ZMac's Successful App: A Low-Code Case Study

How Low-Code Development Solves App Issues

Learn how ZMac, a transportation logistics company, partnered with Impact to use low-code development and create a successful app that generates more client quotes.

“We want to revolutionize the transportation industry—and we want to do it through technology and integrity” – Matt Ziegler, President, ZMac Transportation Solutions

What you’ll learn:

• The issues with ZMac’s previous app such as lack of cybersecurity and marketing
• How low-code development helps businesses create apps faster
• The type of results this newly designed app delivered

The Problem with Traditional App Development

ZMac, a leader in the over-dimensional freight and logistics industries works to match businesses looking to ship goods and the transporters who deliver their products.  

To better serve their customers, they decided to create an app that would allow them to quickly generate shipping rates so users could easily see and choose their preferred shipping purveyor.  

However, the company they partnered with to create their app used the traditional app development method. This meant that the app would take a long time to be programmed and that implementing fixes would also require a lot of effort from developers.

ZMac needed a fast answer so they could generate more quotes with their app, named ZRate. In the end, they partnered with Impact’s developers and marketers who used the low-code method of app development to solve their problems.

See How Impact and ZMac Built a Custom Solution

The Challenge

ZMac’s business goal was simple: to produce an app that generated quotes for prospective customers. The Wisconsin-based transportation broker works with businesses to ship their products around North America, specializing in oversized cargo. An app would help them create shipping quotes faster and gain new customers. 

However, the company they partnered with to develop their app used traditional coding methods, delaying the app deployment and complicating its customization. They also had not considered ways to market the app to attract more leads.

In the end, the app—named ZRate—did not produce the number of quotes ZMac had expected, despite running for three years. Adding new features and functions to the app was cumbersome, eating up time and money. ZMac needed help creating a better app or they would fail to see a return on their investment in this initiative.

Our Solution

ZMac knew their app had great potential, but they needed a team to address slow development issues. They also wished to create a marketing strategy that would spread the word about ZRate. 

Enter Impact and our team of technical and marketing experts who provided the necessary tools, strategies, and guidance to help ZMac succeed, including: 

• Low-Code App Development: The Impact team sifted through 55,786 lines of code and converted them to a low-code environment. Using a low-code platform would minimize the time spent on app fixes and customizations. 
• Cybersecurity: Impact detected and addressed several IT security issues such as permissive network security rules, a lack of firewall protections, and data transfers without security options. 
• Digital Marketing: Our team created an engaging email marketing campaign and launched a newly designed website to promote the ZRate app as a valuable tool for businesses looking to ship goods.

The Results

• Time and Cost Savings: By re-building the ZRate app in a low-code environment, Impact simplified the process of upgrading or adding new features to ZRate. This reduced update timelines from months to days and delivered maximum ROI from the product. 
• Scalability and Flexibility: A simple programming environment gives ZMac the ability to scale up their ZRate app as they gain new customers. It also lets Impact developers quickly add any functionalities the ZMac team deems necessary. 
• Cybersecurity: A secure cloud solution lets ZMac store their customers’ data without worrying about potentially losing this sensitive information. 
• Higher Customer Engagement: The easy-to-use ZRate app lets customers access their orders without hassle. Additionally, the new website and email campaigns resulted in 100 new applications within weeks. 
• Long-Term Partnership: Working with Impact does not end once the first version of the app is completed. ZMac has long-term access to Impact’s team of developers and marketers to collaborate with whenever app upgrades or marketing opportunities arise.

What is Low-Code App Development?

Stakeholders with a limited time frame should consider using the low-code app development method, otherwise known as the Agile model. This process allows developers to create apps six to ten times faster than using a traditional method.  

Traditional development methodologies use a linear approach to building apps, meaning code has to be painstakingly written and scanned for errors.

The Agile model takes advantage of low-code programming to quickly build a web application, get stakeholders’ input, user-test it, and rebuild the app. New app iterations based on users’ and stakeholder reviews mean the web application will be optimized with each development phase at a faster pace than traditional coding.

Build a Low-Code App with Impact

For most businesses, trying to build an app would require hiring developers, creating a testing process, and rebuilding the app with each feedback phase.

With Impact, you get access to developers and marketers who do a deep analysis of your business needs and work with stakeholders to create an app that delivers results. Our team also ensures your app looks modern and is easy to use by your audience.  

When you combine a team of developers with a team of designers and marketers, the chances of success increase since your business app is not only efficient but it is also intuitive.
 

Learn more about how Impact can help you improve your app development processes with low-code. Connect with a specialist today.