Data processing and cookies

We use cookies to personalize content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyze traffic to our website. We also share information about your use of our website with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. Our partners may combine this information with other data that you have provided to them or that they have collected as part of your use of the services. To the privacy policy

Skip to content

How igefa significantly reduced its customers' organizational and administrative workload with an innovative app

Together with igefa, we have developed an innovative app to support processes in the cleaning industry. The result: a better user experience and reduced organizational effort for igefa's customers.

innovation
digital products
app development

The cleaner realizes that there are only a few bottles of a cleaning agent left and it urgently needs to be reordered. With just a few clicks, the need can be reported and the order arranged. The icos go app simplifies communication between cleaning staff and facility managers enormously. It integrates all processes for inventory management and ordering the relevant consumables from igefa.

By bundling and automating various processes and services under one app interface, igefa reduces the organizational and administrative effort for its customers enormously, creates a high level of supply security - and thus stronger customer loyalty.

About igefa

Experts in cleanliness and hygiene

igefa is one of the leading wholesalers in Germany and serves customers nationwide from various sectors such as commercial cleaning, healthcare, trade, transportation, industry, hotels, restaurants, catering companies, public institutions and municipalities. As a full-service specialist, the range includes products and services from the areas of cleaning and hygiene, care and medical aids, hotel cosmetics and wellness, health and safety equipment and workwear, disposable packaging and catering supplies. Fast and reliable delivery is guaranteed by 28 locations with associated warehouses, a modern fleet of vehicles and 2,700 employees in Germany.

www.igefa.de

Icos Go: one app for all important processes

Cleaning staff can use the icos Go app to quickly and easily report requirements, which are immediately sent to the responsible property manager as a task. Property managers can use the app to check demand reports and trigger or approve orders, view a supply overview and statistics for properties and trigger orders for required products themselves.

A special solution that we have developed for igefa is the use of individual QR codes for reporting requirements. Facility managers can create these with the QR code generator we created for each product used and attach them to the storage shelves in the respective facilities.

Cleaning staff can then simply scan the QR code via the app and report when something is missing or running low, without having to log in with their own account and search for the right product. The installation of icos go on the smartphone is sufficient. This function can also be used offline; demand notifications are stored temporarily and then sent later. All of this minimizes the workload, simplifies communication and reduces errors when reporting requirements.

Central features of icos go

1

Easy notification of requirements by cleaning staff via app; this is also possible without an icos account using a QR code

2

Connection to the igefa ordering system Icos: orders can be triggered and tracked directly in the app

3

Personal task list including push notifications for new tasks for property managers

From MVP to the finished app

Technologically, the app was developed with the cross-platform framework Nativescript for iOS and Android; in the course of the project, a switch was made to a pure Angular app with Cordova. High-performance SpringBoot backend systems ensure the operation of the app; the entire infrastructure is based on Amazon AWS and was fully automated from deployment to backup. The app is connected to the igefa ordering system Icos, which is used to log in users and provide master and order data.

The digitalization and automation of its processes plays an important role for igefa; simplified, efficient processes should make the organization and ordering process as easy as possible for its customers. We developed an MVP based on igefa's idea of simplifying the processes for cleaning staff and property managers with an app, whereby the concept, design and implementation of the backend and app were entirely in our hands.

Based on this, we developed a prototype for the CMS - the most important trade fair for the cleaning industry - which was to be presented there. The app was not only praised by visitors to the trade fair, but also made it into the top 3 in the “PURUS Award” innovation competition.

We developed the successful prototype into a fully functional version of the app and were able to release it for the app stores a short time later. A survey of real users of icos go provided us with important feedback for enhancements and potential improvements to the app.

Throughout the entire development process, it was particularly important to us to design an app that was not only technically sophisticated, but also focused on the needs and requirements of the users. We therefore translated the feedback from the survey into a proposal for further refactoring and a modified design for the igefa team, thus laying the foundation for the app's continuous further development.

Ready to write your own success story?

Tell us about your challenges and let's work together to develop innovative solutions that will advance your business. We look forward to accompanying you on your journey.

Get in touch now Read more success stories