Yorkshire businesses explore how to introduce apps to their customers and staff
Business across Yorkshire explored how they are introducing technology and apps for their customers and staff to make the most of products and boost motivation levels.
Earlier this week, a group of Connect Yorkshire members and Entrepreneurs in Residence held a breakfast time round table discuss how they might improve the services they provide to their customers by a greater use of apps.
The event was organised by Connect Yorkshire and hosted by Martin Port, founder & CEO of technology business BigChange, and chaired by Connect Yorkshire CEO, Nick Butler.
Gav Winter of Ten10, whose business is testing software including apps, said the firm used apps for internal communications.
Ten10 they have introduced an app which enables their 300 staff members to reward the work of other members of staff. According to Winter, only 1 in 10,000 Apps are successful. He added: “We’ve seen lots of apps developed where the front end that people see has been tested extensively but testing the back end processes have been ignored.”
Steve Crow of Clarion Solicitors said they had an app to enable their staff to record time and had invested a huge amount in their systems for the business. It is being used to increase productivity, which it is achieving a 2% productivity increase and is creating a real competitive advantage. Apps and automation are transforming the legal sector, Crow said.
He added: “One of the problems is user adoption of a new Apps. Getting older people to use an App can be a challenge, but the power of the grey pound should not be underestimated.”
According to Martin Port of Mobile Workforce Management specialist BigChange, there’s no doubt apps are here to stay. He shared the company’s new service for its service and transport sector customers giving them the ability to launch their own on demand booking app on the major app stores.
Customers will be able to book an urgent jobs on the app and monitor progress in real-time. Port added: “The future is really exciting; augmented reality Apps are going to bring consumers interesting and truly engaging experiences.”
Stuart Paver of Pavers Shoes, which has 135 stores in the UK and 40 in India, said the firm used apps to see and share retail intelligence and sales analytics. Same day delivery is not relevant to their business, and rather than trying to compete with the likes of Amazon, the company focus on having a unique range of products that sets them apart.
Mark Woodward, ex-director of Visualfile and now angel investor in several SMEs, said: “Rather than trying to compete with the likes of Uber and Deliveroo, SMEs should concentrate on sorting out their back-end infrastructure and make sure their product or service offering is great. Apps quickly go out of date so using an off the shelf platform is the smart way to go.”
Chris Rabbitt of Rabbitt IT said too many business focus on vanity projects, and too often overlook the fundamental end-to-end customer experience. According to Roabbit, “you can’t run a new train on an old track” and he recommended that businesses take a holistic approach to app development, not just on making things look nice.
Gavin Winter said that apps only have once chance to impress the customer. “If they don’t work simply first time, then they will get installed in an instant,” added Winter
Achille Traore of Top Screen Media said: “It’s important that people are not excluded from accessing services, and the reality is that although 70% of all phone users have a smartphone, not everyone has the ability to download and use an app. That’s why our client Merlin Entertainment (behind parks such as Alton Towers) has installed smart booking kiosks, as well as offering an app for visitors to its parks.
“We recently built a new Augmented Reality app for a large property developer – it lets prospective buyers explore their new office-space or home in an immersive way, even before a single brick or foundation has been laid.”
Leon Doyle of wifi plug commented on how apps have been a tremendous sales channel for emerging and growing businesses. He explained that for example, a local take-away business can easily tab into on-demand app platforms such as Just Eat or Deliveroo, giving them city wide visibility, even despite them not occupying prime retail space.
Doyle’s wi-fi plug comes with its own app, letting people control devices in their home from their smartphone. “I believe the real opportunity is white label Apps allowing small businesses to have an App without the expense and risk of creating their own,” added Doyle.
