Launching the perfect cafe experience with one tap of a finger

Client info

Zing is a network of cafes on wheels that offers a variety of products such as coffee, pastries, and more.

Challenges

As more people work from home, the concept of suburban living evolves with the times. Zing was determined to provide its customers with an unprecedented level of convenience using data and advanced algorithms.

With that goal in mind, the client decided to develop a mobile app that makes every customer experience a breeze.

Each feature was implemented irrespective of the solution as a whole. This happened due to the lack of a thorough approach towards the solution’s architecture;
It was impossible to locate a specific feature as a mixed bunch of tools and technologies were used on the project: a mix of both cloud/on-premise environments and languages (Python, Perl, SQL, and Bash);
The documentation was missing.

Scope of work

Cross-platform mobile application development for iOS & Android platforms

Manual QA services

MVP and production development

Solution

The Akveo team integrated branded fleet management and goods ordering solutions into the application. Eventually, the client got a mobile application that allows:

Displaying the map with the nearest stops and cafe vehicles;
Ordering and paying for the coffee and related products;
Showing the latest order to collect from a vehicle;
Receiving smart push notifications that inform users about sales and rewards.

Technology Stack

The mobile application was built using React Native. That choice may be justified by the framework’s ability to enable quick development and excellent application performance. As a programming language, the team chose TypeScript for type safety. Finally, in order to reduce the amount of similar APIs, the team decided to use GraphQL based on AWS Amplify.

Pricing Model: Dedicated Team

01

API

AWS Amplify via GraphQL

02

CI/CD

Bitrise, Firebase App Distribution, and Test Flight

03

Mobile Framework

React Native

04

Animations

Lottie

05

UI framework

UI Kitten

06

Push Notifications

OneSignal

07

Deep Links

Branch.io

Delivery Approach & Duration

As the short TTM was a necessity, our team managed to build a fully working app in less than two months. We know firsthand that flexibility in developing and delivering features is essential.

Having vast experience working with startups, we could decide what should be done first and what could be postponed for the final release.

Results

Time-to market took only 2 months.
The release of the MVP version of the application took place in October 2021.

As of 2021, Zing operates in the New Jersey area but has plans to expand countrywide. Our team is working on the project's second phase to improve the ordering process and introduce a rewards mechanism.