Grid
A disruptive mobile app for club management, allowing ordering drinks, mobile payments, and ticket sales.
- Quick prototyping and launch
- Project for the founder of Trivago
- Efficient pivot, during COVID times
What did the client expect?
Fast time to market
The client expected a working application rolled out in clubs in a short time frame.
Data-driven approach
Create an ongoing improvement process to modify the app based on data and evidence.
R&D and consulting
The client asked the team to suggest innovative solutions and become proactive in the project.
How did we navigate the client for success?
GRID was a greenfield project, built from scratch.
In the first phase, we built an app that allowed users to order drinks remotely, without having to go to the counter. It was a major innovation speeding up the sales by bartenders.
Within 3 months we created a working prototype, which was presented to investors. With positive reaction from them the next phases were approved and funding secured.
Afterwards, we spent further 2 months polishing the application to make it ready for a go live in the first club. This allowed us to run tests on real users, do guerilla interviews and get feedback for further development.
After 3 months we scaled the app and rolled it out in five clubs to further test the functionalities and continue gathering information from patrons and staff of the clubs. We continued extending the application for over a year, based on the feedback we were receiving.
The time of the broader launch of the project was correlated with the start of the pandemic. Since all clubs were closed, we had to pivot quickly. Thanks to the brainstorming sessions we organized, we managed to find a new niche for the Covid times. The app was used to organize large events in Germany in line with COVID regulations.
Our team worked day and night to deliver the end result on time. Quick action allowed the project to survive the pandemic and return to the original business plan soon after.
What did we achieve?
Among the project's key deliverables was a seamless transition from a prototype to MVP and subsequently to a live scaled-up product without code rewrites. Together with the client, we achieved full mobile support with mobile-first thinking, including the client-facing app and club management tools for the staff. An innovative QR code-based payment system was implemented and integrated with external scanners and cash registers. The API we designed supports any front-end: mobile versions, web, tablets, etc., without creating additional code.
Quick prototyping
A working prototype within 10-12 weeks
Secured funding
Next investment round after prototype approved
Go live in clubs
App rolled out in live environments
Key deliverables
Purchasing drinks remotely
QR codes, scanners, payment systems (credit card - Stripe, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, internal app credits)
Inventory management - both through mobile and web
Gamification for app users
Staff management
Order management
Club entry management - ticket sales, check-in, and check-out on-premise
SMS integration
Coat check functionality
Tipping functionality
Station management
Support for multiple clubs
Advanced reporting (monthly, daily)
Authorization through social networks