<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=504731893395981&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
gardner-background

SaaS Business Platform for Home Building Franchisees

Multiple business functions in one solution
GJ-Gardner-1

The client is a construction and franchising company with offices around the world. They provide a desktop application for its authorized representatives, but the app had become outdated and needed an upgrade.

Case Highlights

Driven by advanced web technologies, the rebuilt system provides the benefits of a SaaS model, adapted to corporate use.
  • Runs in the сloud

  • Consists of three web applications (for builders, suppliers, and clients)

  • Enables report generation

  • Supports messaging

  • Leverages a graphical tool to assess the required quantity of building materials

  • Supports accounting operations

Project Information
Engagement model

Fixed Price

Methodology

Agile

Team
4

Backend Developers

2

Frontend Developers

2

Business Analysts

1

UI/UX Specialist

4

QA Engineers

1

DBA

1

DevOps

1

Project Manager

More Details

Problem

The client’s software was developed decades ago. Since the underlying technology had become outdated, the company decided to rebuild the solution.

Softeq was employed to overhaul the app and port it to the cloud to make it accessible from anywhere in the world. The client also wanted us to integrate third-party services into the solution.

Solution

SaaS-Business-Platform-for-Home-Building-Franchisees
Core Functional Units

Softeq retained the full functional scope of the existing system, turned it into a web application that runs in the cloud, and expanded its functionality.

The software covers everything a new home builder and its clients and suppliers could need in their daily work. The solution consists of three web applications integrated with third party services: a Builder Portal for franchisees, a Supplier Portal (adapted for mobile), and a Customer portal (adapted for mobile).

Accounting

Some of the client’s offices were already using a cloud-based accounting service — Xero. To provide integration with Xero for all offices, we implemented a connection that would synchronize data between Xero and the Builder Portal. When connecting the offices for the first time, the synchronized connection helped secure the correct data transfer and processing, which was especially critical for the offices that were still operating in the legacy system environment.

In addition, the solution had to provide the possibility to manage one part of the accounting process in the Builder Portal. For this, we implemented a mechanism for obtaining the necessary data from Xero. Initially, the Xero SDK did not allow us to implement the required functionality, which is why we developed a custom client part. Now the solution supports data synchronization between Xero and the Builder Portal, receives and processes notifications about new events (webhooks) from Xero, generates financial reports in the Builder Portal, and displays the invoice status for customers in the Customer Portal.

Report Generation

The system generates database-driven reports from the Builder Portal using the community version of JasperReports. The reports can be output in 80 different versions based on the implemented templates.

There is also a possibility to generate custom advanced BI reports using specified data fields, thanks to integration with the commercial version of JasperReports. The service charges by the minute, therefore we implemented the possibility to activate/deactivate it before and after use for maximum cost-efficiently.

Document Flow

The system is integrated with G Suite. This enables the user to organize the entire workflow within the solution — structure the data, access files remotely, generate and edit documents. Thanks to integration with the electronic signature service EverSign, it is also possible to sign the documents.

Measurement Tool

To help the builder estimate the required quantity of building materials necessary to order from suppliers, we implemented a graphical tool. The user needs to upload the room plans, set the scale, and specify three parameters: length, area, and doorway and window openings. After this, the system will automatically generate figures for calculating the right quantity of materials to order from suppliers directly in the system.

Messaging and Mailing

The system supports SMS messaging. Due to integration with Nexmo, a multi-channel messaging service, users can send clients SMS notifications with meeting reminders and key information about the construction process directly via the software.

The system is also integrated with the email marketing service MailChimp. It enables users to schedule marketing campaigns and view the results: the number of opened emails, link clicks, unsubscribed users, and bounced emails.

Help Manuals and Tutorials

To help minimize the learning curve for new system users, we created around 40 tutorials and help manuals that cover all important system flows.

The application also has a sandbox mode that allows new employees to learn how to generate reports from a copy of the data before they start working with real data.

Navigating the Challenges of Digital Transformation?

Explore how our custom app development can transform your ideas into unique mobile, web, and desktop solutions See how
Anna-L
Margarita Account Manager
GJ-Gardner
Trent Gardner — 
IT Manager, G.J. Gardner Homes

Softeq rebuilt the customer’s existing solution and turned it into a high-load system running in the Cloud.

Watch video review

Result

A Scalable High-load System

The resulting solution is a high-load system, which is easy to maintain, scale, and improve. It has retained the time-proven business functionality of the legacy system but now leverages advanced web technologies underlying the SaaS service model.