Redesign and Development of an Automotive Mobile App

A battery technology expert needed to modernize their support and sales app for technicians. They approached Centizen for an updated app with new features to enhance efficiency. Partners include automobile associations and service providers.

Background

A global battery technology expert, specializing in auto, motorcycle, and marine batteries, sought to modernize their legacy cross-platform support and sales application for their battery technicians. The app contained vital information regarding battery fitment and installation safety requirements and assisted technicians with battery procurement, delivery, service, maintenance and replacement. The customer approached Centizen for their automotive software development expertise, seeking a redesigned and updated application with new features to enhance efficiency and improve the user experience. The company’s partners include automobile associations, auto service providers, and strategic suppliers. Additionally, they offer specialized tools and tech solutions, diagnostic equipment, battery technician training, road assistance, auto support and marketing services for battery service businesses.

Challenge

Our team was tasked with designing new automotive mobile app layouts, revamping the user interface, developing new features, and upgrading existing ones for the second version of the product.

Business Solution

Application Redesign
Our team utilized the UX package provided by the customer, including wireframes and brand guidelines, to create layouts and develop an updated version of the automotive mobile app for Android and iOS. After development, we conducted extensive usability testing through our QA specialists.

Application Upgrade
Our team collaborated with the customer’s in-house team to develop new functionality for the updated product version. Our developers focused on new feature development that required in-depth Xamarin expertise, and we worked in two-week sprints, finalizing each sprint by testing the code and merging it with the code developed by the other team. In addition to new feature development, Centizen team also fixed bugs in the existing code to stabilize the app.

The upgraded application now allows roadside technicians to look up batteries, check prices and product specifications, procure the correct battery, choose the fitment, quickly find installation requirements, and issue invoices to clients. The application’s functionality also includes multilingual support for English, Spanish, and French-Canadian languages, vehicle-specific battery location diagrams, and customer training materials such as videos and guides

Our team optimized and developed several new features for the upgraded application, including the following:

• Debugged and added support for scanning VIN codes issued earlier than 1980, using the vehicle identification number (VIN) scanning and decoding feature.
• Enabled push notifications about battery events sent to the user’s device using the OneSignal service.
• Added the ability to integrate the app with third-party solutions, allowing users to access information on the vehicle with the right model and battery when searching for a certain vehicle model in a third-party app.
• Optimized the search feature to prevent users from entering inaccurate or redundant data and localized some search fields, such as postcode for Canada and zip code for the USA.
• Improved pricing localization, allowing users to create orders, fill in details on battery components, and request special services, and giving users with extended rights the ability to edit service payments, support options, and more.
• Added support for different taxation systems for Canada and the USA, enabling salespeople to change tax charges, add them to whole orders, and set up fixed tax amounts with tax charges localization.
• Integrated safety manuals into the application, allowing salespeople to look up and access safety data sheets.
• Moved the authorization process from the browser into the app flow, allowing users to gain access to the app from industrial devices without browsers with in-app authorization.
• Developed e-signature functionality, allowing users to digitally sign documents.

Centizen’s Solution

Our team enhanced the user experience and performance of a cross-platform application for a battery technology services provider, resulting in improved efficiency and accuracy for technicians. The upgraded version of the application enabled the customer to achieve significant outcomes, including:

• A 30% reduction in time spent on battery service.
• 25% increase in the client base.
• Improved accuracy of battery fitment information.