From Rental Company to Leadership in Proptech

Real Estate Company - Golden Key

Client Overview

Golden Key, founded in 2010 in Switzerland, is an innovative company in the real estate industry. Originally a rental property provider with an extensive portfolio of houses and apartments in Switzerland, Golden Key has digitalized all business processes, thus significantly increasing efficiency. As result, it has become a software company offering its rental management software-as-a-Service to other companies in real estate business.

Goldenkey logo
Experience Cloud
Sales Cloud
Service Cloud
Integrations

Challenge

Switzerland is a country with one of the highest human resources costs. Therefore, Golden Key was looking for ways to automate processes and reduce reliance on manual labor early on.

Initially they used WordPress to build a web-based solution for customer management; however, they quickly realized the benefits of a dedicated customer relationship management platform such as Salesforce.

In 2017, they implemented Salesforce and chose Salesforce Consulting Partner Ideaport Riga to advance their innovation in the field of rental management.

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Solution

Golden Key has collaborated with Ideaport Riga in two phases: first, by addressing their current challenges and second, after successfully reaching their own goals, by building a Salesforce-based rental management product available as-a-Service to other companies in the rental business.


Initially, the collaboration focused on configuring and customizing Salesforce Sales, Services, and Experience Clouds to meet Golden Key’s industry-specific needs. Observing the efficiency results it brought, the collaboration expanded on a larger scale.

This encompassed end-to-end sales and service process automation, involving multiple parties such as sales and service representatives from Golden Key, renters and workers. Consequently, renters gained the ability to apply for apartments, sign contracts, submit damage cases, track their status and engage with Golden Key exclusively through digital channels.

Right from the start, the collaboration focused on:
  • user research
  • user experience design using prototypes
  • usability testing

to maximize the platform’s ease of use.


As the developed platform provided significant business efficiency gains, Golden Key decided to expand collaboration with Ideaport Riga to further develop the platform into a product for the rental industry.

As we saw all the business efficiencies that the improved platform provides, we decided to take a step further and develop the platform into a product for the rental industry,

says Gilbert Spaini, Founder and COO of GoldenKey.

Implementation and
Collaboration 

An essential part of the collaboration placed significant emphasis on user experience (UX) methods and research.
 
Extensive research was conducted through interviews with the customer’s team and partners to gain a better understanding of their operations and help make better product decisions. Journey maps and process diagrams were created based on this research.
 
Every experience was initially prototyped, presenting the customer with various options, including out-of-the-box and custom solutions. Prototypes played a critical role in this project since multiple user parties are involved in the service and sales process. To ensure a seamless user experience, it was essential to comprehend the process from both a high-level and detailed perspective, considering every user interaction and its impact on the overall process.

The relationship between Golden Key and Ideaport Riga extended beyond a typical project-based partnership. The long-term collaboration fostered a deep understanding of the customer’s business, enabling Ideaport Riga to contribute and develop their systems effectively. Weekly contacts, using Jira software for project tasks and frequent meetings bring full transparency to this partnership as a crucial element in Golden Key’s operations.

The disciplined approach, fast and timely communication, and proactive mindset shows Ideaport Riga’s demonstrating their dedication to customer satisfaction,

continues Gilbert Spaini.

Business Impact

In collaboration with Ideaport Riga, Golden Key has accomplished full digital transformation. This transition has allowed them to eliminate the need for phone-based communication, showcasing their commitment to digital innovation.

The customer portal serves as a comprehensive platform that not only caters to renters but also includes real estate managers and workers.
 
This consolidation of business needs within a single platform eliminates the need for integrating multiple tools and enhances collaboration and productivity. Golden Key’s product, which offers the same functionality as their internal customer portal, is also sold to other businesses. This demonstrates the scalability and market value of their innovative solution. As a result, Golden Key has positioned itself as a leader in the rental market, setting the standard for innovation in the industry.

The company’s digital transformation journey, which began in partnership with Ideaport Riga, has propelled Golden Key to become a market leader in Switzerland. They have successfully embraced innovation and leveraged technology to revolutionize the renting business. By being at the forefront of digital transformation, Golden Key has differentiated itself from its competitors and established itself as an industry leader.
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Our collaboration with Ideaport Riga has taken quite unexpected turn. While we met our goals to become very efficient rental management company, we also transformed into proptech company providing technology to others,

concludes Gilbert Spaini.

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Dace Cirule-Head of Business Development

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