Step inside Rappi's remotely delivered lighting project!

We all want a fast and convenient life. But with the way our lives are set up, it is becoming increasingly difficult to enjoy maximum convenience. We are forced to wait in long lines to shop to buy basics like meals or groceries – until technology, or Rappi, came into the picture.

There are a couple of top convenience-based techs out there, and Rappi is one of them. With a sterling unicorn rating, this brilliant Colombian Startup has introduced an innovative and efficient way to revolutionize essential everyday shopping.

The first step in solving a solution is understanding it. In this case, the inconvenience was the problem. Rappi – as the solution provider – started by understanding the need of the customers and how acquiring them has been a problem. The current world we live in, influenced by millennials, is devoid of convenience.

So, Rappi, among other things, is bringing convenience to the table. In 2015 in Colombia, Felipe Villamarin, Sebastián Mejía, and Simón Borreo conceived the idea of Rappi. It all started as a delivery service that ensures food and groceries get to people in their homes' comfort. This business idea continued to grow until it got noticed by the famous investor group Softbank. Softbank invested 5 Billion USD in the business and extended its tentacles around Latin America.

The fast rise of Rappi to become a reliable convenience-centered service company was not surprising. You know why? People have always wanted to be in control and get their needs met efficiently and fast. Rappi ensured exactly this and automatically became people's favorite. In the space of a few years, it has expanded to Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Peru.

This rapid but necessary expansion comes with a few requirements, notably a fantastic workspace where it can continue to deliver the exceptional service it's known for. Subsequently, Rappi was in the market for a suitable brand that can handle this project timely and adequately. To cut a long story short, CodeLumen ticked the necessary boxes and got the nod to take on the project.

Why choose CodeLumen?

CodeLumen is not a new name in the industry, with credits for several successful projects where it created and installed excellent lighting designs and high-end lighting fixtures. Rappi's reputation was an impressive one – another reason CodeLumen was ecstatic to work with such an innovative corporation.

It all started with a call from Mr. Ovier Gonzalez Loustaunau, the head architect from Ibam Architectural Studio. He reached out to us interested in our lighting project design services for the Rappi Offices in Mexico City. But there is something unusual about the request – they want it completed as fast as possible. The lighting design was expected to be done in 2 weeks.

Was it a challenge? Yes, it was. But it was a welcomed challenge, and we did well to deliver just before the deadline.

How did we make that happen?

The first step was having the architect company fill out a quick questionnaire to understand the vision they wanted for the project and the floorplan. We needed a strong connecting point for the project's vital aspects, including the time, floorplans, and design. It is even more critical because of the ongoing COVID-19 crises and the fact that all the parties were in different countries working remotely.

The Ibam team traveled internationally frequently, and our company's offices are headquartered in New York. Distance could have been an obstacle to achieve Rappi's vision, but such was not the case, thanks to our strong links with the CodeLumen Platform.

After analyzing the plans, we scheduled Zoom meetings to discuss the project's specifics and the expectations of our clients. Our company takes importance in learning about the employees, the business and work course, to achieve the exact vision the owners have in mind. We always want to be on the same page.

After this, we sent blueprints to the offices for further analysis. The project started with uploading the illumination proposal on the platform. It was reviewed and approved – all within the space of ten days. The proposal focused on a combination of custom lighting fixtures, architectural and decorative lighting. Rappi wanted to revamp the office spaces into a warm and fun environment for their employees, staff, and visitors. While at it, they want to retain the elegant yet playful ambiance around every area.

The architects presented us with their renders, and we were able to replicate them, making the project 100% custom manufactured fixtures.

Let's talk about speed!

Speed was KEY for this project. Once the lighting design was completed and the fixtures got approved, the manufacturing stage commenced by sourcing all the required components. The first phase of the project was delivered as early as the first week of December, exactly six weeks after the commencement date, and mid-December rendered the final delivery. Although the project was successfully delivered on-time and 100% remotely, the pandemic has stalled its commission and use.

SOLUTION:

Objectives – What did we set out to achieve?

Our team had specific objectives in mind for this project:

• First, ambiance: we wanted to ensure abundant lighting in the workspace to allow employees to do their job. We understand that the offices' crucial role is serving as a conducive environment where workers can achieve results. You will agree that the right illumination is ESSENTIAL. This includes getting the lighting temperature, light output, and the CRI of the fixture right to help the employees deliver their best performances. Learn more about CRI - click here.

Therefore, we carefully selected the lighting with an intermediate temperature (3,000 K), which was the perfect balance. Another reason for our choice of lighting is flexibility. In situations where employees prefer a cozier environment, they can dim the light. Otherwise, the brightness is perfect for achieving maximum focus, efficiency, and productivity while working.

It is fit for both at-work ambiance and after-work relaxed mood. The project centered on functionality, versatility, and style.

• Second, energy efficiency: energy saving was a big part of this project as well; every single light was state-of-the-art LED technology, with high lumen and low consumption rates. Our goal is to help our clients save costs on energy.
• Third, versatility: Asides from the dimmable light, we also want every fixture set to have separate controls. This will ensure easy management of the entire lighting setup.
• Fourth, decorative fixtures: We wanted to display the office space's personality, and at the same time, for every room to have details that stand out on their own. The ambiance created was a combination of minimalistic and contemporary lighting from our CodeLumen 2021 Collection. The collection chosen was of low profile and elegance. Explore our new collection - click here.

Challenges – What were the stumbling blocks?

As mentioned earlier, the entire project is a welcomed challenge. It is an incredible project that pushed us to the limits. Thanks to our fantastic team, we surmounted every challenge that came our way and achieved the desired results. Let's take a look at some of these stumbling blocks and how we overcame them;

The project had to be done entirely on the platform since we could not visit the workspace. So, we adopted a 100% remote approach for a design with a four-week timeframe – eight weeks short of the normal 12-weeks timeframe.

Isn't it mind-blowing that we cut the timeframe, not by half, but by a third, and still got the job done perfectly?

We had to do the unusual to ensure our clients' business does not suffer in any way. Since Rappi runs the fastest service in terms of consumer's desires, we wanted to be just as fast delivering their desired lighting designs for their offices. We introduced some never-seen-before luminaires to achieve this unprecedented feat. This decorative lighting is on our 2021 catalog, which will be available for consumers later this year. Rappi was the first office to receive CodeLumen's special touch. Not only that, it was the very first time the fixtures were manufactured in black finish.

We combined the latest technologies with the easy-to-use and accessible platform to get timely and desired results. We cannot but recognize our phenomenal architectural team's efforts, alongside the dedicated general and sub-contractors. Everyone knew what had to be done when to do it, and how to do it. We were all on the same page at every step of the project on the remote CodeLumen Platform. The sync kept us going, even in the face of the new normal, we had to adapt.

This system is an innovative way to operate independently, even in difficult times, and we are glad we made it work for our customers. The cost-effective and efficient communication system the platform offers quickened the entire process. It also helped in other ways, such as;

• Interactive floor plans that organize the electrical floor plans, making it accessible for the project's start.
• Smart icon technology that points you to all the relevant data in the project.
• Facility for instant communication, order tracking deliveries, and possible delays in deliveries.
• Security and real-time accounting portal that helps to stay on budget and keep track of spendings.
• This platform also offers superior technology to access lighting specifications quickly, conveniently, and seamlessly.

To learn more about our platform, click HERE. Overall, we achieved the impossible for their vision to be possible, and we are proud of this feat! Check out the amazing results!