The customer
Handwrytten is a US startup that offers a handwritten note and card automation service. In the app, a user can write a message, select a design for it, and send the message, which will reach the receiver handwritten on a real card. An additional service allows users to, for example, attach a gift card. Handwrytten offers over 100 designs and delivers cards to more than 190 countries.
Handwrytten has spent over six years refining its robotic handwriting technology, which combines speed, quality, and realism. The company has two patents for robotic handwriting technology in production environments and additional patents pending on internal motor controllers, custom paper feeds, AI-based QA systems, and more.
How to send heartwarming, handwritten cards from Salesforce
Handwrytten wanted to make it possible to send notes to contacts from Salesforce as well and needed help preparing and publishing an AppExchange package.
When Brimit first began working with Handwrytten, the company already had an AppExchange package, but it was written with Visualforce web components, which doesn’t meet Salesforce’s modern requirements. First, we had to rewrite the existing package, replacing the Visualforce components with Lightning Web Components.
Using LWC is a best practice recommended by Salesforce because it provides:
- A more contemporary and responsive user interface
- Performance gains
- More organized and maintainable code
- Native integration with the Salesforce Lightning Experience
After reevaluating the package's architecture, we decided to use LWC to create a package from scratch based on the existing package’s functionality. The development phase took five months, and the new package passed the AppExchange security review in two months.
The AppExchange package
Handwrytten AppExchange package works with Salesforce Sales Cloud. To send Handwrytten cards from Salesforce, users must also create a free account at Handwrytten.com.
A Salesforce user can select a contact and a card, type a message, and then choose a gift card if needed. The robotic handwriting machines will then write the message in realistic handwriting on the card, address the envelope, insert a gift card if necessary, and place it in the mail with a real stamp.
The package supports bulk mail and email automation. All messages are stored within the Salesforce activity pane, next to other correspondence.
Nearly 200 organizations currently use the package.
