System integration at First Mile

The relationship between Xpand IT and the recycling company

ABOUT THIS SUCCESS CASE

First Mile, a leading UK recycling company, partnered with Xpand IT to streamline their operations through technology integration. Using Pentaho and Salesforce, Xpand IT automated processes, reduced costs, and developed a custom customer portal. This enhanced efficiency, improved customer experience, and supported First Mile’s 25% annual growth.

SCOPE OF THIS SOLUTION

  • Pentaho
  • Salesforce
  • Data Integration and Automation
  • Custom Customer Portal Development

The challenge: interconnected solutions and various strategic decisions

First Mile faced several interconnected challenges that required strategic solutions from Xpand IT. The first challenge was the need to integrate and embed multiple systems into their core tools, such as CRM and ERP, as each system communicated differently, often in a static way, adding complexity to routine tasks and creating dependencies on staff expertise and manual interventions. The second challenge involved enhancing Salesforce, First Mile’s CRM, to seamlessly integrate with other IT solutions, aiming to fully empower sales teams and provide an exceptional customer experience. Lastly, as First Mile’s business was initially conducted over the phone through a large call center team, many incidents occurred due to human interactions. Customers required a platform to autonomously access their details, manage requests, and handle billing and payments, necessitating a shift toward a digital solution to minimize reliance on manual support and improve service efficiency.

The solution: system integration and process automation

First Mile is a fast-growing company, evolving rapidly. So, all the implementations needed to account for future growth needs as well as those of their current business. Because of this, Xpand IT decided to implement XPagile methodology.

Implementing XPagile was a challenge: First Mile had to introduce a new development methodology to their team and Xpand IT had to adapt XPagile to a new reality. But the outcome of this decision was that the two companies removed a lot of obstacles between the business and technology teams, allowing both teams to speak the same language.

Interface do portal de cliente da First Mile, com informações sobre a última encomenda, próxima recolha agendada, taxa de reciclagem (50%), documentos recentes e botões de ação para repetir encomendas, reportar problemas e visualizar relatórios.
Ecrã de seleção de serviços do site da First Mile, com três opções: “Serviços de Recolha Regulares” (selecionado), “Outros Serviços de Reciclagem” e “Produtos Reciclados”. Inclui destaque informativo sobre reciclagem mista para empresas.

Utilizando tecnologias como Angular e Java Spring, criaram uma plataforma web atraente e fácil de usar.

A First Mile é uma empresa em rápido crescimento, portanto, todas as implementações precisavam de atender às necessidades de crescimento futuro, bem como às do negócio atual. Por conta disso, a Xpand IT decidiu implementar a metodologia XPagile.

Implementar o XPagile foi um desafio: a First Mile teve que introduzir uma nova metodologia de desenvolvimento à sua equipa, e a Xpand IT precisou de adaptar o XPagile a uma nova realidade.

Mas o resultado dessa decisão foi que as duas empresas removeram muitos obstáculos entre as equipas de negócios e tecnologia, permitindo que ambas falassem a mesma linguagem.

Ecrã da aplicação móvel da First Mile com três botões principais: “Repetir a última encomenda”, “Fazer nova encomenda” e “Comunicar um problema”. Abaixo, secção com informação sobre a última encomenda, datada de 29 de março de 2018.
Ecrã da plataforma First Mile com a pergunta “Que tipo de negócio é o seu?”, apresentando ícones de vários setores: escritório, educação, lazer, hotelaria, restauração (selecionado), retalho, saúde e café. Na parte inferior, dois botões permitem sugerir serviços com base na indústria ou ver todos os serviços disponíveis.

The benefits: cost reduction and increased efficiency

Centralization and automation of all processes

reducing time, simplifying their infrastructure (and thereby reducing costs).

First Mile was able to enhance its CRM

making sure that every business team was given unified processes and a single source of truth.

Achieved 25% annual growth

without increasing call center staff, reducing costs.

25k+ customers self-serve

enhancing efficiency and margins.

“Partnering with Xpand IT, we managed to integrate and embed all our disparate systems, so that we are now fully empowering our sales teams. By introducing a Customer Portal this has led to significant improvements in our cost-to-serve per customer and has provided an amazing customer experience. With Xpand IT’s technical acumen, we are making zero-to-landfill recycling the cornerstone of a brighter, greener future!”

First Mile

Main Technologies

About First Mile

  • One of the fastest growing recycling companies in the UK.

Mission & Values

  • Revolutionizing the waste sector by betting on the best technologies, with the aim of finding creative new solutions and eradicating waste, making it possible to recycle everything.
  • The company believes that the waste industry can be a source of inspiration.

Type of solution

  • Integração central com Pentaho
  • Automação total no Salesforce
  • Portal web/mobile personalizado
  • Metodologia XPagile adaptada

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