About the Project

The Challenge

A Balik Bayan cargo and shipping company was managing their entire operation through spreadsheets and phone calls. Shipment data lived in multiple places, staff had no single view of active consignments, and customers had no way to track their boxes online. As the business grew, this manual system was becoming a liability — orders were being missed, tracking queries were consuming staff time, and there was no reliable audit trail.

The Approach

The Challenge Build a web application that could centralise all shipment data, give staff a real-time operational dashboard, and provide customers with a self-service tracking interface — while keeping hosting costs manageable for an SME.

What We Built

Full-stack web application using Laravel (backend API and business logic), Vue.js (reactive frontend with real-time updates), and MySQL (relational database for shipment and customer records). Deployed on a VPS with Nginx configuration, giving the client full control over hosting costs compared to managed cloud platforms.

Core features delivered:

Shipment management: Staff can create, update, and track shipments from intake through to delivery. Each shipment record captures box type, weight, consignee details, pickup and delivery addresses, and current status.

Customer management: Complete customer profiles with full shipping history, making it easy to handle repeat bookings and resolve tracking queries without searching across spreadsheets.

Box inventory management: Real-time tracking of box types and quantities, with automatic updates as shipments are created and completed.

Customer tracking portal: A public-facing interface where customers can enter their tracking number and see the current status of their shipment — eliminating the majority of inbound phone calls.

Modular Vue.js architecture: Each UI section is a standalone component, making it straightforward to extend the platform with new features post-launch without rebuilding existing screens.

The Result The client moved their entire operation from spreadsheets to the web application within two weeks of launch. Staff time spent on manual tracking queries dropped significantly. The customer tracking portal reduced inbound phone calls for status updates. The platform is live and processing active shipments at balikbayanboxesworldwide.com.

The Outcome

What This Demonstrates for UK Businesses A well-built web application replaces manual processes, reduces admin overhead, and creates a better customer experience. Whether you need a client portal, a booking system, an inventory tool, or a custom dashboard — ExoraLeads builds web applications that solve real operational problems, not just websites that look good.