Q2 Laundry - locker service system (Mobile + Web)
Q2 Smart Lockers and GMI - app plus hardware: laundry lockers, smart lockers, and a full mobile and web stack.
The idea - drop off dry cleaning on the go
Life moves fast today, and if London is your centre of gravity, it moves even faster. Many startups have built solutions to save time and reduce stress in that reality. Q2 Smart Lockers followed a similar idea.
The product goal was to let very busy professionals drop off dry cleaning on the go. Instead of finding a shop or cleaning point, they could leave clothes in smart lockers placed across the city.
Stop at the nearest petrol station or tube station, leave clothes in a locker, and order dry cleaning through the mobile app. A courier picked them up from the locker, delivered them to Q2's laundry, the service was completed, and the courier returned items to your locker. All within a few hours. Connecting laundry service with electronic lockers through a mobile app was Q2's core business goal.
Timeline
To build a smart-locker architecture operated through an app, they needed an experienced external software partner capable of hardware and software work. One of our clients referred us to Q2 founder Ark Kozikowski. Next came a meeting with their Project Manager to define scope and budget.
Working with partners
Before work started, Q2's Project Manager had to find a subcontractor for smart locker production and OS software for the lockers. After finding a supplier in China, they handed the relationship to GMI. Our job was to define communication methods with that partner and ensure compatibility between their system and our software.
Visual design for the entire software suite
The new client gave us only their logo, so we had to design the full visual identity of the app. Our product-design workshop approach helped here. Through a series of workshops we developed several strong visual concepts for the whole interface. It was a creative, inspiring process - while remembering we were building for London, a city known for bold graphic design.
Building the consumer app
From concept through first wireframes to the final product, we ran the process iteratively as Agile advocates. Close cooperation with Q2 in brainstorms and workshops clarified a shared goal: reach end users with an intuitive product they would download and use without hesitation. Reaching MVP also let us use user feedback to inform later iterations.
Building the internal app for laundry staff
The locker system was not only for end users. It also needed a separate management app. Q2 Smart Lockers ran its own laundry, with a long-term goal of a network of laundry and dry-cleaning points to streamline the service.
For smooth operations, laundry staff needed a simple tool to manage orders placed through the consumer app. It had to handle incoming orders in real time without disrupting other duties. We tested hardware options and chose 15-inch touchscreens with barcode scanners.
Building the Q2 admin back office
This was MVP done right. Before smart laundry lockers could win the local market and attract active users, there was no need for a heavy reporting system. At this stage, a business management app to control the locker network, pricing, and payments - with minimal scope - was enough. Focusing only on essential business features let us deliver the back office quickly and within budget.
Building the consumer mobile app
To save time, we used hybrid technology to ship Android and iOS from one codebase.
Throughout development we followed a few principles:
- Clarity - the mobile app clearly shows the status of complex orders
- Simplicity - payments let users track order status easily and quickly
- Sense of control - customers can trust that ordering and fulfilment run smoothly
Alpha testing phase
To launch smart lockers in the UK, we decided importing hardware from China was the best path. After a few weeks, a test locker arrived at our office in Poland. We brought it inside for hands-on work. It was exciting to work with new hardware and see early-stage development up close. Playing with the test locker and its built-in software quickly turned into deeper analysis and rebuilding the solution from the ground up.
What was the solution?
Time for bold action - building our locker-system app
During the project we hit a problem and realised our initial assumption was wrong. The Chinese software did not meet Q2's business needs. For example, the app from Asia managed completely different processes than the one we had designed. What we received was off-the-shelf technology built for the Chinese market, rebranded with Q2's logo and the visual identity we had created.
How about reverse engineering?
We had to recreate how the Chinese stack talked to locker hardware such as locks and sensors. Locks are a good example. When we disassembled the locker to reach a lock, it was a no-name product and we could not find driver or controller documentation. Reverse engineering was the only way out. We performed "surgery" on their old app to understand the lock control module. Once we knew how it worked, we built an improved version.
Building the new mobile app
After mastering the hardware, the next step was an app that met Q2 Smart Lockers' business requirements. As we progressed, we could implement the new interface design without exceeding the planned budget.
London calls - beta tests ahead
Locker configuration
After configuring hardware and software, we left our Krakow lab. The first five lockers were ready for transport to London. Two team members flew to London to configure equipment on site. Some locations had unstable network coverage, and reliable connectivity was critical. Still, we launched five lockers.
Training laundry staff
We visited laundries and dry cleaners that joined the project to roll out the Q2 platform. Our mission was to onboard staff to the Q2 order-handling panel. Training covered scenarios such as discounts, damaged garments, returns, and order cancellation.
Launching the first marketing campaigns
At this stage we again showed that GMI is more than a software vendor. We invested deeply in Q2's business project and took on part of the early marketing. We planned and ran a PPC campaign that drove traffic and first platform sign-ups. New accounts received a 10 GBP voucher for the first order.
First paying customers
It was thrilling to watch everything come alive. Paid social campaigns started to pay off - the first customers placed orders and showed up at lockers to drop off dry cleaning.
What's next?
In any business, launch is only the beginning. Further growth needs more investment and iteration. After rolling out smart lockers, we entered the next phase with Q2.
Armed with user feedback, we could start iterating toward a second version of the locker app. That meant serious hardware work (new lockers produced in Rzeszow, Poland), app changes for contactless payments and new 17-inch screens, and launching smart lockers in Luxembourg through a franchise partnership.
Q2 Smart Lockers - project challenges and solutions
This case study is unusual. Why does it stand out? Mainly because our role as a software house was not limited to writing code and shipping a polished app. We played a strategic part across the project - from idea to prototype, visual identity and UI design, locker configuration, staff training, and online marketing campaigns.
Challenge 1
The project was not only an app but also a physical, tangible technology product. We had to find an external supplier already manufacturing the lockers we needed. From day one everything relied on hardware made in China. The challenge was bridging two communication styles and two approaches to essentially the same product.
Solution:
Together with the Chinese side we set fixed online communication hours across two time zones. We assigned a software architect to work closely with their team. The goal was a way for their locker software and our app to "talk". It worked. After several iterations both systems exchanged all key data smoothly.
Challenge 2
The laundry and dry-cleaning market in the UK, especially London, is very specific. Competition is intense - laundries are so dense you could close your eyes, throw a stone, and hit one. The challenge was standing out in a loud, crowded market.
Solution:
Following MVP philosophy, we aimed for a pilot version to start interacting with users quickly. Early customers gave us the feedback we needed. Over time we knew which features mattered and which belonged in the backlog for later iterations.
Challenge 3
Even the most innovative tech projects do not happen in a vacuum. Someone on the other side of the world may have a similar idea. While we developed smart lockers, competitors appeared on the market, especially in Poland. Time was running out.
Solution:
Again, MVP focus was the key. We had to ship a first software version quickly with core end-user features: placing and processing orders plus online and mobile payments.
Final result
With Q2 Smart Lockers Ltd. we deployed five lockers in London and attracted hundreds of first customers using the product. Feedback and rollout experience gave us everything needed to build a backlog for future iterations. Word spread, and a company in Luxembourg expressed strong interest in launching smart lockers in their country.
Ready to write your story with GMI?
The main takeaway fits in one sentence: GMI Software House is not just staff augmentation or code for hire. We have what it takes to be a real business and strategic partner able to build a product - even if that means hands-on hardware work and connecting cables.
The Q2 story shows we can design interfaces and visual identity; connect custom hardware with quality software; train client staff on the platform; and run marketing campaigns and spark business partnerships.
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