Case Study Information
Short Description
Pell Software developed a high-performance, real-time event management and reporting portal for Ascent Pro Staffing to unify disparate data streams from logistics and communication platforms. This centralized application synchronizes live data from Reach24 and Talkdesk, providing a single pane of glass for supervisors and agents to manage complex dispatch workflows and technician communications with millisecond precision.
The Challenge
Ascent Pro Staffing, a critical player in the logistics and staffing industry, faced significant operational friction due to fragmented data across multiple third-party systems. Their agents were forced to toggle between Reach24 for event tracking and Talkdesk for communication, leading to “tedious” workflows and potential delays in responding to urgent logistics events. The client lacked a unified view of agent availability, event status, and real-time alerts, making it difficult to maintain the high level of responsiveness required for their customers who often call back days later regarding specific repairs. Furthermore, manual event assignment was not supported by their primary APIs, creating a bottleneck in their dispatching process.
The Solution
Pell Software engineered a custom, standalone web application hosted on Microsoft Azure, built with a focus on real-time data synchronization and localized user experiences. We implemented a robust integration layer utilizing webhooks and websockets to pull live data from Reach24 and Talkdesk every 5 seconds, ensuring the dashboard accurately reflects the current state of operations without requiring page refreshes.
To solve the assignment gap, we developed a proprietary Event Assignment Functionality within the dashboard that allows supervisors to manually or automatically assign events to agents based on email matching. We also architected an advanced, event-driven notification system featuring a “Notification Drawer” and browser-level alerts. This system tracks critical KPIs such as “Event Age” and “Idle Timers,” triggering high-priority alerts if a dealer remains unresponsive or if an ETA exceeds pre-defined limits. The final solution provides a highly tailored environment where agents can “Accept” or “Decline” assignments, snooze alerts, and even manually override event statuses to maintain reporting integrity when third-party data lags.
The Outcome
The launch of the Event Dashboard & Reporting Application has transformed Ascent Pro Staffing’s dispatch operations from a reactive process into a proactive, data-driven machine. By keeping agents within a single, unified dashboard for the vast majority of their daily workflow, the client has drastically reduced the time lost to system switching. The automated assignment logic and real-time “Idle” alerts ensure that no logistics event falls through the cracks, directly improving service-level agreement (SLA) performance.
The client now possesses a scalable infrastructure that not only supports their current “JB Hunt” program but is also architected to easily onboard future programs like “ERS” with custom metrics and KPIs. With full access to source code and comprehensive database schemas, Ascent Pro Staffing has secured a long-term digital asset that provides a significant return on investment through increased agent efficiency and improved logistical accuracy
Date
July, 2023 – September, 2023
We started work on Phase 1 of the application in July 2023 and finished in September, 2023. However, our team has been constantly improving and maintaining it ever since including the addition of new features and adjustments of existing features.]
Major Features
- Real-Time Data Synchronization: Bi-directional integration with Talkdesk and Reach24 utilizing webhooks for near-instant updates.
- Intelligent Event Assignment: Manual and automatic assignment workflows that match events to agents via email and name parsing.
- Advanced Notification Engine: Multi-priority alert system featuring a notification drawer, browser popups, and visual color-coding for high-priority events.
- Agent Status Tracking: A live “Agent Status Log” that monitors availability (Aux Codes) and duration in real-time.
- Custom Event Grouping: Dynamic vertical sections for “New,” “Dispatching,” “Accepted,” and “Closed” events with independent expand/collapse controls.
- Status Override Functionality: Allows agents to manually update event statuses and ETAs within the dashboard for accurate internal reporting.
- Office 365 SSO: Seamless and secure authentication using existing Azure AD accounts.
Technologies Used & Keywords
- Programming Language(s): [.NET, C#, SQL, Javascript]
- Framework(s): [ASP.NET MVC, .NET Core, Express.js]
- Infrastructure: [Microsoft Azure, Azure SQL, Azure App Service, Azure Function Apps, Azure WebJobs, AWS Beanstalk]
- Third-party Systems: [QuickBooks Online, Sage 100, HubSpot, Salesforce, Authorize.NET]
Client
Client Industry
Logistics, Staffing & Professional Services
Client Description
Ascent Pro Staffing is a premier staffing and logistics management firm headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa. They specialize in providing high-touch support for complex logistical operations, including emergency roadside assistance and work order management for major transportation partners like JB Hunt. Their team of agents and supervisors coordinates critical service events, ensuring that equipment is repaired and returned to service with minimal downtime
Client Review
Pell Software has developed multiple custom solutions tailored to our specific and complex processes, which have significantly improved efficiency in our call center and, ultimately, for our customers.
It was evident the Pell team took time to thoroughly understand our use case. As we approached the end of our project, Brandon made suggestions to further enhance performance while being mindful of how changes would impact our processes.
Additionally, their response time to issues or inquiries has been outstanding. The team is quick to investigate and resolve reported issues, effectively eliminating or minimizing downtime.
- Amy Quiroz
