Pablo Godoy, CEO of Drivin was interviewed by Freya Smale, Marketing Manager at Terrapin (Host of Home Delivery World conference). The organizers of the event wanted to know what made Drivin unique as an SaaS solution for the delivery space, how starting up in Chile puts them in a benefitial position, and how ecommerce and expectations change between markets.
Tell me a little about the history of Drivin. Where did the idea come from?
Drivin starts on January 2015, as the result of the lack of planning we saw on the market of companies that had to do deliveries. The time spent on planning the routes to deliver, was reduced by 90% with our Software. On the other hand, the savings that companies could achieve (up to 30% on their transportation costs), made it a very attractive product for the market. That ́s how Drivin was born. Afterwards we added other features that increased the performance of the companies and the quality of the service they provide to their customers.
What is your background in software or logistics?
I worked for several years managing consulting projects related to logistics. Afterwards I co-founded Inzpiral, a Software Company Builder, that has created several software companies.
What types of companies are the best fit for Drivin’s software?
Our best fit companies are the ones that must do many deliveries or visits in a day, and that also have some restrictions. Drivin optimizes, reducing the amount of vehicles and gives them the optimal routes to deliver. We also offer visibility on the road, that increases the quality of the service they give to their final clients.
Can you explain more about the logistics and delivery infrastructure in Chile? Is it a challenging market for eCommerce and logistics? Why is fleet management so important in Chile?
Chile's logistics market has grown significantly in recent years (at a double-digit rate). That is why companies have been very concerned managing their warehouses, and have outsourced the logistics operation, since they do not have the tools to assume this role. The lack of control that companies have of their deliveries and what happens on the road, is a consequence of this, and therefore is the biggest challenge for ecommerce companies. While these logistics companies have acquired GPS, it is mainly used for security issues, so the data they provide is not really analyzed.
Can you give us some insight into the Chilean eCommerce shopper? What are their expectations? Are there any shopping trends? Is there a level of communication and delivery visibility which Chilean consumers demand?
The ecommerce shoppers have gained importance in Chile in the last couple of years. These customers are increasingly informed and therefore have very high expectations about everything on- line. They want the product to reach there hands hopefully in the next 24 hours and also want to have full visibility of the entire delivery process. Unfortunately most companies in Chile are not up to these requirements, and have customers waiting a couple of days for their orders and in very long time windows.
