Helping Doddle Build a White Label Customer Fulfillment Technology

The Evolution of Customer’s Business Model

Doddle started with a B2C model that aimed to solve a perennial problem with e-commerce. In 2019, e-commerce accounted for more than 14% of global retail sales, reaching $3.53 trillion and expected to reach $6.54 trillion globally in 2022. While ordering online is wonderfully convenient, taking delivery of the product often is not.

A consumer has to stay at home to receive the delivery or risk having the parcel returned or disappear from the doorstep. Having a product delivered to the office is sometimes an option, but many employers do not like e-commerce parcels clogging up their mailrooms. Doddle’s solution was to establish a network of locations in transportation hubs, universities, and other convenient spots around UK cities and towns to which consumers could have their parcels delivered. The model was a success, except that the rents, especially in places like London, proved exceedingly costly.

To eliminate the need for stand-alone locations, Doddle pivoted to a model of establishing pick-up points in supermarkets and corner stores. The stores provided the location and staff, and Doddle provided the technology platform. From there, Doddle pivoted to a pure B2B model of providing “white label” e-commerce delivery and returns technology on a SAAS basis to partners around the world. The platform is cutting-edge and always being updated with new technologies.

The scope of DataArt’s engagement with Doddle has transformed and expanded along with the company’s business model. From Doddle’s beginnings as a start-up venture operating exclusively in the UK to its ongoing evolution as a global e-commerce technology provider, DataArt has played an integral role in the development of the company’s platform and product offerings.

Doddle’s “white label” technology offering is essentially a “plug and play” combination of all the products and features that the Doddle-DataArt team has developed over the years. As Doddle has expanded globally, DataArt has been integrally involved in coding the platform to allow the addition of new regions. And when Doddle provides its technology to a new client, DataArt is always involved in configuring the platform for the client’s particular environment, including the discovery process and data exchange.

The Relationship

The Doddle-DataArt relationship is about more than just the execution of assigned tasks.

At first, Doddle was understandably apprehensive about dealing with developers who would be working remotely—and in other countries, no less.

When you have someone on site, you can just walk over and say ‘do this,’ and there’s a certain comfort in that. But the team gelled much better than expected. It helped that the DataArt team members’ English was generally better than the proficiency necessary to communicate about coding instructions. Doddle found that they really understood the nuances — even the nuances of British humor—which allowed for robust communication and a feeling of interpersonal connection despite the physical separation.

Gary O’Connor

CTO at Doddle

As the team grew larger, Doddle and DataArt looked for new ways to maintain and strengthen the relationship among team members. Before the COVID pandemic, Doddle and DataArt started a “people exchange” in which team members from the two companies would periodically spend time together. Although COVID has interrupted that effort, O’Connor feels that the bonds nurtured through the exchange have remained intact and are still paying dividends in terms of the quality of the relationship and, ultimately, the quality of the team’s work.

Doddle also made a concerted effort to share information about the company’s plans so that the DataArt team members had the context for everything that was going on. DataArt, in turn, became very knowledgeable about the company’s business, which has allowed DataArt to be a better partner and contribute suggestions.

Gary O’Connor notes that the relationship has also been deepened in unplanned ways. For example, when Doddle team members wanted to do something to commemorate International Women’s Day, DataArt team members shared powerful stories of women in their lives. The sharing of these stories strengthened connections and “brought everyone together,” he recalls.

Of course, nothing is ever perfect, and challenges arise in any business relationship. The important thing is how the challenges are met. Gary O’Connor credits DataArt with being proactive in identifying and dealing with problems. “They have been very good spotting a problem even before we did.” He also notes that DataArt has been “good about communicating,” which facilities problem-solving.

Most of all, Doddle appreciates DataArt’s client focus. The company also especially appreciates that DataArt team members have become the “go to” experts in important technical areas.

We definitely feel that the DataArt team is there to help us achieve our goals and will go the extra mile for us. Everyone on our team sees that.

Gary O’Connor

CTO at Doddle

The Future

As Doddle continues to grow and innovate, flexibility remains key. The company knows that it can rely on DataArt to provide the right people for any new development project or the ongoing support, maintenance, and implementation of its product offerings. DataArt looks forward to collaborating with Doddle as the company continues to improve its platform, attract new clients, and expand into new markets. E-commerce will account for an ever-larger share of retail sales, and thanks to Doddle, buying products online (and, if necessary, returning them) will be a better experience than ever before.