The tools you use can either be a bottleneck or a catalyst for growth. For many companies, “off-the-shelf” software is the starting point, but as the industry evolves, those standard solutions often fall short of meeting the modern customer’s needs.
In our latest What Others Won’t video, Andy Schenck, Spot’s Co-founder, shares the origin story of Red Technologies and how a bold decision in 2014 changed the trajectory of the business.
Moving Beyond “Off-the-Shelf”
When the journey began in 2009, the industry was a different landscape; older technologies like fax machines were still in normal use. While Spot had basic software that worked initially, it lacked the flexibility required to customize solutions for a growing list of diverse clients.
By 2014, it became clear that to do things differently, we had to build something ourselves. This led to a multi-year development process focused on creating a comprehensive system to manage the entire lifecycle of a shipment: from customer orders and carrier dispatching to complex accounting functions.
Why We Call It “Red”
Naming a piece of proprietary technology is a major milestone, but for us, the name “Red” wasn’t chosen by a marketing firm. It was a personal tribute. Andy’s business parter and Spot’s Co-founder, Andrew Elsener, suggested naming the software after Andy’s mother. Her nickname was Red. It’s a name that carries a sense of legacy and heart, reflecting the personal commitment poured into the platform.
The Power of Real-World Development
One of the greatest advantages of building proprietary tech in-house is the proximity between the people writing the code and the people moving the freight.
With Red Technologies, developers don’t work in a vacuum. They sit right alongside the operations teams, seeing the real-world impact of every line of code. This collaboration allows us to act fast when issues arise and ensures that every update serves a functional purpose for the end-user.
Doing the Things Others Won’t
The ultimate goal of Red Technologies has always been to say “yes” when a customer has a unique requirement. Because we own and create the code, we have the unique ability to build specific features tailored to a client’s needs —doing the “little things” and the hard work that off-the-shelf providers often shy away from.
The journey started in 2009, and as we look forward, we remain committed to using custom technology to drive the logistics industry into the future.