Helping an ambitious logistics startup revolutionise the delivery and return experience for shops and their customers.
Sway, formerly known as Returnmates, was founded in 2020 by two friends who got absolutely frustrated with the hassles related to online returns.
This is a US-based provider of shipping services, enabling easy delivery and return of online purchases. The company's objective is to help brands ensure an excellent delivery & return experience for their customers.
Logistics & delivery
Front-end development, back-end development, mobile development, UI/UX design, software testing
Front-end: React, Redux + Redux-Saga, Next.js, TypeScript, Material UI
Back-end: Node.js, TypeScript, Serverless Framework
Database: PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, Aurora RDS, Firebase, Snowflake
Infrastructure: AWS (Cognito, SQS, Lambda, CloudWatch, API Gateway, System Manager, OpenSearch/ElasticSearch, AppSync)
Other tools & frameworks: Stripe, Google Maps API, GraphQL, Sigma Computing
7
Engineers
USA
Country
Since 2020
Cooperation
Sway is a user-friendly platform that changes the way shops and purchasers handle deliveries, returns, and exchanges. It automates routing, scanning, tracking, and shipment transfers, streamlining logistics.
Sway includes a web app for clients and admins, as well as a mobile app for drivers and operators, both of which rely on data validation and analytics tools for optimal performance.
We began collaborating with Sway almost from the start. Our specialists have been working with the Sway team shoulder-to-shoulder, contributing to the most diverse aspects of software development: architecture design, infrastructure setup, business logic development, UI/UX design, UI creation, quality assurance, and more.
Together, we’ve brainstormed new features, explored business opportunities, and found efficient solutions to the challenges we face.
Our deliverables include a fully functional Admin Panel, Partner Page, Client App, and a mobile app for drivers and operators. More importantly, our partnership has led to Sway’s success and thousands of happy online shoppers.
The platform faced several critical issues affecting speed, usability, and scalability:
Slow barcode scanning
Each scan took 3–5 seconds, limiting processing speed and reducing user satisfaction.
React Native mobile app development (iOS/Android)
Split business logic between drivers and operators, improving delivery speed and efficiency by 50%.
No mobile app
Drivers and operators had to complete tasks manually, which significantly slowed down the delivery process.
PostgreSQL database optimization
Added indexes and materialized views, improving query speed by at least 40%.
Inefficient parcel creation process
Each delivery suggested a new user entry, overloading a database and server.
Refactoring of the parcel creation process
Eliminated redundant user creation, reducing database load by at least 5%.
Excessive data in API requests
High server load slowed down data processing.
Barcode scanner performance improvement
Reduced scanning time from 3–5 seconds to 1–2 seconds, increasing package processing speed.
Unoptimized database queries
Lack of indexing and inefficient storage structures affected performance.
Smooth transition from B2C to B2B
Enabled scalable architecture, with which the company handles hundreds of thousands of shipments without significant rework.
Unclear allocation of responsibilities
Duties were not clearly assigned among employees.
Audit Page implementation in the Admin Panel
Allowed Sway to track and manually validate routing errors.
High load led to routing errors
Occasional incorrect package distribution happened.
Introduction of queue functionality
Eliminated unnecessary trip creation, reducing stored data by 20% and cutting storage costs.
Race condition issues in trip creation
Delays in processing led to the incorrect assignment of parcels to trips, impacting service reliability and customer trust.
Scalability enhancements
Improved the system architecture, enabling it to handle a 10x increase in package volume.
Resource logging with AWS CloudWatch
Identified and fixed system bottlenecks.
API request optimization
Removed unnecessary data, reducing server load.
Address validation
We integrated AWS Location Service and Google Address Validation API to automatically fix address errors.
Integration with Zebra Scanners
This integration enabled flawless QR and barcode printing via Zebra printers. Dynamically generated ZPL labels improved logistics accuracy and speed.
Development of a custom reporting system for Weekly Delivery Reports
Our developers built a custom reporting system from scratch with data filtering for shipments, profits, and losses, using Node.js → GCS Bucket → Snowflake → Sigma Computing.
Integration with US Delivery Services
A unified package status system that we created enabled seamless tracking across FedEx, ClearJet, Million, T-Force, SmartKargo, and UDS.
2x faster package processing
Optimized database and API requests accelerated system performance.
Reduced routing errors
The new audit page enabled faster issue detection and resolution.
Enhanced user experience
The mobile app streamlined role distribution and delivery operations.
Improved scalability
The system remained stable even with exponential package volume growth.
Higher profitability
Process automation reduced costs and increased efficiency.
Today, Sway is a rapidly growing company that collaborates with more than 250 brands, including large retailers such as Rent The Runway and online marketplaces like Mercar and Amazon.
It has grown outside of its home city of Los Angeles to 8 other cities across the USA.
As of 2023, Sway returned more than 10 million dollars worth of returns to retailers and gained a 99% customer satisfaction score by pleasing thousands of customers.
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