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App Development of Housebuilding Sales Tool

Taylor Wimpey

Supporting and accelerating new-build property buying process iOS and Android app for prospective buyers and sales staff

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At the start of 2020 the Taylor Wimpey Executive team concluded that the company needed an app to support customers who would now largely interact remotely due to the ongoing pandemic and lockdown periods.

Having previously employed Exploding Phone’s Managing Director in a consulting capacity it was decided to ask the company to build an app to enable prospective property buyers to search, select and schedule remote property viewings.

Users interested in buying a new build property use the app to search the Taylor Wimpey database of sites and plot availability. The ‘Smart Search’ capability was particularly well received as it provided a superior user experience over the standard web page based search engine. Having selected a site and plot the user is then able to request an appointment for a video viewing.

Taylor Wimpey sales staff log into the app using their standard IT Active Directory credentials. Once logged in they receive notifications when new viewing requests are made and are able review requests and respond to prospective buyers with a time and date for an appointment. The buyer receives a notification that their viewing request has been scheduled, and the app continues to provide timely notifications in advance of the video call.

The original brief assumed that video viewings would be managed using an external browser-based video conference system however an Exploding Phone proposal that the video call was also delivered via the app was accepted, thus providing a streamlined experience to both the customer and sales staff. Key technical deliverables included ensuring the smooth interconnection of video between apps running on iOS and Android which was achieved using WebRTC.

Once the viewing is complete the prospective buyer’s details are purged from the system to ensure GDPR compliance.

“The simple but effective process that Exploding Phone guided us through far exceeded my expectations and our customers and staff love the app they delivered.”

- Steve Parker, Head of Digital, Taylor Wimpey UK Limited

The system is supported by a portal based app management system which allows Taylor Wimpey app administrators to edit some app content and links within the app. It also allows the company to manage aspects of sales people’s work-flow. App monitoring is delivered using Google Analytics with more detailed reports available on an ad hoc basis as part of the Maintenance and Support contract.

The project had an extremely high level of visibility within Taylor Wimpey, with the company’s Chief Executive taking an active role in the specification and design of the app. The company complimented Exploding Phone on the speed of our delivery and our ability to quickly grasp requirements with little ‘hand-holding’.

Summarised
  • Smooth communication between iOS and Android apps.
  • Single app to serve requirements of both prospective buyers and sales staff.
  • Integration with Taylor Wimpey property database.
  • Full GDPR compliance.
  • Rapid project delivery to meet unprecedented business challenges.

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Need more information? Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions Guide. Happy to take the next step? Call us or use the contact form to schedule a project feasibility chat. We will provide candid feedback on the match between your requirement and our skill set and, if there is a match, we will quickly provide you with indicative costings.

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