Quest: Disrupting Food Insecurity
- Social Justice
Quest Non-Profit Grocery Markets is dedicated to breaking the cycle of food insecurity by providing access to healthy and affordable food that is sourced sustainably. By bridging the gap between food banks and traditional grocery stores, Quest offers a grocery experience rooted in dignity, accessibility and sustainability. The majority of Quest’s food is donated by local food partners from across British Columbia and distributed across their five markets in Metro Vancouver.
The Challenge
Two challenges call for two solutions
Quest faced two significant challenges. First, their client referral process was manual and labour-intensive. The team required assistance streamlining operations, developing a more efficient reporting solution and reducing effort to manage content on their website.
Second, their website had become outdated and misaligned with their brand and vision. Emerging technical issues also made content management increasingly difficult, creating issues for visitors trying to find the information they needed.
Service
Sector
Technology
- Drupal
- WordPress
The Solution
Drupal for its durability
Our team performed an in-depth discovery with the Quest team, looking at both the website and the client referral process. Due to its complexity, we initially concentrated on the new Client Referral System (CRS), which required extensive technical planning. During this initial phase, we clarified their data ecosystem and devised a plan to optimize client referral submissions, streamline the submission review workflow, and integrate client data into their Point of Sale (POS) system. To ensure that the new CRS met Quest’s requirements, we collaborated closely with the POS support team to confirm that our solution would enhance the data entry into the system and automate the process according to their best practices.
Building the new CRS online in Drupal eliminated the need to maintain a separate software system at each store location. We removed the manual email review steps and replaced them with a streamlined Drupal-based review workflow. This implementation made it easier for the Quest team to track referral progress and simplified the steps for repeat referees. As a result, the Quest internal team freed up significant time and resources, while employees at each market location benefitted from a more efficient workflow.
Clients come first
Providing a positive experience for their clients was Quest’s primary objective, and our role was to leverage technology to achieve this by building a sound solution. Through our implementation of the POS integration, approved client records are now added to the POS system well in advance of when clients enter their stores. Additionally, the printing of client cards has been integrated into the Drupal CRS, creating a much smoother experience for first-time shoppers at Quest’s locations.
Additionally, the CRS dashboard includes built-in reporting on new and returning clients, enabling the Quest team to easily understand their client base and determine how best to serve them.
WordPress for its publishing workflow
For the main website, our objectives were to improve the client onboarding process and address the template issues Quest faced with their existing site. We built an updated WordPress website using templates to simplify the content editing experience. This flexible layout system enables Quest team members to easily create and manage content themselves.
With this build, we created a refreshed design that aligns with Quest’s brand, resulting in a modern and responsive website without breaking the bank. The new site launched with a streamlined referral process and simplified client onboarding experience, allowing Quest to continue removing barriers to food security, both online and in-store.
Values-driven collaboration
Our work with Quest is a great example of how much we can accomplish together with values-aligned organizations. We were thrilled to take the lead as their technical partner and deliver two solutions that have a meaningful impact on their team and the lives of their clients. Through exploration, analysis and close communication, we helped Quest elevate their operation and focus their efforts on increased food security for all.
