How We Created the Best Project in IKEA's History
Challenge
Teamo
(part of IKEA)
What we did
Team building
Architecture design
User flow and UX creation
UI concept
Product development
Cross-platform adaptation
User and automatic testing
User Acquistion
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Quick project summary
Project goal
to ready-made frameworks
Services
Technologies
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About Client
When one thinks of IKEA, they envision a brand of immense global reach and reputation. Represented in 62 markets with 462 touchpoints, IKEA boasts an impressive 700 million physical customer visits, 2.6 billion online visits, and over 20 million app downloads. Their commitment to value, innovation, and customer-centricity has cemented their status as a household name worldwide.
For Ulan Software, being handpicked by IKEA for such a pivotal worldwide endeavor speaks volumes. This collaboration wasn't just about technical expertise; it was about the deep-seated trust, reliability, and shared vision that Ulan Software brings to the table. When a global powerhouse like IKEA entrusts us with their vision, it's an affirmation of our commitment, our passion, and the transformative value we offer. With every project, we don't just deliver; we exceed expectations.
About our cooperation
Project goal:
The aim of the project is to create the world's first Uber for the furniture industry on a global scale 🌏
Imagine a world where Uber converges with the furniture industry, operating on a global scale. That was the core vision of our project with IKEA. This ambitious endeavor aimed at seamlessly matching individuals possessing transport means and specific skills with orders, primarily focusing on the delivery of IKEA furniture, without or with assembly (in the future).
Creating such a platform from scratch posed immense challenges. Our task? Designing a comprehensive system allowing for furniture delivery across the entire United States, and later the globe, directly from IKEA to the end consumer, facilitated by individual drivers equipped with large-capacity vehicles. This massive undertaking presented a myriad of complexities, each demanding effective solutions.
The application's three-dimensional design catered to distinct user groups: the customers placing orders, the drivers facilitating deliveries, and the administrative personnel overseeing operations. Entrusted with such a significant worldwide project, Ulan Software has once again showcased that when it comes to innovation on a grand scale, we're the go-to choice.
Our Team:
Forming a Top Team
“We formed a team and led it to ensure perfect collaboration, leveraging all our strengths to deliver the best results as quickly as possible”
Co-founder and CEO od Ulan Software
When we embarked on the monumental task for our client, we started with a robust team of 9 members. As the project evolved, instead of inflating our numbers, we strategically optimized our team, harnessing the full potential of our existing talent. Today, we've grown in number, but more importantly, in expertise.
Our approach isn't just about numbers. We've created a symbiotic environment where each member is integrated into the project's entire scope. This seamless collaboration has been instrumental in executing the first phase of the project with high precision, predominantly in-house. Our all-encompassing team spans every facet of project implementation, from analysts, designers, content creators, to developers and testers.
Our versatility is our strength. With experience spanning diverse projects across various domains, our team is adept at adapting to different work cultures, time zones, and operational styles. At Ulan Software, team culture isn't a buzzword; it's a commitment. We meticulously curate our members, ensuring a harmonious blend of skills and personalities. And if expansion is required, our efficient onboarding system guarantees a smooth integration.
Every developer we nurture is well-versed with the entirety of the application, ensuring no downtime and maximizing productivity. We pride ourselves on our team's integrity, trustworthiness, and comprehensive understanding from A to Z. Each member is acutely aware of their contribution, ensuring they bring tangible value to every project. They don't just work on projects; they own them. The pride in a job well done resonates with every member, making Ulan Software not just a service provider, but a partner in every sense.
Since 2003, Ulan Software has been active in the business and marketplace sectors, gaining crucial experience in various industries, including the furniture field. Our past work in this area gave us a practical advantage when it came to understanding and addressing the unique requirements of a significant player like IKEA.
We've successfully tackled past projects within the furniture domain, and this hands-on experience has made us proficient at identifying challenges and delivering tailored solutions. Our expertise in e-commerce and marketplaces, coupled with this specific industry knowledge, has solidified our position in the market.
We embrace the fast-paced nature of startup culture and rely on Agile and Scrum methodologies. This approach ensures we stay adaptable and in tune with the ever-changing needs of a project.
While individual highlights might not capture the collective prowess of our team, a brief overview underscores our unmatched competence. From collaborating with high-growth startups to advising a myriad of SMEs across sectors, and a rich history in programming and fintech, our holistic experiences have allowed us to approach projects with a 360-degree view. Experience with major brands and pioneering roles in algorithm development further accentuate our industry leadership.
When companies like IKEA choose Ulan Software, they're not just hiring a team; they're entering into a partnership. For IKEA, our experience in the furniture sector played a significant role in the project's success.
Planning:
Developing an ambitious action plan
In our collaboration with IKEA on a global-scale furniture delivery app, Ulan Software exemplified its prowess in strategic planning and execution. From the outset, we structured our plan meticulously with well-defined milestones, ensuring every deadline was not just met, but often exceeded, delivering more than initially promised. Our dedication was evident when we launched the initial product version in just 9 months 🎉 The instant the contract ink dried, we hit the ground running, leveraging our pre-assembled elite team to specify requirements, choose optimal solutions, and conduct invaluable workshops.
Our strategic efficiencies, born from established frameworks, allowed us to accelerate the project, saving between 20-25% of our anticipated time. This all-encompassing experience ensures that every facet of our projects rests on a solid foundation, perfectly structured for the task at hand. The diverse talent pool at Ulan Software spanned the entire spectrum of project needs, from analysis and design to development and testing.
Our team's rich tapestry of experiences, shaped by diverse projects across different sectors, made our partnership with IKEA seamless, allowing us to effortlessly align with their unique work culture and global scale.
It wasn't just about meeting the basics. While many might aim to deliver a simple MVP in such scenarios, our focus was laser-sharp on providing a complete, advanced product. Every deliverable echoed our commitment to top-tier quality, ensuring IKEA had a sophisticated tool without any technological debt.
6 Developers
1 UX/UI Designer
1 BA
Karol, Wojtek, Jakub
Project Supervisor/decision-maker
Prototype development
Team setup
+1 Developer
+1 Manual Tester
build
+4 Developers
+1 Manual Tester
+1 Automatic Tester
in USA store
+1 Developer
over the world🌏
Branding:
Developing brand identity
When it comes to choosing a brand name, we explored various ideas, primarily aiming to convey meaningful messages. We selected 'Teamo', a name that encapsulates our essence by cleverly combining multiple elements. 'Temo', meaning 'wagon' in Latin, signifies our focus on mobility and efficiency. The word 'team' underscores our emphasis on collaboration and teamwork. Lastly, 'Te amo', translating to 'I love you', showcases our dedication to our clients and team. Together, these elements seamlessly come together to tell the complete story of Teamo.
Animations
Technologies:
Setting up fundaments for app
We began with a Progressive Web App (PWA) that operates seamlessly both in browsers and as a mobile native app. Emulating successful strategies employed by the likes of Uber and Starbucks, our plan was to transition to a mobile native app within 3 to 6 months, thus maximizing the utility of the PWA functionalities and paving the path for the upcoming mobile versions.
Wojtek, a pivotal member of our team, was responsible for designing the architecture of the entire system, breaking it down into client, driver, helper applications, and back-office operations. His expertise extended to choosing the right algorithms for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and expert systems. He played a crucial role in establishing a testing environment, from selecting the technology to ensuring team competency and optimizing the whole testing process.
The technologies we wielded, including PWA, VueJS, Nodejs, Typescript, and React Native, among others, underpin our commitment to delivering a full-stack solution. With our experience in marketplaces and spinoffs, we've showcased that we can not only envision but also impeccably execute a project from A to Z.
UX/UI:
Designing for every touchpoint
Crafting the ideal user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design for a complex project demands precision and deep understanding. Our approach was both comprehensive and meticulous. We delved into extensive research involving all UX stakeholders. This encompassed primary users or the 'fairt partis' – those interacting with the client application, drivers on the driver app, helpers, and the Teamo team managing the back-office application. The insights from each group were invaluable, shaping many of our design choices.
Subsequently, we launched into an exhaustive prototyping process. This journey began with defining business needs and progressed through testing, mockups, mood boards, and full-scale prototyping. These prototypes evolved into complete applications, which underwent several rounds of testing. Feedback from these tests was then incorporated, polishing the application to its finest.
In short, our UX and UI design process was characterized by collaboration, rigorous testing, and continuous improvement. This ensured a product that is not just functional but also intuitive and user-centric. While the process might seem extensive, it showcases our unwavering dedication to delivering excellence from start to finish.
Development:
Bringing idea to life
In the realm of development, the challenge is in the details. For our expansive project, we zeroed in on a user-centric approach, ensuring a top-notch experience for every stakeholder. We swiftly adapted to the project's demands thanks to our agile framework. The Scrum methodologies we employed fortified team collaboration and task execution, keeping the project not only on track but also ahead of the curve. In just 9 months, we delivered the first version of the product. Thanks to our proprietary framework, we expedited the development process, saving between 20-25% of the time. We not only met every deadline but surpassed expectations, delivering not just an MVP but a sophisticated, fully-functional product.
Our solution encompassed three meticulously designed apps tailored for every user segment - customers, drivers, and management. Each segment boasted unique features to enhance their experience:
Customers
Drivers
Management
Recognizing the need for impeccable functionality, we seamlessly integrated vital third-party services into our system. We incorporated payment gateways via Stripe, facilitating swift transactions and hassle-free withdrawals for drivers. Google Maps ensured optimal routing, while Checkrs offered stringent candidate vetting. Not stopping there, we crafted a chat and notification system from scratch to guarantee real-time communication, establishing a continuous channel for interactions between users.
In essence, our commitment to this project went beyond just coding; it was about creating an ecosystem where every stakeholder found value and functionality. With this project, we've truly demonstrated our prowess in bringing ideas from conception to reality.
Testing:
Checking resault of our work in real life
Before our official launch, we recognized the critical role of real-life testing in gauging our project's effectiveness. It went beyond internal evaluations; Teamo representatives actively engaged in field visits to stores, experiencing the application in direct real-world contexts. This hands-on method furnished us with pivotal feedback, emphasizing our commitment to crafting not just an app, but a real-world functional solution.
Launch day, as expected, came with its hurdles. Nevertheless, the outcome reflected our thorough preparations. On the day we went live, we detected only 28 smaller errors in the entire application. While this might appear to be just a figure, when juxtaposed with industry norms, our error tally was remarkably below average for such a substantial release. What amplified our achievement was the speed at which we addressed these discrepancies - they were rectified in a matter of days. This episode didn't only highlight our technical expertise but underscored our relentless pursuit of excellence. Our efforts were further validated by the commendable feedback we received from our client, IKEA.
Our Product's 9-Month Journey to Launch
Within a swift 9-month span, we unveiled a comprehensive product suite featuring three specialized apps for customers, drivers and backoffice. Leveraging our proprietary framework, we optimized development, achieving a 20-25% time savings. Our commitment ensured timely delivery, exceeding client expectations with a refined, fully-functional product beyond just an MVP.
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Result:
Birth of the next Unicorn
Our initial objective was to deliver a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). However, in approximately 17 months, we not only achieved this but went above and beyond. What we presented wasn't just an MVP; it was a fully functioning product with specific features, meticulously designed without any compromise on the product architecture. This attention to detail and dedication to exceeding expectations is a hallmark of our commitment to excellence.
The application's effectiveness is evident, as IKEA has started implementing it but also wants to expand its functionalities. From its inception in the USA, there are ambitious plans to roll it out worldwide 🌏, indicating the potential and scalability of our creation.
Perhaps the most gratifying aspect of this journey was the feedback from the IKEA team. Their appreciation and positive remarks were not just an endorsement of our technical abilities but also a recognition of our dedication, problem-solving capabilities, and passion.
In conclusion, this endeavor was not just about building an app. It was about crafting a solution, setting benchmarks, and above all, creating lasting relationships built on trust, efficiency, and results. It's evidence that when it comes to pivotal, global-scale projects, we are, undeniably, the best choice.
to ready-made frameworks
Are You Looking for the Perfect Team to Execute Your Project?
Let’s meet!
Book a free consultation
Show us your idea
Start working with us on the realization of your project!
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Karol is a serial entrepreneur, e-commerce speaker m.in for the World Bank, and founder of 3 startups, as part of which he has advised several hundred companies. He was also responsible for projects of the largest financial institutions in Europe, with the smallest project being worth over €50 million.
He has two master's degrees, one in Computer Science and the other in Marketing Management, obtained during his studies in Poland and Portugal. He gained experience in Silicon Valley and while running companies in many countries, including Poland, Portugal, the United States, and Great Britain. For over ten years, he has been helping startups, financial institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises to improve their functioning through digitization.