinators - not improving throughput.
We were engaged to design and build a new internal dashboard from the ground up: real-time status, exception handling, and permissions that matched how decisions actually flow in the field.
The Problem
Visibility lived in people’s heads - and on the phone.
Field leads started each morning with a long checklist of calls to confirm loads, delays, and handoffs. Data in the legacy tool lagged; when it disagreed with reality, teams trusted the call. That worked until volume grew and coordinators became the bottleneck.
Morale suffered: skilled operators spent energy reporting instead of fixing. NPS for internal tools was weak. Leadership wanted autonomy pushed outward without losing accountability.
The Solution
One system of record with field-first defaults.
We modeled Merida’s entities - routes, legs, exceptions, and ownership - and built a responsive web app tuned for tablets and phones on the dock floor. Status updates write through in real time; headquarters sees the same truth as the lead two cities away.
We introduced lightweight workflows for common exceptions (missed window, partial unload, reroute) so resolution paths are documented instead of reinvented in voice notes. Role-based views keep noise down: drivers see tasks, leads see the board, execs see aggregates.
How It Worked
Eight weeks from blank slate to pilot region.
Shadow operations
We embedded with coordinators and leads to capture real exception patterns and language - not idealized process diagrams.
Design the data model
We aligned events, ownership, and audit needs so reporting would stay trustworthy as the org grew.
Build and pilot
A single region went live first; we tuned performance and UX on real load before expanding hub by hub.
Train and hand off
Playbooks and in-app guidance replaced tribal knowledge; check-in rituals could wind down as adoption crossed a threshold.
The Outcome
Fewer calls, clearer accountability, stronger teams.
Weekly check-in calls dropped dramatically as teams relied on live boards and structured updates. Internal NPS for tooling climbed as operators felt the product respected their pace and context.
Headquarters kept oversight through alerts and summaries instead of manual polling - freeing coordinators to work on network design and partner issues rather than status collection.
"Operational software earns trust when it matches how work really happens - not how the org chart wishes it happened."
- Lunova Digital
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