Zeus Logics — Building a SaaS Platform with Haskell

Zeus Logics, a New York-based startup, wanted to create a SaaS tool that brings logistics and inventory visibility, document management, and collaboration tools together in one platform. Our engineers used Haskell to develop a scalable and secure back-end, allowing Zeus to make rapid changes to its feature set, without introducing regressions.

Our Work Involved

• Back-End Development with Haskell
• Engineering Leadership
• PostgreSQL Data Warehouse

Impact

• Higher Application Agility
• Secure Application Infrastructure
• Lower Maintenance Costs

The global logistics industry is no stranger to paradoxes.

It contributes over 10% to the world economy, yet received less than 1% of total VC funding in 2018.

It brings technological marvels into the hands of consumers, yet itself remains marred with legacy infrastructure – some of which dates back to the 1960s.

So, although you can track where your pizza is at any second, enterprises often struggle to track their multimillion-dollar shipments. Add to that custom clearances and excise duties, and logistics becomes a complex challenge for even the most well-resourced organizations.

A New York-based startup, Zeus Logics, decided to do something about this problem.

The Problem

Founded by Christopher Wall, Zeus provides logistics technology that helps shippers manage their supply chains while reducing costs, ensure compliance with global trade requirements, and clear Customs. Christopher wished to create a SaaS tool that brings logistics and inventory visibility, document management, and collaboration tools together in one platform.

Such a tool would require exceptional performance standards. Not only would it have to provide a scalable platform with real-time information, but also respect business rules, Customs regulations, and processes. In recent years, the global logistics industry has witnessed a spate of cyberattacks. So, the tool would also require a top-notch security posture.

Therefore, Zeus decided to use a programming language that was more sophisticated than Java, C++, and PHP.

The answer would lie in one of the world’s leading functional programming languages – Haskell. Haskell is ideal for rapidly evolving application feature sets without regressions. This makes it a great fit for startups operating in dynamic, high-integrity industries.

Back-End Development with Haskell

Tweag, the open source program office of Modus Create, is one of the core contributors to the Haskell ecosystem. In 2019, the Tweag team worked with the Zeus team to create the application backend. (Tweag was acquired by Modus Create in 2022.)

They helped design a modern functional architecture for Zeus Logics, working in close collaboration with Zeus’ product owner.

Working in an integrated one-team fashion helped the engineers develop a deep understanding of Zeus Logics’ goals and industry. As the project gained momentum, they successfully adapted to changing business needs and the global supply chain disruption.

The caliber of engineering…and the quality of engineering team management have helped us overcome a lot of our own internal mistakes as we grow. - Christopher Wall, CEO at Zeus Logics

Impact

Zeus’ SaaS platform now provides an affordable alternative for enterprises to track their shipment and use real-time insights to make decisions. The platform is available on web browsers 24/7/365, replacing the need for clunky legacy software that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Haskell allows the Zeus team to fix engineering issues in hours instead of days.

Christopher Wall, CEO at Zeus Logics, suggests that when thinking of development languages, don’t always default to what’s common and well understood. Just because a solution is popular doesn’t mean it’s optimal. Going off the beaten path and exploring new tech will give dividends in the future.

We’ve been signing up large new clients…and our choice in engineering teams and our choice in using Haskell is a part of that success. - Christopher Wall, CEO at Zeus Logics

Interested in deploying scalable infrastructure to support your application?

Our engineers have helped several Global 2000 enterprises such as Audi, Sephora, Uniqlo, and Burger King create next-gen digital experiences.

Have a similar challenge? Contact us to discuss how we can help.