In the first part of this case study, we explored how Agile Soft Systems, a modern application development company, collaborated with key stakeholders—the shop managers, service managers, and experienced technicians—of a leading auto service business to understand their customer relationships and business process challenges.

Through a 360° Design Thinking Workshop, we uncovered valuable insights into the business workflows, processes, and customer experience, identifying key areas for improvement. Our UX team conducted an extensive UX discovery phase to investigate further and dig deeper into understanding the customer problem.

Our UX and development teams, facilitated by the solution architect, created user personas and crafted user stories to devise a development plan.

In the second part, we focus on how we leveraged our technology expertise to design and implement a transformative solution.

Business Challenges

Here's an overview of the business challenges our solution aims to address. These have been discussed extensively in the previous part of the case study.

Manual processes:

The existing workflows were inefficient and presented problems for technicians, managers, business owners, and customers. Appointment scheduling, vehicle inspection, job creation, record keeping, and invoicing.

Inefficient inventory management:

The repair shops were maintaining their own inventory, and there was a lack of visibility of stock across all workshops. Besides, the technicians at the workshop level had no knowledge of the availability of parts, which added to further delays as well.

Limited customer communication:

Ideally, the customer should be kept in a continuous communication loop, right from scheduling the appointment to the progress of the repairs. They have to be informed about the types of repairs and the expenses they entail. Limited customer communication in this regard led to delays, poor service, and customer dissatisfaction.

Customer dissatisfaction:

Besides poor communication, inconsistent quality of repairs, inaccurate estimates, and a lack of transparency in the process, customers distrusted the brand.

Limited employee productivity:

The staff, the managers, and the technicians were trained and qualified. The technicians were ASE-certified. Despite their capabilities, their productivity and performance were low due to the overall inefficiency of the processes. This was negatively impacting their morale.

It was vital for Agile Soft Systems to build software that addressed all these challenges.

Solutions | Technology

Choosing the Right-Fit Technology and Methodology.

The software engineering field is vast, with several technologies and tools to build solutions out of, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach. Choosing the right technologies is crucial for building successful software solutions. The right technology stack helps in creating reliable applications that are scalable and easily maintainable in the long run.

Custom software development aims to match the technology to the specific needs of the business problem. We carefully assess the unique challenges and opportunities to identify the most effective technologies.

For our auto servicing, we leveraged the power of cloud computing and built the application on a microservices architecture. This offered us scalability, flexibility, ease of deployment, and cost-effectiveness, making it an ideal fit for our business needs.

We employed an agile development methodology to ensure rapid development and continuous improvement. This involves breaking down the project into manageable sprints, collaborating closely with the client throughout the process, delivering working software increments frequently, and adapting to change and feedback quickly.

Technologies:

Here's a list of technologies we used to build the reliable auto service application.

Backend: Python (Django framework), PostgreSQL database, Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

Frontend: ReactJS for the web app, Flutter for the mobile app

Cloud Infrastructure: Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) for container orchestration, Cloud Storage for data storage, and Cloud SQL for relational databases

AI and ML: TensorFlow, Google Cloud AI Platform (Vertex AI)

Integrations: SMS gateway, payment gateway, automotive diagnostic tools

Implementation:

Phase 1: In the initial phase, we focused on developing the core functionality of the customer portal, technician portal, and basic management features.

Phase 2: Integration with existing systems and third-party applications was implemented.

Phase 3: In this phase, we implemented AI and machine learning features for advanced diagnostics, predictive maintenance, and personalized recommendations.

Phase 4: We are currently in this phase, where we work on the continuous improvement and development of new features based on user feedback and market trends.

Solution | Key Components

From the 360 Design Thinking Workshop and UX Discovery activity, our team devised solutions for four different personas: the customer, technician, and manager. Agile Soft Systems decided to build three separate portals based on these roles. The features pertaining to each of these portals have been mentioned below.

Customer Portal:

The customer portal is accessible via a web interface, which can be accessible via various devices with consistency. They're able to sign up and login via a registered mobile number. It hosts several features that enhance the customer experience.

Appointment scheduling:

Customers could schedule appointments through the customer portal, which was accessible 24/7. The bookings were automated based on the availability of slots at each workshop. The customer received an instant confirmation via an SMS test notification.

Track repair progress in real-time.

Earlier, customers had to call in to check the status of the repairs. They received notifications about repair updates and the estimated completion time.

Customers' could access the portal to see shared images and videos taken by technicians, revealing the damage to auto parts that needed repairs. Moreover, customers were allowed to choose the repairs they needed presently and postpone the other non-critical ones for a later date.

View and pay bills online.

The customers had complete visibility of the repair estimates from the beginning. The cost breakdown of each repair was shared with them, so they could choose to do them now or at a later date. The payment could conveniently be done through the customer portal itself, which proved to be very convenient for the customer and the business owners as well.

Provide feedback and reviews.

A feedback and review system was integrated into the portal to receive instant feedback and testimonials. This also gives business stakeholders a clear picture of their customer needs, which helps them take immediate action in this regard.

Technician Portal:

The technician portal is accessible via a mobile application. It has two levels of accessibility based on the role of the technician: senior and junior.

Create and access work orders and customer information.

The senior technicians are able to create work orders on inspection and assign them to the respective junior personnel. The senior technicians can also create and save common service workflows. They are able to take photos and videos to upload on the portal, which is accessible to all user levels.

Besides, they have access to customer information and previous vehicle history. This helps them identify faults in the vehicle with better accuracy. The senior technicians are also able to produce a time and cost estimate instantly with the help of the system. And we are also able to see the availability of spares in stock.

View and update the repair status.

The junior technicians have access to the schedule of service tasks and are able to view and update the status of each task on the list. They're able to change time estimates when required. The junior technicians, too, can upload images and videos to the portal if needed.

Utilize vehicle diagnostic tools.

Agile Soft Systems has created a workflow to import diagnostic reports from the vehicle's on-board diagnostics (OBD) into the portal. This is saved in the vehicle's history and can be accessed and analyzed to improve the quality of repairs.

Access repair manuals and troubleshooting guides.

The technicians have access to manuals and troubleshooting guides. This has helped them improve the quality and speed of repairs tremendously.

Communicate with customers and managers.

The technicians are able to communicate with the customers via SMS notifications and with the manager via the in-app notification system. This keeps all parties updated on the progress of the repairs and any problems that arise during the process.

Management Portal:

The management portal has two levels of access: shop managers and business owners.

Track inventory levels across all locations.

Keeping track of inventory at each shop level and across locations was crucial. The application gives complete visibility of the current stock of items and alerts the managers via notifications before the item runs out of stock.

Since the managers have access to stock at different locations, they're able to share parts when required, reducing the delay in repairs.

Manage appointments and resources.

The managers have visibility of the appointments and resources in regards to the availability of personnel and workstations. They are able to schedule and plan day-to-day activities with efficiency and are able to manage and scale resources effectively.

Analyze the data to identify trends and improve efficiency.

Business owners and managers now have access to a huge amount of historical customer data that can be used to identify seasonal trends. This can help them be prepared for times of high volume intake by scaling up resources accordingly.

They are able to make marketing decisions and promote effectively during low-volume seasons.

Generate reports and gain insights into business performance.

The new application generates reports that help marketing, sales, and business stakeholders make informed decisions. The location-based reports help the business team plan future expansion with data-driven insight.

Additional Features:

Appointment scheduling optimization: We implemented an AI-powered algorithm to prevent overbooking and optimize workflow.

Predictive maintenance: AI identifies potential issues based on vehicle data, enabling preventive repairs.

Automated stock management: The software has a feature to automatically reorder parts based on demand and inventory levels.

Multi-location support: Business owner-level access to multiple locations from a single platform and access to all the required data via a single pane of glass.

Third-party integrations: We also integrated the application with their existing cloud-based accounting software and CRM.

Conclusion

This comprehensive software solution provided our client with a powerful tool to overcome their challenges and thrive in the competitive market. By leveraging modern technologies and cloud solutions, the business is able to deliver exceptional customer service, optimize operations, and achieve sustainable growth.

Agile Soft Systems was able to enhance customer satisfaction through increased transparency, personalized communication, and efficient service delivery, fostering a loyal customer base. We were successfully able to boost profitability by increasing revenue flows from reduced operational costs, improved resource utilization, and accurate estimates.

Employee productivity has skyrocketed with streamlined workflows, digital tools, and improved collaboration, empowering employees to work smarter and faster. With access to real-time insights and predictive analytics, the decisions are now data-driven, guiding strategic choices for sustainable growth. And the cloud-based solution assures scalability and flexibility, allowing the business to adapt and thrive in the ever-evolving automotive landscape.

Our success story demonstrates our capacity to undertake and transform businesses with our design, technology, and development expertise.

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