Challenge
- Same and Next-Day
- Last-mile delivery optimization
- Dynamic route planning
- Real-time on-demand booking
- Smart vehicle loading
- Seamless IKEA integration
- Delivery time optimization
Year
2021 - Ongoing
TaskRabbit was looking for a technology partner to provide a complete end-to-end solution for transporting large items. The primary challenge was to identify the right technology and approach to address logistical, operational, and customer experience issues associated with last-mile delivery.
Scope of Our Work
Building functional product architecture
Design user flows and UX
Create UI concept aligned with new brand identity
Develop Web and PWA application
Ensure cross-platform UX/UI consistency
Conduct user testing and gather feedback
Maintain transparent progress communication
Provide ongoing development support
Support post-launch iterations and continuous improvements
Quick project summary
Project goal
Create the world's first Uber-like application for the furniture industry!
9 m
Months of work to deliver the first version of the product
Ulan’s team size growth
9
20
Time savings thanks
to OUR ready-made frameworks
20-25%
Services
Technologies
About client: IKEA & Taskrabbit
IKEA is a globally recognized brand, operating in 62 markets with 462 stores and attracting over 700 million physical visits annually. Its digital presence is equally impressive, with 2.6 billion online visits and over 20 million app downloads.
Known for its commitment to affordable, functional, and well-designed furniture, IKEA continuously evolves to enhance customer experience and expand its service offerings.
Known for its commitment to affordable, functional, and well-designed furniture, IKEA continuously evolves to enhance customer experience and expand its service offerings.
For Ulan Software, collaborating with IKEA was more than a technical challenge. It was an opportunity to contribute to a global-scale transformation in logistics and last-mile service optimization.
TaskRabbit is a leading online marketplace that connects users with skilled professionals (“taskers”) for home services, including furniture assembly, moving assistance, and home repairs.
Acquired by IKEA, TaskRabbit plays a crucial role in enhancing customer experience by providing on-demand services that complement IKEA’s product offering. With the rise of growing customer demand for convenient, smooth furniture delivery and assembly, TaskRabbit and IKEA sought to optimize their logistics and service operations.
The challenge was particularly complex in the context of large-item transportation, where efficient delivery, route optimization, and seamless system integration were essential for a smooth customer experience. This is where Ulan Software stepped in.
Acquired by IKEA, TaskRabbit plays a crucial role in enhancing customer experience by providing on-demand services that complement IKEA’s product offering. With the rise of growing customer demand for convenient, smooth furniture delivery and assembly, TaskRabbit and IKEA sought to optimize their logistics and service operations.
The challenge was particularly complex in the context of large-item transportation, where efficient delivery, route optimization, and seamless system integration were essential for a smooth customer experience. This is where Ulan Software stepped in.
Project goal:
Achieve Same/Next-Day Delivery of Large Packages and create 1st Uber-like app for the furniture industry
Our task was to build the whole platform from scratch. The goal was to easily connect people who have transport and delivery skills with customers who need their furniture delivered. The main focus was to make IKEA furniture delivery (whether with or without assembly) fast, efficient, and hassle-free for customers.
What does Uber-like mean?
An Uber-type app in this context means a real-time, on-demand platform where users can book delivery services, track their orders live, and receive instant updates. Just as Uber matches passengers with drivers, this system needed to match customers needing furniture delivery with available carriers. At the same time, dynamically managing logistics and optimizing routes in the background.
An Uber-type app in this context means a real-time, on-demand platform where users can book delivery services, track their orders live, and receive instant updates. Just as Uber matches passengers with drivers, this system needed to match customers needing furniture delivery with available carriers. At the same time, dynamically managing logistics and optimizing routes in the background.
The platform’s design had to be three-dimensional, catering to three key user groups:
1. Customers – who place orders and schedule deliveries.
2. Drivers – responsible for transporting and assembling furniture.
3. Administrators – overseeing operations, managing orders, and ensuring smooth platform functionality.
1. Customers – who place orders and schedule deliveries.
2. Drivers – responsible for transporting and assembling furniture.
3. Administrators – overseeing operations, managing orders, and ensuring smooth platform functionality.
Our team:
Building a self-fueling team
Team growth:
“We formed a team that ensured productive & transparent collaboration. We used all our strengths to deliver the best results as quickly as possible”
Karol Andruszków
Co-founder and CEO of Ulan Software
At Ulan Software, we believe that the success of a project isn’t just about delivering code. For us it’s about building the right team, ensuring long-term collaboration, and maintaining a shared vision with our clients. Our approach to every collaboration is based on expertise, adaptability, and transparent communication.
We created cross-functional teams where every specialist was deeply integrated into the project’s workflow. This way we ensured alignment with both technical requirements and business objectives. From analysts defining the project scope to developers and testers, each team member played a crucial role in ensuring efficiency, scalability, and quality at every stage.
Our strength lies in our ability to adapt. Whether working across different time zones, integrating with in-house teams, or leading the project independently. We foster an agile, results-driven culture where rapid iteration, commitment, and open communication enable us to deliver tangible results.
We started this project with a core team of 9 specialists, carefully selected to cover key areas of product development. As the project evolved, we expanded our team to 20 experts. At Ulan Software, we don’t just assign developers to projects—we build teams that take ownership of their work.
At Ulan Software, we specialize in e-commerce, marketplaces, and logistics technology. Our experience in these areas has made us a reliable partner for companies like IKEA. We have worked on scalable platforms, complex integrations, and service ecosystems. These experiences gave us a deep understanding of real-world business challenges.
We have tackled large-scale order fulfillment, last-mile delivery, and service integration in the commerce and logistics sector. We don’t just develop software - we create meaningful solutions that improve efficiency, streamline operations, and enhance the customer experience.
Our tech background helped us build an on-demand delivery platform that fits with IKEA and TaskRabbit’s business model.
We follow Agile and Scrum methodologies to stay flexible and responsive to changing needs. Our approach allows us to work effectively with both startups and large enterprises.
When IKEA partnered with us, they didn’t just choose a software vendor. They chose a partner that understands their industry and delivers technology that works in real-world scenarios.
Planning:
Developing an ambitious action plan
To build such an advance platform, we needed a clear and structured action plan. From day one, we focused on defining key milestones, aligning with IKEA’s requirements, and ensuring fast execution. We didn’t waste time. As soon as the contract was signed, our team started working immediately.
Our team defined requirements, selected the right technologies, and conducted essential workshops. This well-organized approach allowed us not only to meet but also to exceed the project timeline. Every decision was made with speed and efficiency in mind, while consulting with the core team from TaskRabbit.
This approach allowed us to launch the first version of the product in just 9 months 🚀🎉
Unlike traditional MVP approaches, we didn’t just aim for a basic version. Instead, we focused on delivering a fully functional, scalable product without accumulating technical debt. Every feature was designed to support long-term growth and seamless IKEA integration.
0
Verification
The verification phase spanned several months, starting around October 2021, involving our team, IKEA staff, and TaskRabbit (an IKEA subsidiary based in Silicon Valley).
October 2021
2022
Official start
1
Signing the contract
a week and a half and I started working
April
2
Workshops
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.
May
Team Status:11
6 Developers
1 UX/UI Designer
1 BA
Karol, Wojtek, Jakub
decision-makers, supervising a product
3
Product scope
Prototype development
Team setup
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.
September
Team Status:13
+1 Developer
+1 manual tester
2023
4
MVP prototype
build
We swiftly constructed a prototype for the MVP, laying the foundation for the final product.
January
Team Status:19
+4 Developers
+1 manual tester
+1 automatic tester
5
First launch
in USA stote
We initiated our first launch in a USA store, marking our product's real-life debut. The smooth rollout paved the way for subsequent launches in various locations.
March
Launch in IKEA Tampa
July
Launch in IKEA Orlando
September
Launch in IKEA Minneapolis
7
Integration with the IKEA system
Ongoing
2024
7
Launch in all over the world🌏
Coming soon
Branding:
Creating brand from scratch
Building a strong brand starts with a clear vision. For this project, we developed Teamo, a sub-brand that aligns closely with TaskRabbit while maintaining its own unique identity. Our goal was to create a recognizable and cohesive visual language that would seamlessly integrate with TaskRabbit’s existing ecosystem while standing out as a distinct service.
We carefully crafted the name, logo, typography, and color palette, ensuring that Teamo visually resonates with TaskRabbit’s established brand. We retained TaskRabbit’s typeface while introducing a custom logomark and a contrasting color scheme. This approach allowed us to establish a visual link between the two brands while giving Teamo a unique presence.
Rather than simply inheriting elements from TaskRabbit, we focused on creating a brand that feels both familiar and fresh. The result is a design that is instantly recognizable, visually appealing, and scalable across digital and physical platforms.
Animations
Technology Foundation:
Setting up Architecture
We built a Progressive Web App (PWA) version of the platform. We followed the approach used by industry leaders like Uber and Starbucks. Our goal was to start with a PWA and gradually transition to a fully native mobile app within 3 to 6 months. This allowed us to take advantage of PWA features from day one while planning for future scalability.
Our system architecture was designed to support three key user groups: customers, drivers, and administrators. We structured the platform into client-facing applications, driver interfaces, and back-office management tool. The architecture was optimized for efficiency, security, and real-time data processing to ensure smooth operations across all touchpoints.
The technology stack played a crucial role in achieving these goals. We used PWA, VueJS, NestJS, NodeJS, Typescript, and React Native, among others, to deliver a full-stack solution.
With our experience in marketplaces and spinoffs, we've showcased that we can not only envision but also execute a project from A to Z.
UX/UI Design:
Crafting each touchpoint
Our goal was to align UX/UI expectations across all user groups, from customers placing orders to drivers handling deliveries and administrators managing operations. We conducted in-depth research involving all key stakeholders.
We gathered insights from end users, drivers, support teams, and back-office managers to understand their needs and pain points. This feedback directly influenced our design choices.
Then we moved into an iterative prototyping process. We started with business requirements, created wireframes and mockups, and refined the design through multiple testing cycles. Each iteration helped us eliminate friction points and improve usability.
Software Development:
Bringing idea to life
Building a scalable and high-performance platform need more than just writing code - it requires a structured development approach, deep engineering expertise, and a focus on real-world logistics challenges. Our team followed an agile methodology to ensure flexibility, rapid iteration, and efficient problem-solving throughout the development cycle.
In just 9 months, we delivered the first version of the product, exceeding expectations in both speed and functionality. Thanks to our proprietary framework and pre-built components, we accelerated the development process by 20–25%, allowing us to focus on customizing key features rather than building everything from scratch.
The platform was built as an interconnected system with three core components: the Customer Panel, Driver Panel, and Management Panel.
We integrated third-party services such as Stripe for secure transactions, Google Maps API for real-time navigation, and Checkr for background checks. In addition, we developed a real-time chat and notification system from scratch, enabling instant communication between customers, drivers, and administrators.
Customer Panel 🛒
- Order Placement – structured request form with delivery and assembly options.
- Real-Time Order Tracking – interactive map with live updates.
- Automated Pricing Calculation -transparent cost breakdown based on distance and service type.
- Live Chat – direct communication with drivers and support.
- Payment Integration – transactions via Stripe.
- Order History & Receipts – access to past bookings and invoices.
Driver Panel 🚚
- Driver Onboarding – registration, vehicle verification, and background checks via Checkr.
- Task Management – accept, schedule, or decline delivery requests.
- Dynamic Pricing System – adjustable rates based on demand and delivery type.
- Earnings Dashboard – track completed jobs, pending payments, and transaction history.
- Navigation & Routing – optimized routes via Google Maps API.
Management Panel ⚙️
- Order Monitoring – overview of active, completed, and scheduled deliveries.
- Driver & Fleet Management – performance tracking, payout approvals, and availability settings.
- Delivery Calendar – time slot optimization for efficient workload distribution.
- Advanced Reporting & Analytics – key metrics and platform performance.
- User & Access Control – manage customers, drivers, and administrative permissions.
- Automated Notifications – system alerts for order updates, delays, and user actions.
Testing Process:
Checking last-mile delivery software in real conditions
Before the launch, we knew that real-life testing was essential. Internal evaluations were not enough, so Teamo representatives visited stores to test the application in real operational settings. This hands-on approach helped us gather valuable feedback and refine the system before going live.
Despite careful preparation, launch day came with challenges. However, our testing process proved effective - only 28 errors were detected across the entire application. This number was remarkably low for a release of this scale. More importantly, our team reacted fast, fixing all issues within days.
Delivering a Full Product in Just 9 Month!
We delivered a fully functional product suite in just 9 months. Our proprietary framework helped us streamline development and reduce time to market by 20–25%.
Every phase of the project focused on performance, usability, and technical scalability. The result was not just an MVP but a refined, ready platform that met real-world demands from day one.
July 2022
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January
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March 2023
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Project Results:
Our initial objective was to develop a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). However, within 17 months, we delivered far more than that. The final product was a fully developed, feature-rich platform for last-mile delivery.
The impact of our work is already visible. IKEA has started implementing the platform and is actively exploring new functionalities to expand its capabilities. What began as a project in the USA is now being prepared for a global rollout, proving the scalability and business potential of our solution.
Building a Global Banchmark 🌏
Beyond delivering a successful platform, this project strengthened our relationship with IKEA and TaskRabbit. We proved that complex, large-scale solutions can be executed efficiently. The feedback from the IKEA team validated our efforts and our commitment to problem-solving, adaptability, and innovation.
This case study is more than just a project summary. It’s a proof that Ulan Software is a trusted software development partner for global, high-impact initiatives. When it comes to mission-critical, scalable solutions, we deliver results that go beyond expectations.
9 m
Months of work to deliver the first version of the product
Ulan’s team size growth
9
20
Time savings thanks
to ready-made frameworks
20-25%
Ready to discuss Your project?
Share your needs and Talk to us!
Robert Markudis
Customer Success