Performance Testing and Optimization for DPD

Summary

DPD, one of Europe’s largest courier and logistics companies, partnered with QualityArk to validate the performance of their new package and delivery management platform. The project aimed to ensure platform reliability under heavy load, identify bottlenecks, and prevent service interruptions that could impact millions of deliveries. Our team delivered tailored testing scenarios, ran multi-month performance cycles, and helped prepare the platform for a high-stakes launch.

About DPD

DPD operates across more than 50 countries, delivering 4 million+ parcels daily with a team of over 60,000 logistics professionals. Their new digital platform was designed to support real-time delivery tracking, optimize courier routes, and process transactions at scale - mission-critical for operations in both domestic and international markets.

dpd

Challenges and Our Approach

Challenge: Infrastructure Under Pressure

- The platform needed to support millions of daily transactions

- High concurrency risked server overload and latency

Approach: Custom Load Testing Design

- Created 55 real-world performance scenarios simulating courier activity, parcel tracking, and delivery events

Challenge: Frequent Failures During Load Tests

- Some key services failed up to 8× under stress

- No clear visibility into weak points

Approach: Bottleneck Identification

- Detected 18 critical bottlenecks (e.g. memory leaks, DB load spikes)

- Partnered with devs to address root causes

Challenge: Regression Risks with Each Update

- Agile changes introduced performance drift

- Need for performance assurance over time

Approach: Cyclic Testing Over 9 Months

- Regular load cycles ensured stability across updates

- Re-tested to catch regressions before go-live

Key Results

18

bottlenecks resolved before public rollout

Platform Stability

Previously unstable components became fully production-ready

No critical failures

during pilot or full deployment phases

Resilience at Scale

System successfully handled millions of daily transactions

55

performance scenarios created to reflect real-time logistics and courier behaviors

Cost Savings

Avoided downtime-related losses, potentially amounting to millions in damages

Risk Prevention

Reinforced platform reliability and operational trust

Continuity

9 months of cyclic testing ensured quality across iterative updates

Ready to prevent platform failures before they cost you millions?