Onfleet > Case Studies > Scaling On-Demand Building Material App with Onfleet: A Case Study on Rockery

Scaling On-Demand Building Material App with Onfleet: A Case Study on Rockery

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms

Applicable Industries

Cement
Transportation

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation
Procurement

Use Cases

Building Automation & Control
Last Mile Delivery

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

Rockery is a technology-driven company that provides on-demand access to heavy building materials like rock and sand. The company aims to simplify the construction industry by offering contractors a simple app experience that allows them to source materials without having to worry about supply or delivery. Rockery was launched in 2017 by James Wicker, a former iOS developer and tech lead at Twitter, and his business partner, CEO Marcelo Barajas. The company is based in the California Bay Area with additional operations in San Diego, California and plans to expand to San Antonio, Texas in the near future.

The Challenge

Rockery, a company that provides on-demand access to heavy building materials, was facing a significant challenge in managing its delivery process. The company's business model involves sending a truck to the source of the building material, typically a rock quarry, and delivering the material to the contractor’s job site. For the first few years, Rockery managed its dispatching using Slack channels. However, by March of 2019, the company realized that this ad hoc method was not sustainable for their growing business. They needed a solution that would allow them to rapidly scale their operations without compromising on efficiency or customer service.

The Solution

In 2019, Rockery integrated Onfleet delivery management software into its operations to address its scaling challenges. Onfleet’s dynamic routing system allowed Rockery to plan routes and cost of materials throughout the day with just one dispatcher for one thousand builders in one market. This integration led to a radical transformation in the company's operations, with significant improvements observed within a month. The Onfleet platform also provided Rockery with the scalability it needed to take on jobs of any size. For instance, if Rockery’s fleet of trucks didn’t have the capacity for a job, they could outsource truckers and onboard them to Onfleet in minutes. Rockery also established a partnership model with a trucking company in San Diego, where the company takes orders from the front end while the trucking company does dispatching and deliveries using Onfleet.

Operational Impact

The integration of Onfleet into Rockery's operations led to significant improvements in customer service and operational efficiency. One of the most common customer problems in the construction industry is understanding the estimated time of arrival (ETA) for building materials. Prior to Onfleet, Rockery would receive constant phone calls for ETA updates. However, with Onfleet's tracking links and ETAs, these phone calls disappeared overnight. The platform also provided Rockery with the flexibility to dispatch or gain insights from anywhere, leading to a complete transformation in their back-office operations. Furthermore, the scalability of the Onfleet platform has enabled Rockery to pursue a partnership model in San Antonio and plan for further expansion throughout the United States.

Quantitative Benefit

Rockery was able to scale its operations to manage one thousand builders in one market with just one dispatcher.
Significant improvements in operations were observed within a month of integrating Onfleet.
Rockery can now take on jobs of any size, from one yard to one thousand.