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Let's talk about your projectProductized custom app streamlines operations and opens new revenue stream
Summary
As production manager for sod farms across two states, our client had expertly honed a system for cutting and delivering sod. But he lamented “the patchwork of texts, phone calls, and hearsay” that informed the twice-daily cut sheets. And his method of manually tracking orders was not a scalable solution. He partnered with Pixo to bring his homegrown, spreadsheet-based workflow to the next level with a custom application that would not only add efficiency to his own operations, but give him a digital product to market to peers in his niche industry.
The challenge: order tracking must be shared among workers in the field and in the office.
When an order is placed for sod, people in very different environments need to know specific details:
Workers out in the field need to know how and when to cut the sod and load it onto (which) truck for delivery.
Office staff who handle billing and payment need to generate invoices and confirm when the orders ship.
Although a makeshift Google Sheets solution somewhat allowed for synching order data, the interface was not adaptable or user friendly—especially for folks with only mobile devices out in the field. And every status update required a manual touch.
The solution: automate workflows to minimize human error and present centralized, real-time data through multiple, role-based views.
Pixo developed our client’s vision for a web application—SodRunner—to streamline and automate key segments of his workflow, adding multiple interfaces tailored to users in different operational roles and environments.
- Field view: Uncluttered interface presents limited content with enlarged touch targets, providing simple, mobile-friendly options for viewing and updating just the information pertinent to workers in the field.
- Office view: Full list view designed for a traditional desktop monitor and more nuanced interaction via a mouse and keyboard. Here, office staff can input and edit orders and see all the details at a glance.
Our client expected some of his industry peers might be reluctant to adopt digital technology in their operations. Developing SodRunner as a progressive web app (instead of a native iOS or Android app) meant his customers could access it directly from whatever internet browser they’re already accustomed to using. This device-agnostic solution eliminated the need for additional downloads and bothersome update notifications.
The result: a market-ready custom app steeped in authentic expertise to fill a niche need.
Pixo’s collaborative approach leveraged our client’s lived experience and unique expertise to develop a solution that would scale with his own business and beyond.
Our emphasis on building for accessibility, performance, longevity, and security helped ensure the final product would be something that our client was not only confident in using for his core business operations, but also proud to put his name on—and make his colleagues his clients.
Client Testimonial
“The app looks really great. Every bullet point of the contract has been delivered…I am really glad I chose Pixo.”
—SodRunner app owner & founder