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The Evolution of Jiffy: From qCommerce to Thriving SaaS Platform
In the annals of commerce, every company's journey is marked by its triumphs and trials. A few years ago, our business began as a qCommerce delivery company aiming to thrive in the fast-paced industry of online food delivery. However, profitability remained an elusive challenge due to fierce competition and economic landscape. Despite our relentless efforts, it became evident that this model was no longer viable in the UK, where we were running our business. It was a moment of reflection and realisation.
Faced with adversity, we boldly changed course, not just to survive but to innovate. We saw an opportunity in eCommerce where others struggled, thanks to our expertise in efficient OPS processes and reliable IT systems. This drove our transformation into the software business.
Today, we provide our online SaaS platform and on-premise service, Jiffy-Software, armed with a full-stack solution that erases the hurdles of transitioning to digital commerce. Gone are the days of piecing together tools, enduring complex integrations, and extensive staff training. Our SaaS product is a one-stop solution designed to help companies choose their way into online commerce. It can streamline operations, automate processes, scale sales, or improve existing processes at any stage – delivery or replenishment. We make the journey to eCommerce for your business faster, more cost-effective, and more accessible.
Our Story
The Very Beginning
In April 2021, our journey began with a vision to revolutionise the grocery shopping experience. We initially established ourselves as a grocery delivery company, strategically deploying dark stores across London to efficiently fulfil orders and provide lightning-fast deliveries for our customers.
As we progressed into Summer 2021, a significant shift occurred with introducing our QCaaS (Quick-Commerce as a Service) business model. This transformative step allowed us to offer rapid delivery services to other players and pilot the technology with multiple brands. This pivotal moment and prior experience solidified our belief in QCaaS as a scalable solution. It's important to note that QCaaS served as an intermediate step towards a more extensive online commerce product beyond fast deliveries and grocery services.
We introduced concepts like an own-label range, click-and-collect services, in-store bakeries, and even piping hot pizza deliveries straight to the doorsteps of our customers. Perhaps our great accomplishment was our ability to complete deliveries across London within 15 minutes with dominant OPS efficiency 3-4 times higher than our competitors, all thanks to the right processes and IT solutions.
How have we done it? With a clever order automation system, optimization of our courier operations, and ingenious smart batching that cut order delays in half, we achieved a remarkable 99.99% fulfilment rate. Only one item in 10,000 went undelivered, a feat that set new standards in the food and goods delivery industry.
Just look at the numbers - they speak for themselves:
The optimisation within our business also contributed to these results. We empowered our people with our online software that streamlined their tasks, eliminated unnecessary steps, and minimised errors. This innovation made their work faster, easier, and more efficient. It's also noteworthy that we achieved a level of brand recognition akin to competitors who had ten times more funding than we did.
Then There was a Crisis
Yet, amidst all the triumphs, a stark reality loomed. Though enticing, the ultra-fast grocery delivery market was fiercely competitive and over-saturated. Several significant players vied for market dominance and investment, making profitability a distant dream.
Running a delivery fleet and extensive marketing expenses and overhead created a gap between operational costs and profitability. The capital-intensive nature of setting up dark stores and employing couriers meant a lengthy payback period, often exceeding 18 months.
However, these challenges were not the only factors that spurred us toward a transformative pivot. Several significant reasons guided our decision:
- Profitability: Our high-risk model became unsustainable as the market grew increasingly volatile. Acquisitions like Gorillas by GetIR highlighted industry turbulence, forcing us to reassess our approach.
- Outdated Processes and IT Solutions: We saw how some online retailers' outdated processes and IT solutions were not keeping up with the current pace of digital commerce to be competitive.
- New Trends in eCommerce: We detected growing online commerce trends in specific regions, indicating a demand for advanced solutions.
- Leveraging Our Expertise: Our expertise extended beyond swift deliveries to encompass all aspects of online selling, setting us apart from our competitors.
- Ready-to-use Software Solution: Our internal solution, initially designed for our operations, revealed its potential as a powerful software platform for other businesses, inspiring us to share our innovation.
Given these compelling reasons, it was time to optimise, adapt, and embark on a journey leading us to a new start.
New Start
This pivotal moment marked the transformation of Jiffy-Software from a delivery business to a dedicated online software platform.
The results of this strategic shift are already becoming evident. We are thrilled to report that we have a robust pipeline of retailers and brands enthusiastically adopting our software product to make their operational excellence, achieve scalable online sales, and streamline their operations. This adoption enables them to transition seamlessly into the world of digital commerce.
Our Product
Where We are Today
Today, Jiffy-Software is at the forefront of comprehensive eCommerce solutions, extending our focus beyond q-commerce to encompass planned delivery and backorder services. We've crafted an online SaaS platform and on-premise solutions customised to cater to the specific requirements of businesses in a wide range of industries, including F&B, Grocery retail, Beauty, Electronics, Pet, Kids, Pharmacy, and Fashion.
These modules aren't isolated entities but the building blocks of a unified solution capable of addressing every facet of online commerce operations.
In the world of qCommerce, where high-end technology reigns supreme, real-time capabilities are non-negotiable. A delay of just 5 minutes in order processing or a lack of a real-time online stock system can lead to customer dissatisfaction. We've traversed this challenging terrain and fine-tuned these critical aspects to perfection.
Also, the exciting news is that qCommerce has more strict SLA's for IT and OPS, and now they're accessible to all online retail businesses, making operations cost-effective.
"qCommerce is a very capital-intensive business, and as we chose a path of heavy optimizations, now we can use our know-how to help traditional eCommerce players to optimise their processes and achieve OPS excellence"Igor Demishev
Our online product holds the transformative power to reshape your business, build profitability, and make it successful. To underscore this, consider a case from 2021 where we outperformed a competitor with similar stores and order volumes. While they required 14 warehouse workers (pickers) per shift for the fulfilment, we thrived with just 4 people. The secret? A rapid and efficient picking speed of 7 seconds per item is a testament to the power of automation and streamlined processes. The tangible impact on profitability speaks volumes about the significance of picking speed for Profit and Loss (PnL).
“Our experience in efficient automation of fulfilment and delivery, and operations for businesses, which process 200k+ orders daily, helps businesses drive their online retail growth and increase sales.”Marat Balatov
Our Plans and Market Vision
At Jiffy-Software, we don't just offer a product; we craft a future-ready SaaS platform that's finely tuned to the evolving landscape of online commerce. Drawing upon our extensive experience in building high-scale online ventures, we make our customers succeed.
"We diligently analyse the dynamic trends and transformations sweeping the eCommerce world. This includes insights into ever-shifting consumer behaviours, the post-pandemic upheaval in online orders, and the staggering amount of time people spend on their smartphones. So, we can empower businesses aiming to excel in online sales, enabling them to rise and ride the crest of the digital wave."Marat Balatov
But we don't stop here. We're actively working in several strategic areas to ensure our product continues evolving and aligning with modern online retail’s demands. Here are the key areas we're focused on:
- Omnichannel
- Mobile First
- High-performant IT Tech
- Operations efficiency
- Cloud Version and On-Premise Option
- Operational Partnership
We make sure to build and maintain our product at the forefront of online commerce solutions, giving you the power to choose the best path for your success.
We are Back
We know it's been a while since we've been active on social media, but we're back and more eager than ever to connect with you. Find and follow us on Linkedin to stay updated. Curious about what's next? We've got an exciting lineup of blog posts coming your way. Get ready to dive into and choose topics of your liking, such as Our First Qualitative Results, Modules & Features, Plans for the Near Future, and more! We make sure to bring you valuable content and insights.
Join Us on this Journey
As we transitioned from quick commerce to eCommerce Software, we've embraced optimisation as the cornerstone of success, especially in challenging times. Today, we stand ready to help medium to large businesses not just transact to eCommerce but truly thrive by effectively scaling online sales.
At Jiffy-Software, we're not just a solution provider but your partners in progress. Drawing from a wealth of online commerce experience, our journey has given us invaluable insights and knowledge that we're eager to share.
The next online retail chapter is waiting to be written, and we invite you to co-author this journey. We're not just here to assist but to empower and elevate. Find our website, explore our products, and together, let's build a future where your business thrives in the digital age.
