FAQ
To which persons or users is the system aimed?
- In the office, the web portal is typically used by employees from load carrier management or load carrier accounting.
- The functions in the context of the shipment or the proof of delivery are often used by dispatchers.
- In the operative field, data is entered in the mobile app either by drivers or warehouse employees.
What are the costs?
- There are no license costs, neither for the web portal nor for the mobile app.
- The first 30 days are completely free, only after that the services are billed.
- The invoicing is purely transaction-based.
- 0.0025 EUR will be charged per booked load carrier.
Which languages are available?
- The web portal is available in 16 languages:
- English
- German
- Bulgarian
- Chinese (Mandarin)
- French
- Italian
- Croatian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Russian
- Serbian
- Slovenian
- Spanish
- Czech
- Turkish
- The mobile app is translated into 50 languages:
- German
- English
- Albanian
- Arabic
- Bulgarian
- Chinese (Mandarin)
- Greek
- Danish
- Estonian
- Finnish
- French
- Georgian
- Hebrew
- Hindi
- Italian
- Japanese
- Kazakh
- Croatian
- Kyrgyz
- Korean
- Latvian
- Lithuanian
- Macedonian
- Mongolian
- Dutch
- Norwegian
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Spanish
- Russian
- Romanian
- Swedish
- Slovak
- Persian
- Serbian
- Sinhalese
- Slovenian
- Tajik
- Tamil
- Tagalog
- Thailander
- Turkmen
- Czech
- Turkish
- Hungarian
- Ukrainian
- Urdu
- Uzbek
- Vietnamese
How does the registration work?
- Every new user must be registered with the system. Use without registration is not possible.
- For an independent registration by a new user an e-mail address and a password are required.
- A new user can register either via the web portal (URL) or in the mobile app.
- The e-mail address is validated via an e-mail containing a confirmation link.
- A new user can also register a new company.
- The first user of a new company automatically receives administration rights. This can be changed later.
- The administrator of a company can create new users directly in the Web portal.
- Alternatively, an administrator of an existing company can invite an existing user to their own company without being assigned to a company.
Is there a trial version?
- A test system is available parallel to the production system. This can be reached via the following URL: https://portal-test.poolynk.com
- The mobile app can be configured via the settings so that it connects to the test system rather than to the production system.
- The test system and production system data are strictly separated. The transfer of authorizations or user data from one system to another is not supported.
- Therefore a separate registration on the test system is required for the use of the test system. This is possible via the following URL: https://portal-test.poolynk.com/partner/registration
- The APIs are also available in the test system. The documentation can be found here: https://portal-test.poolynk.com/api-spec/index#/
Which hardware is required?
- No servers are required, the web portal and server backend are hosted in the Microsoft Azure Cloud.
- An up-to-date browser is required to use the web portal, we recommend Google Chrome.
- Current smartphones or tablets under IOS or Android (from version 4.4) can be used for the mobile app.
How do I install the mobile app?
- The app can be installed via itunes or the Google Play Store.
- Alternatively, the installation data can be provided as APK-files for roll-out in separate device pools under Android. In this scenario, internal IT is also responsible for updating the solution.
- The installation files for TomTom Bridge, TomTom Connect 817x and Daimler Fleetboard devices are also available as APK files.
Do the mobile devices need a data connection?
- Yes.
- A WLAN is sufficient in the warehouse
- A contract with a mobile data connection should be available for use as a driver. We recommend a flat rate, which is only throttled from a certain data volume.
- The poolynk mobile app stores the collected data on the device even if there is no data connection (caching) and transfers it as soon as a connection is available again.
- Location search via GPS position is only available with an existing data connection.
Where is the data stored?
- All data is stored in the Microsoft Azure Cloud, Europe. (https://azure.microsoft.com/de-de/global-infrastructure/regions/)
Which interfaces / APIs are available?
- Various standard interfaces are available.
- Import and export of transactions
- Import, update and export of shipments
- The interfaces are documented under the following URL: https://portal.poolynk.com/api-spec/index#/
- To manage access authorization, an API key must be set up for a (technical) user via user management.
- The interfaces for the test system can be found here: https://portal-test.poolynk.com/api-spec/index#/.
- A separate API key is required for the test system.
Is integration into the existing IT landscape necessary?
- The system can also be used without integration.
- This is particularly recommended for a quick introduction or for a fundamental test of the processes.
- Integration via the existing standard interfaces can then take place in a second step.
How long does the implementation take?
- The time required for a full-coverage implementation depends on the size of the company, the number of locations and the number of users involved.
- A first process test is possible immediately after registration.
- First of all, we recommend carrying out a test in a subsegment of the application spectrum.
- Following a successful test, the roll-out to the entire user group can take place. Depending on the scope, this can also be done in stages.
- Even if no customizing or similar is required when using poolynk, the implementation still has the character of a project.
- Here, the necessary change management must be observed, as well as the nomination of a responsible person or project manager in the company.
- The implementation of interfaces is basically independent of their use and can be postponed to a later project step.
What should I do if my customer insists on a paper receipt?
- When entering a transaction, a photo can optionally be taken of the paper receipt.
- The photo is linked to the transaction in the Web portal.
- The photo can also be transferred to a possibly existing DMS via interfaces.
- The original paper receipt can be filed separately.
- Above all, the time-delayed transfer of data from the paper document to a accounting system is no longer necessary.
How do I create a new user?
- New users can be created in the Web portal.
- Alternatively, a new user can be registered independently in the app or in the web portal.
- After entering the first transaction, the new user can be added to the company.
How does cooperation between partners work?
- Basically, the poolynk platform is designed as a cross-company platform.
- This means that the data can be used by different companies without having to re-enter it.
- For example, all companies involved in a transaction can access the recorded data, as long as they are registered in the poolynk platform.
- The data for a shipment is also available to the partners involved, allowing cross-company cooperation.
- Different companies can be assigned to one transaction or shipment in different roles. These roles are: shipper, consignee, carrier or purchaser.
How is the term transaction defined on the poolynk platform?
- A transaction is the transfer of goods or load carriers from one partner / company to another.
- Transactions are differentiated between loading and unloading.
- At the same time as goods are loaded or unloaded on load carriers, the exchange of empty load carriers is also recorded.
What exactly is a booking on the poolynk platform defined?
- Bookings for all registered partners are derived from the transactions.
- Every movement of an individual load carrier, either incoming or outgoing, is referred to as a booking.
Can the shipment function also be used independently of the load carrier management?
- In principle, this is possible
- We have not yet defined a price model for this use case.
- Therefore, the shipment feature can currently be tested and used free of charge.
- We will inform users in sufficient time about a pricing model.