Big Box Containers eliminate paper and cut administration work time by 38%

With over two decades of experience, Big Box Containers has established itself as a leader in providing high-quality new and used shipping and refrigerated containers. By customizing containers for various uses, Big Box is committed to innovative space solutions that help businesses achieve their goals.

We spoke to Douglas Williams, Head of Development Refrigeration at Big Box's Cape Town office. Williams had recognized the inefficiencies in their traditional paper-based system and heard about Cargosnap through a big supplier Big Box works with. The desire to eliminate paper trails and transition to a digital system drove Big Box to adopt Cargosnap. The move was motivated by the need to get rid of the piles of paper they were constantly in their office along with the need to improve their processes, to make them faster.

The need for change

Inspections involved someone filling out a paper form. The form was then sent to the office, where the data was manually entered into the system. Sometimes, the paper got lost, or mistakes were made in entering the information. The process took a lot of valuable time.

And this paperwork had an immediate effect on the way damage claims were handled. Before Cargosnap, managing a claim involved sifting through scattered documents to find key information. This meant piecing together events by combing through stacks of paper or searching computer files for anything relevant. The process was time-consuming and often unsuccessful. Additionally, the absence of high-quality visual evidence made it challenging to prove that the damage was not their fault.

From approval to action

From the moment the board gave the green light it was full steam ahead. The first step was for Douglas to sit down with key staff members and show them how the platform and app work. They quickly recognized the value of Cargosnap, how their workload could be halved and files organized with precision. It is no surprise that the tool became so popular that what started within Williams's department expanded to other departments.

Douglas attributes Cargosnap’s user-friendliness and its adaptability to this. The platform’s flexibility allows creating custom workflows tailored to meet any department's unique needs. This makes it possible for Cargosnap to be utilized in various contexts, whether for managing containers, tracking their repairs, or handling customer claims.

"The auto upload to the cloud from the app platform cut out a person for the process." - Douglas Williams, Head of Development Refrigeration

The digital transformation

With the use of Cargosnap, inspections are now performed digitally - meaning all data captured on documents, images, videos, and more are captured through the Cargosnap app. In the web-app (platform) the Big Box team can make workflows (checklists) for various types of inspections or operations. Workflows for repairs are especially popular. And what does Douglas find the most exciting? The simplicity of creating and executing workflows. How ticking checklists leaves less work for the team, leaving everyone happy. Time spent on administration has been greatly reduced by 38%.

Once a month, the data is extracted from the workflows and put into a spreadsheet. This information is also used in the form of bar charts, graphs, and so on to provide a visual representation of trends and patterns, identify areas for improvement, and support data-driven decision-making across the organization.

Data-driven decisions

Douglas describes Cargosnap as a ‘Data capturing facility,’ and that’s because Big Box has been able to capture a lot of (maintenance) data. This data is required for their operations to become more efficient and cost-effective.

With Cargosnap, they can see the container's location and the frequency of attending to the same container and calculate spending on repairs. Moreover, Big Box can build up a history on the reefer. Having this ability, especially with an older fleet, is extremely useful because they can flag potential risks and track when it's time for maintenance. At the end of the month, Big Box calculates which components have failed that month so they can make informed decisions for the future. Cargosnap has helped Big Box against liability claims because now they have visual proof every step of the way. William's favorite feature is the high-quality video footage and the ability to take photos from the app.

The impact

Now to the facts. Big Box’s adoption of Cargosnap has reduced administrative work while giving them critical insights. In fact, 38% less time is spent on administrative work and a 45% decrease in paper costs. Douglas cites the app as the real game changer, ‘‘everyone has a cell phone, and it is direct – the speed of the data capturing, and the accuracy of the data capturing is fantastic.’’ With such data, there has been a 45% decrease in damage claims. The simplicity of the Cargosnap and its intuitive design make it an indispensable tool for Big Box’s operations to maintain its place as a leader in container solutions.