10 Well-Known Brands that Have Reinvented Themselves by Implementing Custom Software

1. Leeds City Council: People’s Custom Software

We’ll start with a notable example not from the private but the public sector. Leeds City Council figured out that an open data model could help them reform their administration without overburdening the budget and taxpayers.

Once they have created a sizable pool of machine-readable data, it was easy to find third-parties for the purpose of creating user-friendly applications. Today, Loiners can download iOS and Androids apps that help them manage everything from healthcare to waste disposal.

2. Audi: An innovative showroom

Ever since it opened its first Audi City in 2012, Audi has been a forerunner of digital transformation in the automotive industry.

The basic principle is quite simple: in places where it’s impossible to open a spacious showroom with numerous automobiles on display, they establish a physical cyberstore that presents their entire model range solely using virtual technology.

These high-tech showrooms are opened in parts of the city where there are forums and exhibitions, so they attract more visitors. Also, interactive screens display the car in full size, so it’s possible to peek inside it, as well as hear its engine roar.

3. Dufresne: Long-distance furniture repair

Even though they regard themselves as “Canada’s best furniture store,” Dufresne’s pre-pandemic customer care was in the red. Namely, furniture repair, which shoppers relied on, involved two physical trips to the customer’s address, raising operation costs.

Limited mobility during the pandemic brought about a solution to the problem: video chats. Nowadays, Dufresne’s carpenters not only conduct product inspections remotely but they offer step-by-step product walkthroughs to shoppers who never have to leave the comfort of their home. 

4. United Airlines: Easily resolving day-of-travel issues

While passengers in Europe have been wandering around airports in search of information desk staff the whole summer of 2022, over in the States, United Airlines has successfully tackled the issue.

Their “Agent on Demand” program is aimed at improving day-of-travel issues, the most precarious segment of UX in custom software development for the aviation industry. 

Scanning a QR code at one of the airports participating in the program allows passengers to a start live chat with a United’s operator, whether in the form of a live chat or just textual messages.

5. Domino’s: A chatbot that orders pizza for you

One of the world’s leading pizza takeaway companies has long been at the forefront of digital transformation. One recent example of their innovativeness is the introduction of Dom, Domino’s interactive chatbot.

The chatbot is able to reorder members’ previous orders, as well as track orders to provide customers with an estimated time of delivery.

Moreover, the chatbot is integrated with Amazon’s Alexa and Facebook Messenger, so users can order from the full menu without leaving Messenger (payment is in cash upon delivery).

6. DBS Bank: Technology ownership turns things around

The present-day “top digital bank in Singapore” once had sluggish administration that earned DBS the nickname “Damn bloody Slow.” The financial services corporation’s problem was outsourcing, as they didn’t own 85% of the technology they used.

Once they were able to flip these percentages around, DBS was able to launch the world’s largest banking API platform. Using in-house developed cloud computing software, DBS kicked off DigiBank, a mobile-only bank in India.

Today, the bank has taken a digital approach even to recruitment. An artificial intelligence bot reviews applicants’ resumes and responds to candidates’ basic enquiries before a human recruiter gets involved.

7. Sephora: “Beauty at your fingertips,” in every sense of the word

The French retailer of personal care and beauty products, Sephora, has been in business for over half a century for a good reason. Nowadays, they have adopted an omnichannel marketing model that offers extra value to their customers.

Downloading their app means that fashionistas can track their orders with ease, and get exclusive access to promotions, launches, & selected products only available via the app. Finally, the Virtual Artist feature allows users to try makeup products on themselves, i.e. 3D models of themselves, complete with personalized beauty recommendations. 

8. Elevate: Co-browsing and live chat as tools for building trust

For an online credit solutions company such as Elevate, customer service is essential. Due to the nature of their business, it was impossible for this Texas company to estimate how much would an incoming call last, making it virtually impossible to determine the requisite number of support agents, as well as the overall budget. 

The solution to this problem was rather simple: the introduction of live chat and co-browsing. A user-friendly chat interface on their sub-brand’s website made all the difference, as folks who were previously unwilling to talk about their finances over the phone, could now discretely enquire about a loan.

9. Nike: Digital marketing campaigns that pack a punch

Using consumer data in the retail industry to improve customer experience is hardly innovative so the good people from Nike have upped their game. The global athletic shoes & apparel brand was savvy enough to use data analytics to enhance their digital marketing strategy.

From concept stores, across membership opportunities, all the way to customer care both online and offline, Nike used all the data it had on its customers to (re)connect with them.

Their “Just Do It” slogan is a good example of this, as they worked hard to link it to inclusivity and diversity, social values on test in contemporary American society.

10. Queen Victoria Hospital: Specialist care in one place

We end the story of custom software where we have started it: in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1863, Queen Victoria Hospital in East Sussex commissioned a web-based telemedicine referral system more than a decade ago. The idea was to transmit images and other clinical information securely.

The system in place (accordingly named TRIPS) does away with patient transfers to specialist hubs, as assessment and primary treatment are performed on-site. From the patient’s perspective, they have the ability to go home and even work, rather than be shuttled from one clinic to another.

The 10 examples listed above are not only the tip of the (tech) iceberg but they are all unique, which is precisely why these brands/institutions turned to custom software development companies. The more you customize your company’s software, the more alluring your value proposition becomes.