Velox

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Alpserve Ltd provides Business solutions to the Travel and Tourism industry, in particular Student Snow-Sports. The company has several functions including data collection, waiver services, and equipment rental. As the Operations Manager of the company my role is to manage data, logistics, business processes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Velox?

We provide helmet hire from a mobile helmet distribution/collection stand that travels from ski resort to ski resort. Velox were hired to create secure and effective record keeping solution for our helmet distribution in order to track helmets check/in and check out status and keep records of helmet condition as a point of safety for our rental stock.

What were your goals for this project?

The holiday reps working on the helmet stand were assigned to the task on the day, therefore we needed a readily available app, that was compatible with as many mobile devices as possible, to record information quickly and accurately, with minimal training required to complete the task. Our current solution had room for human error in recording customer names/booking codes against helmet numbers. The process of entering this information was slow and the web service used had now low data mode therefore the process of recording data was slot and often not possible in low data areas, therefore was recorded manually via paper records and updated digitally, later. The aim was to have a low data usage app minimal room for human error whilst providing maximum speed to have the helmet distribution points running as efficiently as possible.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

Having known the company since its founding, we often spoke of how Velox's expertise could optimise our business processes. With plans to automate upwards of 90% of our current processes this was the first step for us as a business. As a start-up our margins are tight and research and development budgets were therefore small. With their expertise, not just in their field, but in business, Velox helped us create a logical plan to optimise our entire business. This meant focusing on the lowest-cost, highest-yield investments in our digital solutions to help us grow our research and development budgets for future projects. This project has already provided positive KPIs to back up this plan.

Describe the project in detail.

After talking of working together for several months, I had secured a budget for this development project from the director. I spoke with Velox about my intention to begin the project. I provided them with a deadline of 14/12/2019. They let me know whilst a tight turn around, they would have space between other projects on to complete the work by the deadline with 2 weeks for testing. Planning began in September. During the planning stages we had an initial meeting outlining the entire project and plenty of communication until the final proposal. This proposal was reviewed, finalised and agreed upon within a few weeks of beginning the planning. The date of commencement was set as 01/11/2019. The completed the project on schedule in time including all internal testing by the deadline and our first field tests were completed 14/12/2019. During the 2-week snagging period, the Velox team provided full time support, including weekends and were always contactable. This was crucial for us as our delivery operations happen over a weekend and the Velox team were able to instantly resolve any bugs or provide help and advice for using the app to those in the field. The team were faultless in their customer service and professional through-out. This gave the team at Alpserve peace of mind, especially for the director. By the end of the two-week snagging period, all bugs for this initial launch were resolved and a list of new features had been created for the second iteration of the app, having seen the power of the initial app. The Director of Alpserve was almost instantly on board with the new ideas, having gained such confident in the abilities of Velox from the recent successful launch of our app, their first native app. We are now looking at expanding the apps usage to other products in our rental fleet and looking at the next few years where we hope to work together to transform our business into the best version of itself.

What was the team composition?

There were two team members on the Velox side, and myself on the Alpserve side. Callum provided back-end development and communicated with me closely on the requirements and operational process. Stjohn provided the front-end development and the majority of the communications on budgets and overall project progress often briefing Alpserve's Director, Simon on his investment. Despite being a small team, the work output was high and the work itself was to a high standard.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Previously we had issues with inconsistent record keeping which led to issues in recovering costs for helmet loss or damage. This meant we had a reduction in helmet stock without the proper compensation from those at fault. This caused such frequent issue with customers that after year 1, we decided to charge the customer on the spot where possible (for damages) and absorb the remaining cost (for losses, the majority of cases) until a better solution was found. We had a reduction rental in stock of more than 10% per year that was not compensated for. The new app has ended all opportunity for record keeping as this is now done entirely through QR code scanning of collection vouchers and helmet codes. This has a projected revenue boost, so great that by the end of our second year of use, the app should have paid for itself entirely and by the third year of use covered all losses of previous years. This will lead us to being able to reduce the helmet replacement fee to better improve our service for customers. The second benefit is that as a UK based company providing helmet rental in France, we are only required to adhere to UK standards and do not require French certification, although we have to compete with the high standards of safety that French providers do. With Brexit meaning we may have to move our rental operation entirely overseas to France, we would need to apply for that certification. The app not only guarantees our record keeping of safety is faultless, the efficiencies it has provided on the ground mean more detailed safety checks can be carried out during every check out and return. This has taken us from competing at the same level as French rental providers to being a world-wide industry leader in rental safety standards, making any concerns in a post-Brexit climate, a moot point for our company.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

We never once had an instance of issues with workflow. The team worked at a fast pace and communicated effectively to achieve results in an efficient manner, minimising unnecessary communications as a result of this effective communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their knowledge base is incredible. They were able to explain the capabilities of coding on fundamental levels upwards, for us to to understand the subject matter without requiring background knowledge. They were able to select the best technologies to execute the project keeping up with the most up-to-date understanding of innovative new technology as it is becoming available for them to use. The selections they made were not just for maximum efficiency to optimise performance, but also the tools selected were to future-proof the app to extend the lifetime of our investment. Having approached the talks initially with a wide perspective of the companies future, they were able to indicate where they had made choices in the build to allow for future development and the additions of features, with minimal work for integration. This will allow for faster delivery & smaller bills future work on the app. Their wider perspective of our company meant they designed the build with a view for integration in our future projects.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As a young company with just the two of them, their work capacity is limited. Despite being highly efficient with the work that they do and the fact the we were lucky our project timed well with a gap in their schedule, I know the next few projects are going to be difficult to book. I can only put this down to the fact that the quality of their services has left them in high demand (although I know they are looking to expand their team soon, so I'm hoping this will be a short term issue for them).

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the website manager for Allum & Sidaway. We specialize in fine and branded jewelry.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Velox Commerce?

We worked with Velox Commerce on a graphic design project and then hired the team again to redevelop our website as an e-commerce solution. We wanted to drive people into our stores.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Velox Commerce designed and developed a Magento 2 website. Post-launch, the team now does backend management, bug fixes, and SEO.

What is the team composition?

We worked with two developers and one design resource.

How did you come to work with Velox Commerce?

We found Velox Commerce through an industry group that had hired the team.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent between £35,000–£40,000 ($45,121–$51,567 USD). We have a monthly retainer for post-development maintenance.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in August 2018 and the partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The Magento site has increased revenue and led to noticeable in-store traffic.

How did Velox Commerce perform from a project management standpoint?

They've exceeded our expectations for quality, service, and speed. We communicate via email, biweekly phone meetings, and the team’s service desk.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their speed continues to stand out.

Are there any areas they could improve?

It may be picky, but developers’ fast-pace work has made design deliveries appear slower than they actually are. Overall, there’s room for improvement with standardized speed and communication.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Companies should hire Velox Commerce because they are professionals that deliver quality work efficiently.