With AI agents on the horizon, new leaps are bound to revolutionize several industries. However, even a smaller degree of digital transformation can help boost business performance and revenue. They all require a commitment and an accompanying strategy, but as much as supplementing customer service workload with automation results in cost optimization.

Let’s take a look at a few examples from Appic by Hiflylabs’ body of work! We have worked on digital solutions that replaced physical ones to cut entry time to facilities into a third, or worked hand-in-hand with real-world environments and increased prediction accuracy 16-fold. All in all, they make life more convenient, safer, and more transparent for hundreds of thousands every day.

1. ParkL - Parking Modernized

The hassle of parking needs no introduction, but from a parking lot operator POV, it’s even more complex. Infrastructure hasn’t seen major improvements in decades, resulting in inconvenience and bad user experience.

Challenges

The above leads to unoptimized parking spot allocation and thus high costs/low revenue, and on top of it all, parking lots require constant human intervention, while we already have the tools to automate pretty much everything else.
Furthermore, regulators are pushing for ESG goals across the board, and businesses aim to up their game regardless of the regulations, so operators are in dire need of a catch-all solution to reduce congestion and CO2 emissions, and increase efficiency.

Our solution

It’s about time a robust facility such as parking management gets an overhaul - cue digital transformation! We joined forces with ParkL to create an integrated solution with a strong software layer to make sure that your costs are low, your clients happy, and your services excellent.

The automatic system allows you to optimize parking spot allocation and EV charger usage to reduce costs and boost your ESG score, all without human intervention. Users can do everything from booking to billing from their phones, which in turn also helps them navigate the parking lot. This is done with the support of an indoor navigation infrastructure provided by ParkL. The solution also includes:

• Mobile app & MDM-ready ecosystem
• Analytics and ML-based predictions
• Control Panel and Dashboard with real-time user, access, and EV charging management, as well as live chat & phone support
• Live updates of charging, spot (mis)use, and parking zones

Results

The integrated parking management system improves your workflow end to end. After the initial setup, tenants and their guests can do all their administrative tasks on an online interface or via the dedicated, customized mobile app - no human input required from the provider’s side!

The system will manage parking spots dynamically, optimizing for low energy consumption (including lighting and EV chargers). As an added bonus, if the parking spots have free spaces, they can be leased out to external parties, generating additional revenue. To keep everything tidy and in check, the interface generates actionable analytics with breakdowns of usage stats.

So far, ParkL has more than 50 registered office buildings with 150+ partners, totaling 200,000 satisfied users. To boost their partners’ ESG scores, the system handles more than 850 EV chargers, and with the recent regulations, for example in the EU, now is as good a time as ever to make a commitment to the environment and your tenants at the same time.

2.  SportsCard - Entry Cards Reimagined

Providing a much-needed update to a plastic card-based subscription system.

Challenges

All-access sports cards weren’t always easy to use. A few years back, it took Hungary’s largest card issuer about 2 weeks to issue a card from the time of application, creating yet another hurdle in the way of an active lifestyle. Additionally, users often lost their plastic cards, and replacements took a while. At the same time, manufacturing was relatively expensive to the issuer.

Our solution

Seeing how much of a hassle they were, we took physical cards out of the equation. With the SportsCard mobile app, users could register in seconds and use participating facilities immediately.

The solution used beacon technology, which, other than allowing seamless and faster entry, was able to notify users of nearby facilities they could access with their subscriptions.

The system was also equipped with an online tutorial for first-time users, allowing for a wider reach, as well as automated analytics reports so that the issuer was made aware of potential points of improvement.

Results

The card was an instant success. On top of the original userbase, the younger, more tech-inclined generation was inclined to try the subscription when the approx. 2 week waiting period became just a tap on their phones. The app allowed for direct communication between the issuer and users, and became a frequently used tool of Loyalty and Customer Engagement.

All in all, the transformation ensured a more satisfied user base enjoying faster entry and more convenient card acquisition, while decreasing operational costs for the issuer.

3. MOL Group - Health and Safety Simplified

We teamed up with MOL to improve their workplace HSE protocol with a digital layer connected to all their facilities and physical POIs. 

The Health and Safety App was part of a comprehensive overhaul spanning multiple apps. The top left and right are mockups of the HSE application.

Challenges

MOL Group is one of Europe’s biggest oil and gas companies. Such a large-scale operation, working across multiple physical locations, requires a high level of preparation, transparency and efficiency to comply with HSE regulations.

The key to this, on top of the required tools and facilities being available, is information flow. If the identification and reporting of accidents in industrial areas are difficult, the responding medical care becomes slow, generating workplace hazards and lowering quality of life for workers.

Our solution

After through investigation of internal and external factors, we launched a comprehensive, multi-phase initiative to support MOL Group’s Health and Safety efforts. This included, among others:

• Custom Health and Safety app with alerts, news, training and reporting
• Maps with PoIs highlighted (First aid, AED, Hospitals)
• Quick damage reports with all the information you need for repairs or medical care
• Additionally, being a live service, updates can now be pushed real-time through the content management system, making sure that everyone gets all the necessary information to reinforce their safety.

Results

The MOL Health and Safety Application contributed to better working conditions across MOL’s facilities. This includes improvements to the company’s communication flow, resulting in fewer workplace accidents and casualties on dangerous sites, as well as faster access to medical services for those involved in an accident.

The HSE app was part of a larger communication overhaul at MOL, which made information flow across multiple areas, including outside of Health and Safety, more transparent.

4. Phoenix Pharma - Product Delivery Refined

Delayed delivery is a frustration we all have our stories of. It’s an especially crucial issue when it comes to our health. We created a much more predictable solution for Phoenix Pharma to support its position in the market.

Phoenix Pharma's delivery prediction app is accurate to 15 minute periods.

Challenges

Phoenix Pharma is one of Hungary’s leading pharmaceutical companies, and was looking to distinguish its services from the competition to strengthen its position. Additionally, they looked to provide more value for their clients.

An issue pharmacies often face is not being able to inform their patients about the exact time a delivery arrives, resulting in inconvenience on their end, overloaded customer service representatives on Phoenix’s end.

Our solution

To make deliveries more predictable, our solution used live courier data and historic traffic information in conjunction with machine learning models. This ensured that ETAs remained accurate and pharmacies were notified in case of a delay.

The service is now part of a custom mobile and web platform, integrated into Phoenix’s existing customer portal, which was further expanded with functions that ensured a higher quality of service towards local pharmacies.

Results

The delivery prediction system ensured that all deliveries are accurate to 15 minute periods, resulting in increasing satisfaction from the pharmacies. In turn, this reduced the workload of Phoenix’s customer service representatives, and at the same time lowering related costs.

5. Vodafone Foundation - Alternative app store for educators

Schools were looking to improve their digital transformation efforts, and Vodafone Alapítvány trusted us to help them as part of their CSR initiatives.

Challenges

The use of digital tools lagged behind in schools. Students were already using phones and tablets to write their papers and do their homework, but the curriculum was still good old pen-and-paper. 

When schools tried to innovate and introduce digital tools, they faced cluttered, non-classroom-appropriate apps with no quality control across every app store.

Our solution

In cooperation with Vodafone’s CSR branch, we created a curated app library with a customizable admin interface for schools and teachers. They were able to manage apps and their availability,  and find recommendations made by professionals to make sure that the tools they use are appropriate for the subject and the environment.

The apps were filterable by grade and subject, and student access was fully controlled by teachers.

Results

Vodafone AppTár works as an alternative, specialized app store for schools. The professional recommendation of apps was a novelty teachers needed and were delighted to utilize. Over 300 apps were reviewed and selected by educators this way.

Participating schools received tablets from Vodafone, but the app store was made publicly available for anyone looking to introduce digital tools in their education.

This project was special for us for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it was an exciting one because it took the intersection of social responsibility and education, and we had the chance to contribute a digital layer. Additionally, creating an alternative app store with its own admin and recommendation system was an interesting challenge which, with the prevalence of Google and Apple app stores. you don’t always get to do. 
We’re happy to have had the chance to work with Vodafone on the project.

Domonkos Pál - Director, Appic by Hiflylabs

Other Inspiring Examples of Digital Transformation

IKEA Place: AR App for digital home furnishing

The entire catalog with online shopping in the app, with AR functions to try any piece of furniture in your own home.

Challenges

IKEA was previously synonymous with its offline stores and maze-like structure. In 2017, online retail was already miles ahead, but IKEA had little to no presence. Additionally, there was no way to see if a new piece of furniture fits your room until it was there, further justifying the offline concept, as you at least saw it in person, and in a similar context.

Solution

The entire store in the palm of your hand. IKEA developed an app making its entire catalog of products available through your phone. Furthermore, the app had AR-enhanced functions to see what a piece of furniture would look like in your own room.

Result

This was the first step towards IKEA joining digital retail. Following its success, the company revamped their online strategy by making ordering available in more countries, setting up smaller showrooms across more cities, and updating their old (non-Place) app with similar functions.

Mayo Clinic: AI-based diagnosis/analysis & digitalized patient monitoring with smart devices

Challenges

Healthcare facilities face capacity issues all across the world. At the same time, people often don’t even visit their doctor unless things turn dire - for example, in the EU, a quarter of people do not visit their practitioner at all, while another quarter only saw them once in the year before the survey. Furthermore, many diseases would be preventable with timely diagnosis, which would in turn decrease the capacity pressure on facilities.

Solution

Multiple companies are rolling out AI-based diagnosis/analysis solutions for easily recognizable conditions, such as melanoma. Mayo Clinic is one such corporation. By using AI to identify diseases based on photographs and to create suggested treatment plans, they complement the work of their experts (who still review and sign off on decisions), reducing their workload and making it possible to treat more people in the same time frame.

Results

Outside of this, cancer research is advancing as well: Google’s initiative, for example, uses image recognition to identify early signs of breast cancer. If successful, this solution can be groundbreaking in catching such a serious disease in time so that doctors can intervene.

All of these developments are very recent and are being worked on continuously. We believe that supporting healthcare and preventing diseases is one of the most pivotal effects AI can have in the future - that’s why we at Hiflylabs are also working on such a solution. We hope that we can contribute to an increasing prevention rate of curable diseases, as well as an overall better life for everyone.

Benefits of Digital Transformation

Besides the obvious convenience of having everything within hand’s reach, investing in digital transformation has countless benefits.

Some of them depend on your use case:

• Prediction engines allow you to optimize deliveries and make more effective maintenance schedules, resulting in higher user/client satisfaction. This, in turn, reduces costs due to the lower number of Customer Service tickets and increases revenue.
• Large-scale physical locations such as factories and industrial parks can benefit from location-based solutions like interactive maps with points of interest, resulting in increased safety and efficiency
• Retailers can increase their revenue by utilizing data from analytics and creating personalized offers, or using this data to develop their products moving forward

Other, more general benefits of digital transformation include:

• Increasing user engagement by providing a more intuitive and convenient platform
• Identifying areas where costs can be optimized
• Replacing old systems and infrastructure with more environmentally friendly ones
• Creating faster and more efficient processes by eliminating previous barriers
• Opening up new avenues for revenue generation

Of course, it all depends on the way the solution is implemented. A well-designed digital product can go beyond all of the above for both your customers and you. On the other hand, a hiccup here or there during planning and development can easily turn into a headache.

We believe in cooperation across all phases to ensure everything is smooth, and the final product goes the extra mile.

Conclusion

Digital products have come a long way since the first apps on your phone. Today they integrate seamlessly with your environment using location data, proprietary hardware, real-time information, and more.

Their use cannot be overstated in business and personal environments alike: from banking to parking and crucial pharmaceutical deliveries, they make life better and easier. There is a great solution for (almost) every use case.

Curious about what it can offer to your business? Reach out to us at appic.hiflylabs.com!