"PigUp & Ko" is the name of Daka’s app, designed to enhance customer service for Daka’s clients—the farmers. The idea is also to collect raw materials while they are still fresh, enabling Daka to process them into biodiesel and other refined products.
Challenge
When a farmer contacts Daka, it is essentially an unwanted situation. The farmer has found one of their animals deceased and needs to arrange for its collection. Every day, Daka travels across the country to pick up deceased animals — and the sooner they are collected, the better. This ensures a fast and flexible intake of raw materials and improves the quality of the final products.
Previously, farmers had to rely on a slow voice-response system or a web interface that only worked on office computers.
Vertica was therefore tasked with developing a simple app to order the pickup of deceased animals from Danish farms and the agricultural industry. The goal was to simplify ordering, enhance customer service, and reduce time-to-market.
User test
Early in the project, Vertica visited a number of farmers across the country to interview them about their use of Daka, their needs and wishes for the app, and to test an early prototype.
The prototype received positive feedback, which provided valuable input for further development of features, design, and technology.
Further User Validation
After the farmer visits, the prototype was refined and tested at the major agricultural trade fair, AgroMek. Attendees at Daka’s booth were encouraged to test the prototype. The positive reception enabled Vertica to start development of the app.
Farmers only need to log in once. The app remembers their information until they actively log out.
The app works even if the farmer is in a barn with poor reception, as the order will be sent as soon as the connection is restored. Afterward, the farmer receives ongoing updates about the pickup via push notifications.
Farmers with only one livestock herd arrive directly on the order page. Two clicks and their pickup is ordered.
The app scales to accommodate all types of users. This means farmers with multiple herds will always see a page where their most frequently used herds appear at the top of the list. Farmers with only one herd, of course, do not see this page.
It is rarely necessary for farmers to enter ear tag numbers — but if they do, it is easy. A numeric keyboard automatically appears, and the app adds leading zeros as needed.
High ratings in the App Store
Users appreciate the user-friendly app on the App Store. The positive ratings confirm that users are satisfied.
Just a few months after launching the app, it reached 2,000 active users and the number continues to grow steadily.
The PigUp & Ko app is available for download on the App Store and Google Play.
