About ExpressTest
ExpressTest was one of the UK's leading Covid-19 testing providers, operating testing services across airports, workplaces, events, homes and high-street locations throughout the pandemic.
As international travel reopened and testing requirements evolved, ExpressTest needed to scale rapidly whilst meeting stringent regulatory, operational and reporting requirements.
Within 12 months, the business generated more than £400 million in revenue and became the UK's largest private Covid-19 testing provider.
The challenge
The Covid-19 pandemic created one of the most demanding digital delivery environments imaginable.
Cignpost engaged Absurd to design, build and scale the digital products and services behind ExpressTest at a time when speed, compliance and operational resilience were critical.
Testing was a distressed purchase. Customers weren't browsing for products they wanted; they needed confidence, clarity and speed during a period of uncertainty.
At the same time, government policy changed frequently. A regulatory announcement on Thursday could require entirely new booking journeys, reporting requirements and operational processes to be designed, built and deployed by Monday morning.
The platform needed to support airport testing, workplace testing, event testing, home testing, high-street testing and VIP testing services whilst remaining simple enough for millions of customers to use.
Success would ultimately help reopen international travel, live events and workplaces across the UK.
Our approach
Absurd assembled a dedicated team of more than 30 specialists spanning service design, product management, UX, engineering, quality assurance and delivery.
Working alongside Salesforce specialists, management consultants and a large client-side product organisation, we designed and delivered a service capable of operating at national scale.
Built using Umbraco Commerce and Microsoft Azure, the platform provided the flexibility required to adapt rapidly as regulations evolved.
Rather than focusing solely on the customer interface, we designed the entire service ecosystem. This included booking journeys, testing centre operations, laboratory workflows, customer communications, regulatory reporting and business intelligence.
The platform integrated with Salesforce, Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), DHSC reporting services, Xero and Microsoft Power BI, creating a connected operational environment capable of handling significant demand.
These integrations enabled automated booking management, laboratory processing, regulatory reporting, financial operations and business intelligence from a single platform.
Alongside the public platform, we also launched a dedicated VIP service used by celebrities, high-profile business leaders and political stakeholders requiring enhanced levels of service and discretion.
£400m+
revenue generated in 12 months
30+
testing centres launched
Top 3
DHSC-approved providers
Results
The platform played a significant role in the UK's pandemic response and recovery.
ExpressTest became the UK's largest private Covid-19 testing provider, generating more than £400 million in revenue within 12 months whilst operating over 30 testing locations nationwide, including major transport hubs and high-street locations such as Manchester's Market Street.
The digital platform supported millions of customer interactions and enabled the organisation to scale rapidly whilst maintaining compliance with continually evolving regulations.
The platform played a critical role in helping ExpressTest secure and maintain DHSC approval, progressing from more than 100 providers under consideration to become one of the final authorised testing providers in the UK.
Daily integrations with the Department of Health and Social Care ensured test results, compliance data and operational reporting could be shared reliably at national scale.
When the rules changed every week, success depended on designing systems that could adapt just as quickly.
Outcomes
Within 12 months, the platform supported more than £400 million in revenue and became a critical operational capability for one of the UK's most important testing providers.
More importantly, it demonstrated how service design, product thinking and engineering can work together under extreme pressure to deliver outcomes at national scale.
The result was not simply a website or ecommerce platform. It was a connected digital service that helped people travel again, attend live events and return to workplaces during one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
