Custom WordPress Mobile App for Manufacturing Company

Overview

The client wanted to quickly develop a mobile solution that allows customers to effortlessly schedule a pick-up appointment and check-in from their mobile device. This mobile solution delivers customized user experiences based on security roles, is user-friendly, and highly customized on both the front and back end for staff and customers.

Customer Snapshot

  • Machinery Manufacturing Company of non-proprietary elevator equipment
  • Trusted provider and dependable supplier to the industry since 1927

Key Differentiators

  • PWA that leverages WordPress and WooCommerce, along with free and low-cost plugins
  • Provides a customized experience on both front and back-end
  • Mobile-first with integrations of chat, SMS, and push notifications
  • One junior and one senior resource used at a three-quarters time for development

Solution Snapshot

  • New WordPress mobile app delivered as a progressive web application (PWA) development project
  • The solution is hosted on Enterprise WordPress hosting
  • Custom code development required
  • WooCommerce and WordPress integration

Skills Needed:

  • WordPress
  • HTML/CSS
  • PHP
  • WooCommerce Environment

The Challenge

The client wanted to quickly develop a mobile solution that allows customers to effortlessly schedule a pick-up appointment and check-in from their mobile device. The solution needed to enable staff to easily manage these pick-ups to improve workflows and provide better customer service. The application also needed to be secure, customized to the companies’ brand, and provide a custom experience for front and back end users (customers vs. staff).

Existing package solutions were reviewed and found to lack the dual functionality of scheduling a pick-up appointment and checking in to that appointment. These solutions also lacked customization, usability, were very costly long term, and required an excessively long implementation period. A custom WordPress-based solution integrated with WooCommerce was selected that supported all of the initial requirements and enabled the company to deliver the mobile solution as a progressive web application (PWA).

The Solution

The solution was developed using one junior and one senior US WordPress developer part-time in less than three months. The development time included the technical setup of WordPress, WooCommerce, and various free and paid plugins, the branding and custom design of the PWA, and an extensive array of custom code.

This WordPress mobile app delivers customized user experiences based on security roles. It is user-friendly and highly customized on both the front and back end for staff and customers.

Custom code was used to add details to standard tables within WooCommerce and customize the user experience by renaming and hiding certain standard WooCommerce content. Our solution is mobile-first and leverages the advantages of live chat, push notifications, and SMS.

Staff members utilize an intuitive dashboard that displays all customer pick-ups and will even notify the staff member when customers have arrived. The dashboard also tells the staff what pick-ups are scheduled for later, which pick-ups are late, or any cancellations. Staff can easily manage all pick-ups from the dashboard on a desktop or a mobile device, including accepting, canceling, rescheduling, or editing a scheduled pick-up.

Customers enjoy a mobile, user-friendly solution that allows them to save the PWA to their home screen like a native mobile app, schedule a date and time to pick up their package, and then check-in when they have arrived at the pick-up location. They’ll receive email and SMS notifications that provide pick-up details and a quick link to check-in for their pick-up. Live chat is also available for any questions or concerns customers may have.

The solution also:

  • Uses a commercial theme from a third-party developer, free and paid plugins, the WordPress core software, WooCommerce, and some custom-coded functions.
  • Includes caching strategies, company logo, theme color, and display mode customization for the PWA.
  • Integration with live chat, SMS notifications, and push notifications.
  • The company’s designated staff can easily maintain and update messaging/content if needed.
  • The company has Admin, Manager, and Team member roles. Each role has different security permissions and limitations.
  • Performs well on a shared WordPress hosting account at Kinsta.