Stay Relevant Through Fast Communication with Customers and Suppliers

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The way we communicate is changing rapidly. We are not only continuously accessible in our personal lives, but we also expect that from the companies we do business with. This is especially true for consumers, as they are accustomed to being "always on." How do you leverage smart business applications to meet your customer's need for quick and efficient communication? Pim van der Noll, CTO at Emixa, explains how we can help.

Always Informed

"Imagine this: you order something through a company's webshop using your laptop. However, you continue to track the progress of your order on your mobile phone. This provides convenience and speed because you are not always behind your computer," opens Pim. "We increasingly see that such processes occur through various channels and devices. This is not only convenient but also efficient. You can reach a customer directly on their mobile phone through push notifications. A good example of this is Collin Crowdfund."

Collin Crowdfund: Faster Interaction

Collin Crowdfund is a crowdfinance platform financing a wide range of Dutch SMEs. The investors in these companies include consumers and business investors participating in a published loan. Emixa developed the platform where they publish the loans.

"In the initial phase," says Pim, "we only created the website and the underlying platform, allowing SMEs to apply for loans, and investors to invest in a company. This was quite complex, as the Collin Crowdfund platform had to comply with all the regulations of the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). As the project progressed, we added more functionalities, and halfway through, the idea emerged to also offer services via mobile. Investors now receive a push notification or email when a new loan application is published. This way, Collin not only communicates more frequently and quickly with their customers, but it is also much more efficient. Currently, users of these mobile applications are responsible for about 75% of all investments through the Collin platform."

Read here the whole casestudy

A Good Experience Leads to Brand Loyalty

Pim continues: "Although your company is unique, your product probably isn't. There are always other companies offering a similar product or solution. Therefore, it is essential to serve your customers in the best possible way. A good experience ensures that your customers become and remain loyal. The way and speed at which you communicate with them are crucial parts of that experience.

If your competitor provides a better experience, your customer might switch to the competitor or may not become your customer in the first place."

Efficient Communication Saves Time

But communication can also take place on a deeper level, such as between your systems and those of your supplier. Pim explains: "Suppose you work for an intermediary supplying certain goods. When a customer places an order with you, you want to automatically check the stock with your supplier. You can fully automate this communication process between your systems and those of your supplier. This saves a lot of time and, therefore, costs."

There Is an App for That

Do your customers also expect faster communication, prompting you to digitize your processes? "Then there's good news," says Pim, "There's an app for that! Many questions our clients have can be solved with an app or software. Emixa is happy to brainstorm about it. Not only when it comes to digitizing existing processes but also when a company only has an idea. We always, together with our clients, look for the best solution. We don't only consider the current situation but also focus on the future. Can the current system handle the demand in two years? Are we still up-to-date (then)? These are questions we certainly take into account when thinking and developing applications for our clients."

Faster Communication Starts with Fast Development

"Communication is also about meeting your customer's needs. And preferably quickly. This is why we use the Mendix platform for application or software development. Over time, this platform has proven to be more than suitable for relatively rapid software development. It also results in significant cost savings because with Mendix, our developers can create the data structure and add business logic to user interfaces for mobile, tablet, and web faster than ever. The combination of device-independent designs with the visual modeling environment and the ability to improve collaboration between business and IT allows any organization to quickly benefit from the opportunities an application offers in communication with customers and suppliers," concludes Pim.

Want to know more?

There are plenty of opportunities to drive forward digital transformation in the tech industry. Would you like to improve the digital state of your organisation? And are you looking for a partner who can help you achieve this goal? In that case, Emixa is the right fit for you. We translate complex issues into simple, user-friendly IT solutions that accelerate your digital transformation and take your business to a higher level. Don’t hesitate to contact us. We would be delighted to meet you!