Logo

For over 100 years, Goodwill of Orange County has dedicated itself to helping individuals find employment and achieve independence. One avenue through which they advance this mission is their e-commerce platform, ShopGoodwill.com, the first auction site created, owned, and operated by a nonprofit organization that fosters opportunities for individuals facing barriers to employment. However, the existing manual process for listing items—requiring extensive research, grammatically correct descriptions, and detailed product knowledge—presents challenges in efficiently filling open positions. To enhance the accessibility of the platform for employees, Goodwill of Orange County partnered with Microsoft and Valorem Reply to help design, stabilize, and deploy an AI-powered mobile application that would automate product uploads to ShopGoodwill.com. Leveraging Azure AI Services, the application aims to streamline the listing process by automatically capturing and processing item photographs, generating descriptive listings, and reducing the manual effort required from staff. This solution not only addresses the current operational challenges but also opens up opportunities for individuals with diverse abilities to contribute effectively within the e-commerce environment.

We are proud to have worked alongside Goodwill of Orange County’s team to empower Goodwill employees and expand their employment opportunities through innovative technology. Valorem Reply’s expertise in user-centric design and technical implementation ensures this new app meets the specific needs of Goodwill’s workforce, enhancing efficiency, scalability, and overall user satisfaction.
Ryan McCamy, Practice Lead - Tech for Social Impact, Valorem Reply

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

  • Need to improve the auction site’s user interface for enhanced user experience.

  • Difficulty in managing product listings and descriptions manually, causing a labor shortage.

  • Limited accessibility features hindering usability for diverse users.

  • Instability of the mobile application on Android and iOS devices.

SOLUTIONS

  • UI/UX design improvements tailored for intuitive user interaction.

  • Technical troubleshooting to stabilize and enhance app performance for both Android and iOS users.

  • Integration of Azure AI Services for automated product image analysis and description generation.

  • Customization of app features to support accessibility needs (e.g., high-contrast mode).

RESULTS

  • Enhanced stability and functionality of the mobile application on both Android and iOS platforms.

  • Streamlined product listing processes, reducing time spent on manual tasks by more than 35%.

  • Expanded accessibility allowing more developmentally and physically disabled people to work in e-commerce positions.

  • Anticipated increase in revenue from enhanced online sales capabilities.

  • Improved listing accuracy and capability, redirecting more goods away from the landfill and to a successful sale.
EXPANDING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT GOODWILL WITH AI

You Might Also Enjoy

Migration from On-Premise to a Modern, Cloud Based Workplace
MIGRATION FROM ON-PREMISE TO A MODERN, CLOUD BASED WORKPLACE
Read More
A MODERN WORKPLACE IN UK CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
Read More
Migration from On-Premise to Microsoft Azure
MIGRATION FROM ON-PREMISE TO MICROSOFT AZURE
Read More
Design and Build of Greenfield Digital Service
Design and Build of Greenfield Digital Service
Read More
ON-PREM TO FABRIC AND TABLEAU TO POWER BI MIGRATIONS FOR NONPROFIT DATA MODERNIZATION
Read More
ACCELERATING DIGITAL SAFETY MEASURES GLOBALLY WITH MICROSOFT FABRIC
Read More
SCALING DIRECT SERVICE PROVIDER IMPACT WITH A CUSTOM AI LEARNING AGENT
Read More
AZURE OPENAI-POWERED CHATBOT FOR UNITED WAY OF GREATER ATLANTA
Read More
MICROSOFT COPILOT ENABLEMENT AND ADOPTION FOR LUMEN
Read More
AI-POWERED CULTURAL EXPERIENCE FOR D-DAY 80TH ANNIVERSARY EXHIBIT
Read More
ELEVATING TENNIS PERFORMANCE THROUGH DATA & AI INNOVATION
ELEVATING TENNIS PERFORMANCE THROUGH DATA & AI INNOVATION
Read More
ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY WITH AN AI-POWERED APP FOR ART MUSEUM
Read More
POWER BI PROOF OF CONCEPT FOR NEIGHBORWORKS AMERICA
Read More
DATA & POWER BI GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORK FOR AB MAURI
Read More
EMPOWERING DECISIONS WITH AN AZURE OPENAI-POWERED APP FOR CARE
Read More
INFORMATION PROTECTION & GOVERNANCE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
Read More
MICROSOFT PURVIEW SECURITY PLATFORM FOR GLOBAL CASH HANDLING COMPANY
Read More
STRATEGIC CLOUD MODERNIZATION FOR A LEADING TAX PREPARATION FIRM
Read More
IAM MODERNIZATION FOR LARGE AEROSPACE MANUFACTURER
Read More
AI DOCUMENT ANALYSIS FOR PERSONAL CARE COMPANY
Read More
IAM MODERNIZATION FOR NONPROFIT EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATION
Read More
MODERN TOOLS TO TRANSFORM AND ELEVATE MOTORSPORTS TECHNOLOGY
Read More
AI/ML-ENABLED AEROSPACE SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Read More
SUCCESSFULLY EMBRACING DIGITAL FEEDBACK PROCESSES
Read More
STREAMLINED RECRUITMENT WITH OPENAI
Read More
GRANT WRITING WITH OPENAI
Read More
OPENAI TEAMS VIRTUAL ASSISTANT FOR NONPROFITS
Read More
NEURODIVERSITY EMPLOYMENT NETWORK
Read More
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND VIOLENCE INTERVENTION
Read More
SUSTAINABILITY MEASUREMENT AND ML/AI SOLUTIONS FOR CHANGE
Read More
RESEARCH & EVIDENCE FOR GLOBAL POVERTY SOLUTIONS
Read More
DATA SCIENCE SOLUTIONS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
Read More
ENABLING HYBRID WORK SCENARIOS WITH COLLABORATIVE APPS
Read More
LOW CODE AUTOMATION FOR CHATBOT TESTING
Read More
MODERN TOOLS TO TRANSFORM AND ENABLE NONPROFIT
Read More
NEXT GEN BIG DATA WITH AZURE, DATABRICKS DELTA AND VALOREM REPLY
Read More
MODERN INTRANET & CHANGE MANAGEMENT
Read More
OPEN-SOURCE PLATFORM ON AZURE CREATES NEW MARKET POTENTIAL
Read More
DEVOPS QUALITY ENGINEERING
Read More
CUSTOM TRUCK ONE SOURCE
Read More
ANSIRA MARKETING TECHNOLOGY & SERVICES
Read More
Opaa! FOOD MANAGEMENT
Read More
KELLWOOD COMPANY
Read More

We're Changing The Way Our Clients Approach Their Business