Dot Com Development

After we designed and developed the first generation Loop News flagship product for Trend Media in 2015, their parent company Digicel Group Ltd. took note of the success and in 2020 fully invested to grow the digital platform to its full potential.

The goal for the project was to complete a major overhaul, integrate artificial intelligence and improve the mobile app with new features so that Loop News would deliver the kind of news users want, when they want, and how they want it … all in a way that promotes continuous interaction, social engagement, and sharing.

The requirements called for a complete overhaul to support major functional upgrades for the front and backends of the platform.
Infrastructure Migration
Application Architecture Optimization
Artificial Intelligence Based News Feed
New User Management and Notification System
Interactive Drag and Drop Content Placement Editor
New Responsive UI Design

We provided a multi-phased iterative approach that supported continuous deliveries, a successful launch and ongoing support.
Strategic Planning Workshops
Multi Phased Development Plan
Infrastructure Migration
R&D Proof of Concepts
UI/UX Design and Prototyping
Iterative Development
Continuous Testing and Delivery
Ongoing Support / SLA

With the all new Loop News mobile app, user stay informed and join the conversations in real time about the most recent breaking news stories delivered straight to their smart feeds on their mobile phones.

After we designed and developed the first generation Loop News flagship product for Trend Media in 2015, their parent company Digicel Group Ltd. took note of the success and in 2020 fully invested to grow the digital platform to its full potential.

The goal for the project was to upgrade and improve the platform with new features so that Loop News would deliver the kind of news users want, when they want, and how they want it … all in a way that promotes continuous interaction, social engagement, and sharing.

The requirements called for a complete overhaul to support major functional upgrades for the front and backends of the platform.
Infrastructure Migration
Application Architecture Optimization
Artificial Intelligence Based News Feed
New User Management and Notification System
Interactive Drag and Drop Content Placement Editor
New Responsive UI Design

The results of  the project speak for themselves. The all new Loop News platform is changing the way people read and share the news in any one of the 30+ markets in the Caribbean region. Not only does Loop News publish and notify users of breaking stories, its smart enough to only deliver the news they want and read they most while promoting continuous interaction, social engagement, and sharing.

The mission of this new startup company is to help people speak from the heart, with love, and share the most intimate memories and moments with their loved ones.

The goal for the project was to create a new mobile application and platform that gave its users a better and more personalized way to capture photos and videos and send them as Life Extension Grams (LEGs) to the closest members of their inner and outer circle of friends and family.  More important, users would  be able to assign a Trustee to their Legacy Stay Present account and in the case where they pass away, the trustee would open up and release all tagged after-life photos and videos to loved ones as assigned by the creator of the LEGs.

The requirements focused on an infrastructure to support scalable video storage and playback, an application architecture that would be light, and a feature set that was intuitive and easy to use for all ages.
iOS and Android Applications
Administrative Web Based Dashboard
Import Phone Contacts to Inner/Outer Circles
Video and Photo Based LEG Creation
LEG Scheduling (Instant/Future)
LEG Viewing and Commenting
Trustee Management and Functionality
Integrated Monetization Model

We provided a multi-phased iterative approach that supported continuous deliveries, a successful launch and ongoing support.
R&D (Video Storage / Playbacks)
Strategic Planning Workshops
Monetization Strategy Consulting / Projections
UI/UX Design and Prototyping
Iterative Development
Continuous Testing and Delivery
Ongoing Support / SLA
 

Imagine Backyard Living approached us to become their trusted technology partner to re-organize and improve their website to a solution that not only showcased their store and products but also converted website visitors into buying customers.

The main challenges of this project were to convert IBL's existing legacy site to a modern day responsive design that would render properly on all web and mobile browsers, reorganize the information architecture, extend the site with a product catalog offering of hot tubs carried by the retailer, and integrate a brand new eCommerce solution that would allow IBL sell additional ancillary products online through the website.

The product development initiative would need to be supported by an inbound digital marketing strategy and plan that would drive highly targeted and relevant traffic to the website showcasing the premium IBL brand with its Jacuzzi and Sundance hot tub offerings and provide bottom of the funnel lead conversion opportunities.

The updated website includes a much improved responsive user experience easily view-able on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone devices.

The new browse-able and searchable product catalog makes it easier for online shoppers to easily find and research information on hot tubs prior to going into the store to make a purchase supporting the users natural online shopping journey.

The newly integrated eCommerce framework gives users the ability to purchase additional ancillary products online creating a new revenue stream for the retailer.

The upgrades are supported and aligned with a digital marketing campaign that produced a 40% increase in well targeted website traffic and a 92% cost/conversion reduction.

SRMG Verify is used to track and report on the pickup, delivery activity and accuracy of SRMG products to its customers. When the SRMG shipment arrives at any customer destination, the receiver performs a delivery scan. The scan provides SRMG with the data to track and evaluate accuracy of deliveries so as to make corrections on invoicing and also on future shipments to SRMG customers. The process also gives the customer the ability to see the shipping status of their expected delivery at any moment in time.

The benefit to SRMG is that they will be able to track supply deliveries to customer sites in an effort to mitigate lost profitability resulting from delivery reroutes and split load cost leakages. The benefit of the app to SRMG customers is that they will be able to see various aspects of delivery status to better manage deliveries in route. SRMG and its customers will both improve operational efficiencies.

The outcome of this project produced Android and iOS mobile applications exclusive to Salt River Materials Group. The SRMG Verify mobile apps give the Batch Plant Coordinators the ability to track shipments in transit and scan shipments as they are received in real time. The mobile apps also give the SRMG Shipping / Order Managers the ability to process  orders on teh way out the door more efficiently, manage order problems, and reconcile both diverted and split loads more effectively.

The operational benefits SRMG is now realizing include:

Increased efficiency of order management
More reliable order tracking
More reliable load tracking
Improved real time transit management
Improved order reconciliations
Increased profitability

momAgenda's (MA) marketing agency approached us to convert the MA legacy site to a fresh and responsive design that would not only render on the major desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone devices but also promote higher conversion rates through modern day UI/UX design principles. Additional work would need to be completed to fix the product catalog and shopping cart issues that were hampering the site, users and conversion rates.

momAgenda loves to show off their products and their sales promotions, so we preserved the existing design they loved and translated it to span across all delivery platforms. Layout issues were fixed in the product catalog purchase bugs were resolved. Now online shoppers can access momAgenda from any device (desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone) to browse, search and make a purchase of any momAgenda day planner available online for sale through their website ... quick and easy.

The primary goal of this project was to take AKDHC’s existing DocTalk® legacy iOS mobile application and port it over to a modernized and scalable HIPAA compliant mobile application mobile for Android devices.

The challenges of this project included a maintaining full HIPAA compliance within the apps infrastructure and architecture, consuming data via numerous legacy API’s, and giving the app the ability to manage massive amounts of hospital and patient information that far exceeds the hardware capabilities of the devices that most users would be using the app on.

We started by analyzing the existing legacy iOS application around a non live test data set to uncover and define the functional and non functional requirements of the application. Because AKDHC wanted to eventually bring the iOS and Android solutions under a single infrastructure, architecture and code base, we took the time to investigate and advise on the best technology stack suitable for such a requirement that would still satisfy legacy API constraints and HIPAA requirements throughout.

Strategic planning was concluded with the creating of a Requirements/Specification document and continued into a full cycle development approach.

The outcome of this project produced an Android mobile application built on a technology stack that would allow both Android and iOS application to be managed under a single codebase in the future when and if AKDHC decided to merge both code bases together for more efficient and easier management.

The Android application is now being distributed and used by by AKDHC physicians to record their daily activity including hospital, office, dialysis unit and surgery center charges increasing efficiency and reduce overall expenses. The benefits they are realizing include:

Reduction in overhead and labor expenses.
Up to date accurate patient census.
Synching and sending data anytime.
Reduction of errors in diagnosis and procedure coding.
Increase provider productivity.

In choosing Dot Com Development as their development partner, Moon Valley Nurseries is now able to provide its business,  staff and online user base a first class enterprise grade eCommerce website solution.

Responsive Web Application
Users are able to experience the site via desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone devices.

Single Domain Multi Store eCommerce User Experience
The new enterprise solution is a single domain multi store eCommerce website. When users visits the site,  it detects their location (with their permission), sets the site to the nearest store location and provides store based content and products to the website visitor. All visitors are provided with opportunities to purchase online, call to order and view only a catalog mode. Customer service automation and order tracking is also integrated in.

Lead Generation
In addition to its fully automated eCommerce capabilities, the Moon Valley Nurseries site provides additional multi store lead generation strategies with an integrated store locator/selector, click to call – call to actions, a customer service real time chat client, specials and ads promotions, newsletter integrations, various form based call to actions, and an integrated Hub Spot CRM platform with a location based blog resource.

New lead generation tools were created in the form of Moon Valley’s Backyard Builder (coming soon). A completely custom Backyard Builder web application was designed and built out along with 2 mobile application versions. The Backyard Builder apps are an interactive tool that gives users the ability to design their dream landscape and then send it in to Moon Valleys Design Professionals to collaborate and finalize the designs and convert them into sales orders.

Administrative Workflow Integration
The highly customized back end gives Moon Valley the ability to manage their product catalog and just about any virtual piece of content on a store by store basis,. The solution also supports store by store customer service strategies that will automatically route any customer to the closest store for questions about products and services.  The eCommerce modules support Moon Valleys sales and very specific and automated routing, fulfillment, shipping/delivery processes and strategies

Higher Traffic / User Engagement / Business Growth
The well thought out combination of design, information architecture, lead generation and eCommerce strategies have produced a well organized site layout supported by a design that conforms to all of Moon Valleys Branding guidelines. The enterprise solution is performance and SEO optimized to rank high in the major search engine SERP’s attracting targeted new users, engaging them with rich media content and and growing their user base daily.

Autoweek’s digital marketing company approached us to complete a front end architecture project that included design modifications and implentations, functional upgrades, adverting implementation, content changes, bug fixing and other misc changes of the Autoweek website. Specific challenges included an extremely aggressively deadline that meant we needed to obtain all requirements, bug reports, existing designs and design change requests, site templates and mappings and hit the ground running and complete all work promptly. We were tasked specifically with:

1. Remapping existing design to partially completed new design
2. Implement new designs impacting over 50 pages
3. Revisions to main and sub navigation
4. Implementation of additional home and main category landing page elements and functionality
5. Changes to article page layout, and elements and functionality
6. Site wide bug fixing
7. Responsive support bug fixing
8. Video support revisions
9. Article publishing
10. Related stories and Red More functionality
11. Static Content rewrites

We delivered this solution via a multi phased continuous delivery effort (done in delivery groups) that allowed us to provide well tested deliverable’s much quicker with lower risks, lower costs and higher end product quality. In the end we delivered:

- PIxel Perfect Design Page Builds
- All pages with required modifications and additions in terms of design, layout and functionality
- Responsive Support
- All major breakpoints for desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile phone devices.
- Ad Network Integrations
- Fixed ads and implemented additional ad placements.
- Site-wide Bug Fixing
- Completed bug fixes for broken functionality.
- Site-wide Bug Fixing
- Completed bug fixes for broken functionality.
- API Implementations
- Addressed API issues and resolved

With the introduction of their new enterprise eCommerce web solution, MVN wanted to capitalize further on lead generation through the use of their legacy landscape design tool. The legacy designer would need to be completely redesigned and rebuilt from the ground up, support an intuitive and interactive user user experience for consumers, and integrate seamlessly with MVN's existing lead generation strategies and workflows.

A unique challenge of the mobile application was in user experience design. The design needed to provide a user experience that was not only simple and easy to use for the in home consumers ages 35 - 70, but also advanced enough for MVN's professional landscape designers to be using while out in the field with tablet in hand creating preliminary designs.

Other challenges that presented themselves included:

(1) granular and independent product management integration via MVN's new enterprise eCommerce website solution

(2) lead generation workflow integration with MVN's existing digital marketing tool sets

(3) building out a high performance editing tool with a small enough footprint for mobile application devices.

We began the project by first analyzing the features and functions of MVN's existing legacy app along with the user experience. We next moved into collaborative workshops with the MVN team to finalize MVN's business requirements, introduce and flush out the upgraded features and functions, set the new infrastructure and a reorganized information architecture.

We then moved into high definition non functional prototyping to fully articulate the upgraded application and user experience. The design, user experience and upgraded/new features took shape through iterative demonstrations during prototype status meetings until the app was designed and prototype'd in full and then sent to development.

At the completion of development, QA, internal testing and user acceptance testing, we executed the deployment and publishing strategy of the apps to both the Apple and Android marketplaces.

In choosing Dot Com Development as their trusted Phoenix mobile application developer and partner, Moon Valley Nurseries is now able to provide its business,  staff and online user base their next generation interactive landscape design tool – Backyard Builder (2nd generation).

Interactive Landscape Design for Consumers
Upload a picture of your yard and start designing. Tress, plants, cactus, shrubs … anything in Moon Valley’s inventory. All you need is your tablet and your fingers and you can start shaping the vision of your future yard. If you need more time you can save your drafts and come back later and when ready,  submit your designs to Moon Valley’s landscape professionals for feedback and advice. Its easy, its fun, it’s interactive … just for you.

Lead Generation Tool for Business
While the app is fun, productive and interactive for consumers on the front end, Backyard Builder supports many of the lead generation strategies of the Moon Valley Nurseries business. Not only is Backyard Builder integrated with MVN’s existing eCommerce enterprise website solution, back end workflows and systems … it is also directly tied to the stores and landscape design professionals themselves giving Moon Valley Nurseries an effective channel for acquiring and converting highly qualified leads and sales.

Storm Products Inc. is a leading manufacturer and marketer of high performance bowling equipment. In their bid to grow the sport of bowling, they have become a leading equipment provider to recreational/amateurs alike as well as sponsor to professional bowlers around the globe and on the Professional Bowlers Tour (PBA).

Storm Products approached us with an idea to utilize mobility to help make it easier for amateur and recreational bowlers to custom fit balls for better performance in the game. The concept included a mobile application that would allow bowlers to input their unique characteristics into the app, and then utilizing complex algorithms created by the Storm Product Development Physicists the app would calculate the custom fit settings that the user could take to his local pro shop for proper fitting and drilling of the custom fit balls.

Complex Formulas

The requirements we received from Storm included a large set of complex calculations relative to bowler statistics, reaction characteristics, lane conditions, and ball stats. These factors needed to be analyzed and translated to functional algorithms  with proper result sets relative to the various user flows.

Data Management

The Storm team needed the ability to collect and manage all user defined measurement data in a centralized repository for careful analysis. Thus, the app needed the ability to offload user saved measurement data anytime a new data set was created or re-saved and transmitted when the user was within a network connection.

Collaboration & Communication

Our collaborative agile approach to the project provided opportunities for careful analysis, clarification, and validation of formula translations. Rapid prototyping provided clear navigational and user flow understanding within the mobile app.

Technology

Xamarin was chosen for the technology architecture to meet budgetary constraints. Managing a single code base saved 35% on development costs yet still providing Storm the ability to publish to both Android and iOS marketplaces.

Development & Testing

Algorithm implementation and data set QA testing/validation was critical to the success of the app. In addition, API and web services were written to offload user data specs from the users’ phone local storage to the Storm Products data repositories.

n choosing Dot Com Development as their development partner, Storm Products is now able to present additional value to its customers with:

Dual Marketplace Mobile Application at a 35% cost saving

The app is built on the Xamarin technology framework and manages a single code base for a 35% cost savings. Even with the single code base, the app is able to be distributed to both the iOS and Android marketplaces.

Data extraction / storage / analysis

Storm Products now has the capability to receive and analyze amateur and recreational bowler fitting specifications top help them with product development of their future line of bowling balls better suited for these 2 classes of bowlers.

User Engagement / Business Growth

The mobile application provides Storm Products with the ability to engage their customers with a technology solution that not only makes bowling more fun. The app will engage users in a way that sustains customer focus on the Storm line of bowling balls promoting the Storm brand and purchases of other Storm products (bags, shoes, clothing and accessories).

In 2015, Trend Media realized they needed a new platform to better deliver rich media content to their users and one that better managed their back end publishing processes for their content delivery teams in each of their 30 markets. They approached us to build Loop News 2.0 ... what would be their flagship enterprise web and mobile application digital products responsible for delivering rich news media to all 30 markets of their customer base.

The requirements on this project were rather loose. Trend Media knew what they wanted at a very high level, but required workshop planning guidance towards specific modular solutions that would meet their business objectives. We needed to integrate a tightly coupled business and technical analysis team into a development process to ensure efficient development and on point delivery.

Upgrade and Migration

Trend decided they wanted to move into the new Drupal 8 platform. Because of the vast differences between D7 and D8, a large migration effort of all content and video would be required. Trend also asked to move away from their current AWS subscription and over to Microsoft Azure. Lastly, a complete UI overhaul was requested to give the site a new look to properly reflect their brand.

CMS Customization

One of the goals of the solution mandated that access control better managed all content creation and publishing from 30 different geographical markets for the main site and its’ 8 micro sites. The solution also required customization of back end drag and drop functionality of article and video placements.

Content Delivery

Users of Loop News are spread across different geographies with disparate and lower speed network environments. The apps had to ensure uninterrupted content delivery with a consistent user experience.

IN choosing Dot Com Development as their development partner, Trend Media has been able to provide the following to both its’ internal staff and client base:

Native Mobile Applications

The Loop News Android and iOS mobile apps extend the Loop News experience for those who choose to get their news on the go.

Centralized Publishing Repository

Loop News now stands out among their content editors and publishers as an easy to use centralized publishing repository that manages multiple markets of content from different regions.

Streamlined Back End Publishing Platform

The highly customized back end has completely streamlined the news media publishing process allows Trend Media to create, manage and display virtually any type of content for any purpose, including content used across multiple channels, to ensure consistency across the Web, wireless devices, and e-mail. Multiple websites, syndication and content sharing allows publishers and content producers to provide their readership with the news – when, where and how they want it.

Higher Traffic / User Engagement / Business Growth

The flawless combination of design, information architecture, and user engagement methodologies is now helping Trend Media become a major news authority in the eyes of Google and its users. The enterprise solutions is attracting targeted new users, engaging them with rich media content and and growing their member base daily.

In choosing Dot Com Development as their development partner, Trend Media has been able to provide the following to both its’ internal staff and client base:

Responsive Web Application

Users are able to experience the site via desktop, laptop, tablet, and phone devices.

Centralized Publishing Repository

Loop News now stands out among their content editors and publishers as an easy to use centralized publishing repository that manages multiple markets of content from different regions.

Streamlined Back End Publishing Platform

The highly customized back end has completely streamlined the news media publishing process allows Trend Media to create, manage and display virtually any type of content for any purpose, including content used across multiple channels, to ensure consistency across the Web, wireless devices, and e-mail. Multiple websites, syndication and content sharing allows publishers and content producers to provide their readership with the news – when, where and how they want it.

Higher Traffic / User Engagement / Business Growth

The flawless combination of design, information architecture, and user engagement methodologies is now helping Trend Media become a major news authority in the eyes of Google and its users. The enterprise solutions is attracting targeted new users, engaging them with rich media content and and growing their member base daily.

The primary challenge for developing this mobile application was converting the stakeholder’s high level (yet complex) concept and vision into an amazing user experience with optimal user flows. Because the application would be monetized, we had to create a business model around the mobile application that would support not only the stakeholders studio, but other user studios who wished to create bookings through the application as well.

We took a full cycle development agile and iterative approach and engaged in the following activities:

• Comprehensive business and competitive analysis
• Functional and technical analysis of other mobile applications process’s with working models of various feature sets.
• Collaborative specification and requirement authoring
• Story boarding, screen wire framing and prototyping
• Native development with 3rd party monetization integrations
• Beta testing with beta test groups
• Deployment and Publishing to the iOS marketplac

Within the Scout It app you can scout new locations provided by other users and save locations privately that you have scouted on your own. All locations are neatly organized under country, state, city, and then by more detailed words of your choosing. Also within the app you are able to host venues or studios you own for hourly or daily rentals to other creatives. Creatives likewise can book venues or studios within the app to have their next photo shoot at. Hunt is a feature where user can post a query and the other users can comment on it.

Flybooks is an essential mobile application for flight attendants designed to reduce shifting between Jetnet, your computer/tablet and Facebook! Flybooks brings the latest and most up to date manuals, documents directories and resourceful information to you safely and securely right to your mobile device so you can have access anytime and anywhere.

We took a strategic planning and full cycle development approach and engaged in the following activities:

• Comprehensive business and competitive analysis
• Functional and technical analysis of other mobile applications process’s with working models of various feature sets.
• Revenue modeling exploration.
• Collaborative specification and requirement authoring
• Story boarding, screen wire framing and prototyping
• Full cycle end to end development mobile application and back end administrative development
• Beta testing with beta test groups
• Deployment and publishing to iTunes Connect and Google Play marketplaces.
• Continued Support and Maintenance

Within the Flybooks mobile app flight attendants now have access to all their flight career management resources in one spot. Standard app users get access to the apps basic resource manuals while upgraded First Class users get access to the entire library of Fly Books, videos and the complete directory of flight attendants using the application across the country.

The application admins are always compiling and creating new and useful Flybooks to ensure that new Flybooks are being added to the app library regularly.

Background

Access Computers approached us to overhaul not only the look and feel for their WordPress based website, but also extend the site with an additional user support portal and additional online resources for customers facing common IT problems.

1. Conduct a full analysis a of the business side model of the company
2. Assist in the re-branding and generating a new set of branding guidelines going forward
3. Create the information architecture, application architecture and site mapping to support the brand service line and user experience
4. Create a fresh new and engaging design supporting browsers on desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile devices
5. Implement an opensource CMS and integrate the customer support portal
6. Thoroughly test and deploy the final solution

Approach & Outcome

Since Access computers wanted to stay with WordPress, we upgraded the website to the most recent version. We designed a fresh new look around the new logo and branding guidelines that presented the company and service line in a user friendly and engaging way. We extended the site to include a resource area that would provide common tools for users to download and user for checking their systems .. and we included a new help desk portal for users to register at, sign in and create help desk tickets for remote based responses and assistance.