EFKA produces aluminum profiles for making (LED) frames. Both illuminated and non-illuminated, and in any shape. The company was founded in 1888 as a wholesaler of wooden frames, operating under the name 'Foppe Klijnstra & Zn', later Vadia. In 2009, they started producing aluminum textile frames and light boxes. Within ten years, they became the European market leader.
Based in Drachten, they have over 350,000 meters of aluminum in stock. The production facility includes six double miter saws, a CNC machine, and a bending machine, allowing them to produce over 1,000 frames per day.
EFKA faced a significant operational challenge. With their extensive product range, avoiding downtime and efficiently managing the numerous configurations became a persistent problem. The main difficulty was in creating a solution that not only delighted customers but also simplified the management process for employees.
“We have found the collaboration with Elgentos to be very pleasant. From start to finish, Elgentos has proven to be a stable factor. The custom configurator they built for us is simple in design, allowing us to quickly create even complex configurations. For complex questions or challenges, Elgentos always came up with an appropriate solution quickly, preventing unnecessary delays. A few months before the launch of the webshop, Elgentos stepped up the pace to meet the desired launch date, and they succeeded. All in all, we are very satisfied with Elgentos as the party that built our webshop and configurator.
The decision to choose Hyvä was made early on; for us, it was a no-brainer. We trusted Elgentos when they told us it was a game changer in the Magento industry and we want to stay ahead of the technology to outpace the competition. Hyvä has proven to be a good choice, offering speed in both development and performance.” - Marco Bosgraaf, Business development EFKA
The previous store was severely outdated and no longer supported. Since everything is ordered through the storefront or via an API, it was extremely important to migrate to a new shop to prevent downtime in the future.
The choice for Hyvä was made quickly. As an agency, we have already implemented many themes and checkouts from Hyvä. The results were not only great, but they were also a pleasure to build compared to the old Magento 2 Luma frontend. From today, all new shops are built with Hyvä due to the performance, their compliance with Google PageSpeed, Lighthouse, and Core Web Vitals, and the great developer experience.
Because EFKA's core business is to produce profiles in every size, shape, and color, the main challenge besides avoiding downtime was finding a solution that could handle all available options in a way that is pleasant not only for the customer but also for the employees who have to manage all possible configurations.
To ensure that customers can configure frames to their liking, we developed a robust product configurator in React combined with a Laravel backend. The customer can manage all possible configurations for a specific product. With the use of Hyvä and the underlying technology, integrating the configurator into a Magento shop is a breeze.
Other challenges we encountered during development were the many exceptions that the customer appeared to have. There are exceptions on products, customers, shipping methods, and delivery dates. Many of these exceptions occurred during checkout. With Hyvä and the technology Hyvä uses in the checkout, we were able to implement these exceptions easily while keeping the checkout fast and stable.
To meet EFKA's complex requirements, we developed a robust configurator with React for the frontend and Laravel for the backend. This solution was designed for seamless integration with their existing Magento store, using Hyvä technology for a smooth and efficient user experience.
1. Advanced product configurator
The configurator enabled customers to personalize frames based on their preferences. By using React, we ensured an interactive and responsive user interface, making the customization process intuitive and enjoyable. The Laravel backend provided a stable and scalable foundation, allowing EFKA to effortlessly manage all possible configurations.
“The introduction of the built-in advisory function in the configurator on our new Hyvä store made the biggest difference. Customers now know exactly which composition they need for their textile frame and can easily and quickly calculate and order it online. This has not only led to an improved user experience but also to an increase in the number of self-entered orders via the webshop. Since the launch of the new webshop, this number has already increased by about 15%.” - Derian Reekers, marketer at EFKA
2. Seamless integration with Magento
The integration of the configurator into EFKA's Magento shop was straightforward thanks to Hyvä's technology. This integration ensured that the extensive configuration options were displayed correctly and consistently, enhancing the overall shopping experience. Utilizing Hyvä also contributed to a fast and stable checkout process, which is essential for reducing the number of abandoned purchases.
The integration led to a 34% reduction in abandoned purchases, significantly increasing EFKA's conversion rates.
3. Efficiently handling exceptions in the order flow
EFKA's diverse product range was accompanied by numerous exceptions regarding products, customers, shipping methods, and delivery dates, particularly during the checkout process. Hyvä's technology enabled us to address these exceptions seamlessly, ensuring a swift and stable checkout experience. This flexibility proved crucial in managing the complex requirements without compromising performance.
After implementation, customer service inquiries decreased by 22%, indicating a smoother checkout process and fewer issues.
The implementation of the configurator and integration with Magento resulted in remarkable outcomes for EFKA. The company experienced revenue growth, increased conversion rates, and a significant reduction in customer service requests. These improvements not only boosted customer satisfaction but also streamlined internal processes, allowing EFKA to focus on further innovation and growth.
Having a well-thought-out plan at the beginning of the project but being flexible in adaptation during the development process is equally important. During a development period of several months, you will inevitably encounter changes in the business that necessitate technical adjustments.
Short communication lines through personal meetings and the ability to quickly ask questions via Slack have significantly reduced the development time. The total lead time for implementing Hyvä was about 3 months, with an additional month for the implementation of Hyvä Checkout. The entire project lasted slightly over a year, as we transitioned from a custom-built system to Magento and also redesigned a substantial portion of the internal processes.
"We thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with the EFKA team - they possess an in-depth knowledge of their product and market and are extremely detail-oriented. The client's technical competence allowed us to communicate efficiently via meetings and Slack and iterate daily to build this Hyvä store." - Peter Jaap Blaakmeer, CTO elgentos
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