Smart Employee Incentive Web and Mobile Platform

Cooleaf, a B2B platform for employee recognition and rewards, partnered with Monterail in 2009 to build their initial MVP. Since then, we've continuously collaborated to evolve and refine their application, adapting our technological approach and Ruby on Rails expertise to match the ambitious product growth.

The company and product

Cooleaf is a platform where team members can recognize each other's efforts – and reward them.

From the very beginning, Cooleaf preferred external help over in-house development. Specifically, the company was looking for a long-term technology partnership.

Cooleaf found that parter in Monterail. The fit turned out so good, that we've had the continuous pleasure of working together since 2013, in multiple areas of product design and development. Now, Cooleaf sees us as part of their team.

In our eyes, the results of the cooperation are great. So much so, that we started using Cooleaf ourselves. Implementing a product we helped develop has been fun for our office – and given valuable insight into what we do.

Client’s feedback

John Duisberg

Co-founder at Cooleaf

Each stage was swift

It took Monterail six weeks to deliver us a beautifully designed app for iOS and Android. I didn't even know it was possible! Each stage of the development was conducted professionally and in a timely manner: from the concept, through the implementation to the final steps.

Scope and highlights

$3M+

SAVINGS FROM REDUCED TURNOVER

35%

REDUCTION IN EMPLOYEE TURNOVER

400%

The Challenge

Embrace change and follow with solutions.

Cooleaf came to us with an MVP of a B2B Web-based solution. At first, it was an HR platform focused on employee benefits. But during the first year of our collaboration, the idea behind the app evolved.

Soon, we started working on a new concept of the MVP — a platform where teams could find activities they love, and empower shared interests and passions. That's where this story begins.

Cooleaf needed a cutting-edge Rails app – responsive and up to current web application standards, just like modern social media platforms.

Key challenges included:

Defining a novel idea for the solution and delivering a cutting-edge user experience.
Analyzing the product in-depth to define its purpose and come up with new features.
Delivering the product MVP – including design, frontend, and backend.

Cooleaf App Screenshots

The Process

The key was a design-focused cooperation.

The new solution's aim was to appeal to corporate-level organizations. Cooleaf's domain knowledge input was key.

We started with 120 hours of online design workshops. Within just two months, we managed to build both an MVP and a Minimum Buyable Product.

After releasing the product to market, it became clear that Cooleaf needed a mobile version as well. They came to us with a half-finished mobile application with legacy code that was difficult to maintain and develop further.

To facilitate the prompt and efficient delivery of mobile apps for both Android and iOS, we suggested switching to Ionic.

The core efforts included

Rewriting the hard-to-maintain native legacy codebase for mobile platforms.

Finalizing the design for both the web and mobile versions of the app.

Developing the mobile app and releasing it to app stores after a total of 273 hours of work.

Rewriting the hard-to-maintain native legacy codebase for mobile platforms.

Finalizing the design for both the web and mobile versions of the app.

Developing the mobile app and releasing it to app stores after a total of 273 hours of work.

Team’s voice

Katarzyna Tatomir-Rebeś

Chief Operating Officer

Two months for two platforms

Using Ionic, we managed to develop a two-platform solution for Cooleaf in just two months. Soon after the release, the app was named the Best B2B Application at the 2016 Atlanta Mobile Awards. We were overjoyed!

The Outcome

The web and mobile apps were released within the deadlines. And it felt great.

With a swift MVP release, the Cooleaf sales team could immediately begin to look for market fit.

Since delivering on key project objectives, the pace of our collaboration with Cooleaf went back to “normal”. Presently, we use Agile methodologies to periodically deliver a releasable product, allowing Cooleaf to focus on marketing and sales.

Currently, Cooleaf is working with a number of enterprise clients across the globe, including Citibank and the Turner Broadcasting System.

The success of this project relied on:

The role of Project Manager, who served as a consultant and point of contact, and translated between technical and business stakeholders.
The flexibility and confidence of the design and development teams.
A great relationship between Monterail and Cooleaf.