getvan
Brand Manager, Getvan.co.uk

When did you join the company and what does your role involve?

I joined the company when the project started – about a year ago. I was able to be part of the genesis of GetVan.co.uk – concept building, deciding on the best design, how the site will actually work, its marketing strategy and etc.

What were you doing before you joined?

I was a freelance consultant for companies requiring help with their online presence and digital marketing solutions.

When the company was originally set up, who initiated it?

It was more like the need of such website to be made, not an idea. We are all nomads in the new world. In this dynamic way of living; it is rare that we continue to stay in one place or that a week passes without you feeling the need to transport something. But the bad thing of changing your living place or the fuss about sending an item is stressful. Add the amount of time you lose finding the best quote for your budget and it’s already time to move to a new place, right? If you add the advantage of lowering emissions, it’s a win-win for all; less pollution, more work for driver on routes they were already planning and less money to be paid by clients.

How do you differ from other freight exchange sites providers?

We at GetVan believe that what we do is not only helping people to find the perfect match for their moving/delivery needs, nor just the drivers to find the best jobs that match their route, but it’s also a way of business growth and helping the environment. The concept of the corporative citizenship has been really in our minds since we created the website. There comes a time where you know that besides business and money you have the obligation to help the environment as much as you can. The climate change and pollution is not something that is abstract anymore, it’s our duty to make sure our business works with that concept in mind.

In brief what does your software do?

GetVan.co.uk is a great web platform, designed to match delivery quotes with most suitable drivers. Clients save money and time. Drivers find jobs that ideally match their criteria. And it’s good for the environment!

How much have you invested in your software development in recent times?

We believe more in the human capital – our team of 15 young and motivated specialists is what we consider our biggest investment.

How do you design and implement your IT solutions?

We have a team of devoted enthusiasts – we have really amazing and talented designers and developers that constantly search for new ways to improve our system and the website. Naturally, we try to be up-to-date with the newest innovation and design tendencies but we also depend on our own sense of what feels right. We cherish the new things but you have to trust your instincts as well.

Have you embraced any new technologies recently?

Developing our app which we hope will be very innovative and intuitive. We want to give people a simple solution to their complex problem of moving or finding the most suitable job.

Have you won any awards for innovation and excellence?

Not yet, but we hope very soon that all our efforts will be awarded.

What’s your unique selling proposition?

We can simply say that GETVAN helps customers find best delivery quotes online, comparing prices from verified drivers. But we are a lot more than that.

We are a visual board for moving or delivery solutions; we connect the dots or solve the puzzle. We are like a visual board, a services visual board – a network for getting the job done, if you wish. We make things happen for lower prices and lower emissions.

People no longer have to search for various companies to compare quotes or get discount. GetVan is a marketplace where drivers bid and have direct competition for getting a job. The services you provide should be competitive to have clients, so it’s very important that we build a place where you can have a choice and make a smart one.

Drivers can take advantage of their returning trips out of their spare space, so they are more comfortable with lower prices. And we are there to help them through the whole process. We get the job done. And we are happy to do so!

How do your prices compare with other freight exchange providers?

The best part about our website is that drivers and companies can directly compete, they can see what others offer and be aware of what is happening on the market right now. If you are referring to our deposit payments, we make it dependable on the quote price, but it’s mostly around 6%, which is rather low than high in comparison with other sites.

What external factors do you see impacting on the express delivery industry in the near future?

Technology and ecology. Those two aspects of our life will be the most defining in the business everywhere. As delivery industry is pretty much reliable on different innovation in technology for tracking and tracing packages, for finding the fastest route and etc. I think the industry will be changed a lot. Ecology, on the other hand, will start to be even more defining the way business is made and let’s be honest, no actual business can be run without quality delivery services around the world.

If you could send a message to the Transport Secretary, what would it be?

If my message has to be directly said to the Transport Secretary, I would say he should always be one step ahead of his colleagues and be an example of what can be done in order to decrease pollution so that people can have a better, more healthier life.

Frankly, I think politicians should pay more attention to the pollution and the emissions; they should encourage people to drive eco cars, hybrids, share a ride, if you might. All organizations with such eco direction should be rewarded for that. For example, air pollutions causes 29,000 premature deaths every year, and if we as a society can change that we should. But politicians, as a moral example for all of us, should play a bigger part in what can be done to actually save ourselves. I prefer to say it that way, because many people think that it’s not their problem to be more eco-friendly, but it all goes in the same air we all breathe.

Do you think logistics companies will have to become broader in their service offering in order to prosper?

Honestly, yes. I don’t know if broader is the right word, I think they will understand that in order to stay in the market, they will have to be more flexible in their services and more client-oriented. Technology and communication have reached a level of development that the service you provide to a single person is very open to any other point in the world. Currently, there is quite a lot of competition in the industry, so in order for a service provider to be sought, his services should follow the needs and desires of clients. What customers want has to become the motto of the profitable strategy.

Finally, as the dynamics of the delivery industry change over time where do you think the company will be in five year’s time.
We really hope we can expand to matching clients and providers from every point in the world. And get their job done.

By Alison