PostNL modernized its parcel tracking by partnering with AppyThings and Axual. They implemented a centralized platform using Axual Cloud and KSML, processing over 100 million messages daily. The system is now transitioning to PostNL’s private AWS cloud.
PostNL is the largest postal service in the Netherlands. The organization is responsible for delivering mail and packages both within the Netherlands and outside the country through partnerships with external supply chain organizations. PostNL has more then 35.000 employees, does more than 3 billion in revenue and has delivered over 1.75 billion postal items in 2023. Although PostNL was historically a government owned company, the company is now publicly traded on the Euronext exchange in Amsterdam.
In 2023, PostNL was still using legacy applications to make sure every parcel was delivered. This stack of legacy applications was responsible for maintaining parcel status. It, however, wasn’t able to send notification to customers and other stakeholders. In addition, the sprawl of different application making up the system was hard to maintain. This prompted the organization to look for solutions that would fit the requirements of the Dutch postal service. PostNL decided the way forward was to collaborate with AppyThings, a consultancy firm specializing in enterprise integration.
For PostNL the task that needed to be accomplished was quite simple; there was a need for a centralized platform that would allow the organization to maintain parcel status and send notifications to stakeholders like postman and customers. This platform would essentially be the “brain” of the logistical operation.
To fulfill the task at hand, the organization had some additional requirements; the platform to be used needs to meet modern standards to provide scalability, fault tolerance and security. As this would be the real center of the operation, this was very important. PostNL wants to eventually host this platform within their own private AWS cloud environment.
Axual was approached by Appythings about a potential use case at PostNL. Appythings was aware of one of the first use cases at Rabobank; Real-Time Financial Alerts and figured our organization was the go-to player within the real-time data space. Based on the requirements provided by AppyThings, Axual provided a reference architecture. This architecture incorporates a private instance of Axual Cloud with an instance of KSML.
Axual Cloud is an Apache Kafka platform based on open source components. It provides a cloud native approach for high-volume, mission-critical applications. The platform can be used in a no-code way through a self-service UI. More interesting for PostNL, Axual Cloud can be used and configured through an API. KSML, or Kafka Streams Markup Language, is a framework to use Python operations for Kafka streams. This low-code framework is responsible for transforming parcel status changes for notifications. Together Axual Cloud and KSML provide all the functionality required by PostNL.
In collaboration with Appythings, the platform was implemented for a proof of concept by PostNL.
Long story short, Axual has delivered on their proposition. PostNL was and is very happy with the results of the proof of concept. The Kafka platform is currently doing more than 100M+ messages per day without lacking in performance. Due to the speed of implementation, the functionality of Axual Cloud in combination with KSML and the customer-centric approach to doing business, PostNL has confidence in the platform provided by Axual. Currently, the supply chain company is working towards migrating their instance of Axual Cloud to their own private cloud in AWS.
For those looking to simplify the implementation of Apache Kafka and optimize event streaming, Axual offers an effective platform. Axual provides a managed, secure, and scalable event streaming service that integrates seamlessly with existing microservices architectures. With Axual, you can focus on building your business logic while leveraging powerful tools for event processing, monitoring, and governance. Axual handles the complexities of Kafka. Enabling you to implement real-time data with ease, ensuring reliable, consistent, and scalable event delivery across your system.
Understanding Kafka can seem challenging, but in this blog, we simplify the concepts of Kafka’s maximum message size, how to use Kafka producers, and what consumer groups do. Ideal for beginners and those looking to expand their knowledge.
Jurre Robertus 
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