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Commerce & retail

MS Direct digitises retail logistics to boost efficiency and customer satisfaction

With our support, MS Direct is making tangible strides towards becoming a tech-driven retail logistics leader. By providing a dedicated team of software engineers, we accelerated the company’s go-to-market strategy for efficient cross-border e-commerce shipments with a streamlined platform and digitised returns process.

MS Direct warehouse

Project overview:

  • MS Direct sets out to transform from a traditional logistics company into a tech-driven logistics industry leader. 

  • A robust e-commerce returns module built in just three months allows retailers to seamlessly send and return shipments beyond EU borders (i.e. Switzerland and the UK). 

  • Zühlke’s collaboration and agile approach enabled the rapid development of a cross-border platform, helping MS Direct win new clients and increase revenue.

MS Direct autostore

Revolutionising retail logistics calls for digital transformation

MS Direct is a leading provider of automated fulfilment and cross-border e-commerce solutions. With logistics warehouses located across Switzerland and Germany, the company ensures online orders arrive quickly and smoothly, turning shoppers into loyal fans of retail brands. On average, MS Direct processes 32 million articles and 17 million returns per year.

For over 45 years, MS Direct has been a leading player in the logistics industry. However, in an evolving market where digital agility is crucial, MS Direct’s leadership recognised the need to transition from being a logistics company with some technical capabilities to a technology-driven player with logistics expertise. This ambitious vision called for comprehensive digital transformation.

Without this transformation, the company risked falling behind competitors, losing market share, and failing to meet the growing expectations of its existing clients for seamless, digitally advanced services.

Learn more about our collaboration

Build vs partner: a strategic dilemma

Initially, MS Direct considered opening its own nearshore software centre to begin its digital transformation journey. The leadership team needed a partner to evaluate this approach, factoring in potential locations, labour costs, tax implications, and other critical considerations. After consulting with several companies, MS Direct chose Zühlke thanks to our extensive software engineering expertise. 
 
Our evaluation revealed that MS Direct would see higher returns by partnering with us through a dedicated team model. Instead of incurring considerable upfront costs and investing a significant amount of time in building their own nearshore centre, they could leverage our tailored team of software engineers and cross-disciplinary experts. 
 
‘Zühlke's expertise and transparent approach convinced us that partnering with them would yield higher business benefits than building our own nearshore centre. Their dedication to understanding our unique needs and providing tailored support was exactly what we were looking for', says Fabrizio Anner, COO at MS Direct.

Futuristic technology tunnel

Embracing agile methodologies to drive efficiency

When we began our partnership, MS Direct was already building an e-commerce cross-border platform for facilitating retail logistics between countries that don’t have easy customs procedures. For example, those that operate shipments from EU countries to non-EU countries like Switzerland or the UK.

MS Direct’s team needed support in evaluating the existing architecture of the technical solution. So, after conducting an architectural assessment and proving that we had the necessary competency, we promptly took over the required work.

Our first task was to build and implement a robust and scalable returns module that would enable a fast go-to-market strategy. The goal was to develop a seamless end-to-end process, allowing users to send and return shipments effortlessly. 
 
To build the returns module quickly without sacrificing quality, we took a systematic and agile approach. Our team established clear collaboration processes with MS Direct, including continuous discovery and requirements gathering sessions. 
 
Given the crucial role of warehouse employees as end users, we prioritised gathering feedback from them and tailored the process and final solution to their specific needs. This user-centred approach ensured the development of a functional and practical cross-border platform.

Three colleagues brainstorming

To guarantee transparency and success, we maintained open communication, provided MS Direct full access to all the code, and continuously steered the project. Additionally, we consulted MS Direct on other areas of their digital transformation journey, offering expert advice on cloud technologies, artificial intelligence, and more.  
 
Within three months, we successfully developed and implemented an Azure-hosted returns module for cross-border shipments, ensuring scalability and reliability. Since then, we’ve continued our work with MS Direct, steadily enhancing their platform and developing new functionalities.

Architectural challenge: balancing custom requirements and standardisation

The primary challenge we faced during this project was architectural – balancing unique returns process requirements for each of MS Direct’s clients with the need for a standardised cost-effective platform. 
 
To address this, we developed a versatile solution that allowed us to tailor features to the unique needs of each retailer. 
 
For example, when a major retailer approached MS Direct with a requirement for a very specific customs clearance process, we tailored the platform to meet this need and essentially developed a bespoke solution. This flexibility was crucial as the retailer needed the tool within two months and had stringent security compliance requirements. 
 
Our ability to adapt and cater to the specific needs of MS Direct’s clients was key to helping the company differentiate and satisfy a diverse pool of retailers.

“Our work with Zühlke has had a direct impact on our business. Their high-quality software and fast delivery enabled us to win new clients and grow our revenue. We knew we could rely on them completely, which was instrumental for our transformation into a tech-driven logistics leader.” “Our work with Zühlke has had a direct impact on our business. Their high-quality software and fast delivery enabled us to win new clients and grow our revenue. We knew we could rely on them completely, which was instrumental for our transformation into a tech-driven logistics leader.”

Fabrizio Anner
Fabrizio Anner

COO, MS Direct

Collaboration impact: fuelling revenue growth and digital transformation

‘We have reached a significant milestone by establishing a dedicated engineering team in partnership with Zühlke. It is a crucial step forward on our journey to becoming a tech player as the team is our backbone for developing cutting-edge web solutions, driving digital transformation, and enhancing the overall competitiveness of our company in the logistics tech space,’ says Luca Graf, CEO at MS Direct. 
 
Every aspect of our collaboration with MS Direct had a direct impact on its business. By embedding our software engineers into the company and delivering high-quality software quickly, we enabled a smooth product delivery, helped MS Direct win new clients and grow its revenue.

Colleagues celebrating a success

Our agile approach, combined with the dedication to understand and meet end-user needs, ensured that MS Direct’s cross-border solution would effectively cater to customer requirements. This approach helped cultivate trust and reliability, solidifying our partnership.

MS Direct’s cross-border platform has earned significant recognition in the industry, winning several prestigious awards. Recently, the team was honoured with the E-commerce Germany Award for the "Best Logistics and Shipments Solution," marking a proud moment for our partnership. 
 
We’re excited to continue our collaboration with MS Direct and accompany the team on their ambitious journey to transform from a traditional logistics company into a tech-driven industry leader.

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