Pizza Forno

When PizzaForno approached TheAppLabb, they served 500 locations worldwide but had their sights set much higher. To hit their goal of expanding from one to 10,000 machines across North America within 7 years, they needed to build and implement a strong digital strategy to support their rapid expansion.

One of the cornerstones of their aggressive expansion plans was to create a mobile application to them reach more customers and improve access to machines, but that also optimized customer-centricity from the get-go.

As experts in their field, PizzaForno needed a strong partner who had deep expertise and a strong track record in the strategy, design, and development of mobile applications, specifically.

Additionally, as disruptors, they needed an innovative partner who could align with their thinking and help them design and deliver an exceptional mobile app experience that aligned with their disruptive market approach.

TheAppLabb collaborated closely with PizzaForno to craft a mobile application strategy for North American expansion. Their goal was not only to achieve aggressive growth targets but also to ensure long-term customer satisfaction and loyalty. The process included brainstorming with PizzaForno, in-depth user research, and defining essential project metrics such as ease of use, volume of use, and overall customer usage and loyalty.

To achieve this, we used the following approach:

• Started with a high-level product roadmap based on the project brief.
• Conducted comprehensive discovery exercises to identify crucial features throughout the customer’s buying journey.
• Focused on essential application pillars: Location Services, Ordering, and Loyalty.
• Leveraged user research to optimize the user experience through a lean, iterative process.
• Developed Native iOS and Android apps, integrating APIs for food ordering, payment options, and multi-language support.
• Emphasized human-centered design practices and adopted a mobile-first approach to ensure user satisfaction, API-based integrations, and speedy time-to-market.

Collaborating closely with PizzaForno’s stakeholders, we devised and developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) along with a phased product roadmap for efficient delivery. This approach allowed us to concentrate our efforts on refining the core functionalities during the initial phase, expediting our time-to-market.

In the subsequent phase, we upheld our commitment to delivering a fully functional product while also outlining future builds, which encompassed enhancements like chatbot integration for customer support and AI-based searches to boost overall performance.

To create a fresh, user-centric mobile experience, optimizing the customer journey became a paramount focus. To accomplish this, we harnessed insights gleaned from intensive design thinking and brainstorming sessions, resulting in a sleek and intuitive map interface that empowers users to easily locate and search for nearby PizzaForno locations.

Our thorough User Experience (UX) analysis, which delved into user needs and motivations, led to the creation of a minimalistic, user-friendly experience. This included streamlined navigation, seamless user onboarding, and intuitive workflows tailored to the needs of distinct user personas.

Key Highlights of the Application:

• Effortlessly tracking the nearest available vending machine.
• Providing real-time information to customers about current machine inventory.
• Showcasing promotional items such as ongoing offers and discount coupons.
• Seamless integration with food ordering services like Uber Eats and Foodora.
• Offering a Rewards and Loyalty program to enhance customer engagement and satisfaction.

This comprehensive solution not only accelerated PizzaForno’s market entry but also ensured a superior mobile experience, thereby driving customer satisfaction and loyalty.

TheAppLabb’s collaboration with PizzaForno concluded on a highly successful note, resulting in the creation of a scalable core product. This achievement has set the stage for ongoing enhancements, propelling the company’s digital transformation journey.

The introduction of the ‘touch-less pizza’ feature proved to be a game-changing moment, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the nation. During the lockdown, many users turned to Pizza Forno for their daily dining needs while adhering to social distancing guidelines. This shift in behaviour led to an impressive outcome. Pizza Forno received recognition by winning the prestigious ‘Innovation Award’ at the RC Show 2020, Canada’s largest Food Service & Hospitality Trade Event. This remarkable accomplishment stands as a testament to TheAppLabb’s contribution and the product’s positive impact on the industry.