SKIPLY is driven by a desire to revolutionise customer satisfaction services as we know them. In 2015, its founders – Sébastien Moulis and Jérôme Chambard – realised how out of fashion traditional surveys were, and how little the industry was doing to change the norm.
The competition wasn’t up to scratch, as existing suppliers of design terminals relied on 3G networks and bulky devices with short battery lives to help their clients learn from real-world customers. Jérôme Chambard knew there was a better way.
“I was discussing the idea with a friend, and he suggested that the Sigfox network could help us to provide a better service than the competition, so we got in touch”, Chambard said.
The friend was right. By using Sigfox’s 0G network, SKIPLY was able to design survey terminals and action buttons to drive customer relations beyond anything that already existed in the marketplace.
The result was Smilio Satisfaction and Action; two highly-customizable, cost-effective and durable devices.
Smilio Satisfaction & Action – providing the competitive edge
SKIPLY “Smilio” collects user experience feedback from customers through its connected sensors on a real-time basis: at a point of sale, leaving a restaurant, or on a bus. This helps SKIPLY’s client improve their operational processes with imminent immediacy – as opposed to waiting weeks or months for processed data, as would happen with traditional surveys.
Smilio Action has a wider range of applications, from process automation to traceability of work and operations solutions. Its uses extend from notifying facility managers about minor issues within premises – such as heating or lighting – to time-and-date stamp staff interventions, or even seamless management, as it can encourage workforce to complete tasks and notify their superior with the pressing of a button. Looking at the Facility Management case, SKIPLY helped the brand improve their cleaning management system with a simple solution. When a cleaner arrives on site, they press the green button, and when they finish they press the red one. This allows for physical proof of being on-site, a digital record of employees on a real-time basis and skips the long process often involved in internal two-way communication.
Beyond ‘real-time’ alerts and integrated data analytics, SKIPLY delivers products that can be badged based on the requirements of their clients. The customization allows them to say “this is my product”, while the consistent use of SKIPLY’s technical platform means reliability is assured.
Onsite installation – done in 5 minutes
Beyond the application of the product itself, its genius is also in its installation.
“Competitor products rely on sim cards, stable 3G connection, and positions next to a power source so they can be easily charged. This all means extra time and money to install, and doing so at scale becomes difficult and not cost-effective. Our solution is calibrated in our factory, meaning the onsite installation time is just 5 minutes, including a hello and goodbye”, Jérôme explained.
This is a key consideration for those looking for a live customer feedback solution, as businesses with multiple sites can roll the solution out across locations quickly. Chambard added: “When you have 10,000 devices in around 10,000 locations, installation and management of sites can become very complicated, very fast. Large-scale deployment issues should be inevitable, but by prioritising easy network coverage and minimal onsite time, our solution gives a true competitive advantage.” All that is left to do on-site is: place batteries into Smilio device, run a network text, ensure it runs well and move on to the next installation point. No contingency plan, cables, wifi or software updating required.
Bye-bye tablet
So what is the biggest threat to the SKIPLY solution?
“Businesses regularly have the choice between our solution and a tablet, but how many times have we seen a tablet on a stand at somewhere like an airport, and the power is flat or the software needs installing or the screen is locked?” Chambard said. “This is too complicated to be used in the field, so we’re always quite happy when the alternative solution is a tablet as our products can beat it from every angle.”
With SKIPLY devices appearing in environments across the globe, the product’s ease of installation, use and maintenance means it’s likely to become even more ubiquitous over the coming years. Move over tablets, SKIPLY is here.
Website: https://www.skiply.eu
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skiply/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/skiplyfrance
This article is part of the Sigfox Testimony series featuring interviews with innovative startups. We are proud to collaborate and explore new adventures with a large ecosystem, from startups to established players.
