Custom Voice Integrations for Logistics Teams
Syntora builds custom voice AI systems for logistics tracking for small businesses. We connect driver voice commands directly to your existing ERP or CRM system.
A typical project is for a business that needs hands-free status updates from drivers in the field but cannot justify expensive enterprise fleet management software. The scope is defined by the number of unique voice commands and the complexity of your backend system's API.
We recently built a voice integration for a 15-driver regional delivery service. Drivers update delivery status via a simple web app, which gets transcribed and logged in their ERP in under 3 seconds. The build took 2 weeks and reduced dispatcher calls by over 70%.
What Problem Does This Solve?
Most logistics teams try to solve this with off-the-shelf tools that create more work. Generic voice-to-text apps on a driver's phone can create a transcription, but a dispatcher still has to read it, interpret it, and manually enter the data into the logistics platform. This creates a new bottleneck and introduces human error.
A regional food distributor with 8 drivers tried using a shared WhatsApp group for voice notes. Their dispatcher spent hours each day listening to messages, transcribing them, and updating their inventory system. This created a 5 to 10-minute lag between a delivery and its record in the system, causing stock discrepancies and incorrect fulfillment reports.
Enterprise telematics and fleet management systems have voice features, but they are bundled with expensive hardware and per-vehicle monthly fees. A small business with 20 trucks does not need complex engine diagnostics or fuel monitoring. They are forced to pay for a massive platform just to get one specific feature, often with a mandatory 12-month contract and a long implementation.
How Does It Work?
We build a simple, secure web application that gives your drivers a single button to record a status update. No app store download is necessary. The audio is sent directly to a FastAPI service we deploy in your own AWS account. This ensures data privacy and gives you full ownership of the infrastructure.
The FastAPI service runs on AWS Lambda for instant scalability and low cost. It receives the audio file and uses a transcription API to convert it to text. We then feed this text to the Claude API with a carefully engineered prompt that extracts structured data: customer ID, delivery status, and any notes. This process reliably turns 'Just dropped the Smith order' into structured JSON in under 2 seconds.
Once we have the structured data, an async httpx call updates your backend system. We have experience integrating with modern REST APIs, legacy SOAP endpoints, and even Google Sheets for smaller operations. A Supabase database logs every transaction for auditing, including the original audio, transcription, and the response from your ERP. The entire flow, from a driver speaking to their record being updated, completes in about 4 seconds.
This serverless architecture typically costs under $50 per month to operate for a team processing up to 10,000 voice updates. We delivered a system for a parts supplier that handles 400 updates per day. The complete build and deployment took three weeks. Their dispatch team now focuses on exceptions instead of constant manual data entry.
What Are the Key Benefits?
Live in 3 Weeks, Not 6 Months
From kickoff to a live pilot with your drivers in 15 business days. Your team gets value immediately, avoiding the lengthy implementation cycles of enterprise fleet software.
Pay Once for a Permanent Asset
A single, fixed-price project gives you a system you own completely. We do not charge per-driver or per-vehicle monthly fees that penalize you for growing.
You Own the Code and Infrastructure
We deliver the full Python source code to your company's GitHub repository. The system runs in your own AWS account, giving you full control over your data.
Failures Alert Us, Not Your Staff
We configure CloudWatch alerts and structured logging with structlog. If your ERP's API goes down or a transcription fails, we get an alert and can fix it before it impacts operations.
Connects Directly to Your ERP
This is not a separate dashboard. The system integrates with what you already use, whether it's a custom platform, NetSuite, Odoo, or an Airtable base.
What Does the Process Look Like?
Week 1: Workflow & API Mapping
You provide API documentation for your logistics platform. We map the required fields and define the 5-10 core voice commands your drivers will use. You receive a technical spec for approval.
Week 2: Core Engine Build
We build the FastAPI application and Claude API logic. You receive a private staging URL to test the voice-to-data pipeline with sample audio clips from your team.
Week 3: Integration & Pilot
We connect the voice system to your live platform and deploy it. A pilot group of 2-3 drivers begins using the system for real-world updates, providing immediate feedback.
Week 4+: Monitoring & Handoff
We monitor system performance for 30 days post-launch. You receive the complete source code, a technical runbook, and an offer for an optional flat-rate monthly maintenance plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does a custom voice system cost?
- Pricing is a fixed, one-time fee based on project scope. The main factors are the complexity of your ERP's API and the number of distinct commands needed. A system that only updates delivery status via a modern REST API is simpler than one that needs to parse conditional logic for delays or inventory questions. Most projects are completed within a 2-4 week scoped build.
- What happens if a driver's audio is unclear or garbled?
- The system is designed to fail safely. If the AI cannot extract the required data with high confidence, it flags the update for manual review. The original audio and transcription are sent to a dedicated Slack channel or email address for your dispatcher to handle. This ensures no update is ever lost, even with background noise or poor connection.
- How is this different from using Zapier and a transcription service?
- Zapier cannot provide the reliability needed for a core logistics workflow. It lacks robust error handling for API failures, cannot support custom authentication for many ERPs, and its polling triggers can introduce a 5-15 minute delay. Our direct API integration using FastAPI provides sub-second response times and dedicated monitoring for business-critical operations.
- Do my drivers need to install a special app on their phones?
- No. The interface is a simple, mobile-friendly webpage that works in any modern browser. We provide a URL or QR code that drivers can save as a shortcut on their phone's home screen. This avoids the hassle of managing app store deployments or dealing with company device policies. It is designed for maximum simplicity and accessibility.
- Can the system handle different accents or industry jargon?
- Yes. The transcription models are robust against a wide variety of accents. More importantly, we fine-tune the prompts for the Claude API during the pilot phase using real audio from your drivers. This trains the system to understand your specific terminology, like customer nicknames or internal product codes, ensuring high accuracy.
- What happens if our logistics software changes in the future?
- Because you own the source code, the system is fully adaptable. If you migrate to a new ERP or change your API, the core transcription and AI logic remains the same. Only the final integration function needs to be updated. This is a small project for any Python developer, or a quick task for Syntora under our monthly maintenance plan.
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