Use Case | PostNL notification services using an Event-Driven Architecture

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Use Case | PostNL notification services using an Event-Driven Architecture

In today's digital world, seamless data flow and real-time updates are crucial to the success of businesses. AppyThings, a leading Cloud Integration services company, has been at the forefront of driving digital transformations through cutting-edge API and integration solutions. In partnership with Axual, we helped PostNL, the Netherlands’ largest postal and logistics provider, modernize their infrastructure to process over 100 million messages daily, ensuring timely and efficient delivery updates to customers.

The Partnership: AppyThings, Axual, and PostNL

AppyThings specializes in providing Cloud Integration solutions, helping organizations streamline data flows, and enabling real-time capabilities. Axual Cloud is an Apache Kafka platform providing a managed, secure, and scalable event streaming service that integrates seamlessly with existing microservices architectures. Together, these companies collaborated with PostNL to help the postal service overhaul its legacy systems and scale operations for higher performance and flexibility.

Why PostNL needed to evolve

PostNL faced a significant challenge: its IT system struggled to manage real-time parcel tracking efficiently. Relying on FTP integrations, PostNL found it hard to send timely notifications to stakeholders, including customers and delivery staff. A key issue was the high volume of API calls made by larger customers to check parcel statuses, which caused inefficiencies and higher costs. These GET requests were frequently made, even when the parcel’s status hadn’t changed for hours. PostNL needed a future-proof solution that would reduce the API burden, modernize its infrastructure, and enable it to deliver a better experience to its B2B and B2C customers.

The approach towards a solution

To address PostNL's needs, AppyThings proposed an event-driven architecture powered by Axual's robust streaming platform. Event-driven architecture (EDA) allows for real-time data processing and minimizes unnecessary API calls by pushing updates only when parcel statuses change. This ensures that customers and partners receive updates exactly when they need them.

The implementation involved setting up a scalable Kafka-based event streaming platform using Axual Cloud. With the use of KSML, a low-code framework to use Python operations for Kafka streams, PostNL could process parcel status changes and generate outgoing notifications efficiently. AppyThings also integrated microservices to support business logic and real-time notifications. In Axual Cloud PostNL is now using the self-service functionalities for her diverse range of customers.

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‍Challenges in implementing the solution

The transition to a modern, event-driven architecture posed several challenges:

1. Governance: Managing the flow of data between multiple departments within PostNL required careful oversight. Ownership and accountability for data streams needed to be clear, and AppyThings ensured the right governance model was in place for the successful rollout.

2. Streaming Application Development: With limited experience in building event-streaming applications, PostNL faced a steep learning curve. AppyThings mitigated this by using KSML, a low-code tool that simplified event processing for PostNL’s developers, reducing the time needed for deployment.

3. Security: Handling sensitive customer data such as addresses meant security was a top priority. AppyThings implemented mTLS (mutual TLS) to secure data in transit, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations.

The Solution: A Modern Event-Driven Infrastructure

At the heart of the solution was a Kafka-based event-streaming platform powered by Axual Cloud. Axual Cloud turns logistical data from PostNL’s core system into actionable information by processing and routing data between various systems while sending real-time notifications to customers.

To accommodate PostNL's smaller webshop customers, a straightforward HTTP GET request integration was used, providing a quick, minimal-setup solution ideal for smaller operations. In contrast, an event-driven system was deployed for high-volume customers like bol.com, efficiently managing large streams of parcel data. Data observations from PostNL’s delivery vans, warehouses, and distribution centers were processed into relevant, real-time updates, tailored to consumers' preferences for delivery via email, SMS, or in-app notifications.

The Results: High-Volume Data Processing with Reduced Costs

The new system enabled PostNL to scale their operations to handle over 100 million messages per day without breaking a sweat. By shifting from a pull-based API system to an event-driven architecture, the organization significantly reduced costs associated with API traffic. Additionally, PostNL’s ability to provide real-time updates to both B2B and B2C customers vastly improved customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.

Call to Action

If you're looking to modernize your IT infrastructure and unlock the full potential of event-driven architecture, AppyThings can help. We've successfully implemented scalable, secure, and high-performance integration solutions for numerous clients. Reach out to us at AppyThings to learn more about how we can assist with your integration challenges and help your organization stay ahead in a digital-first world.

Contact Tom Hendrix at tom@appythings.com or call +32-474-365-980 for more information.

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