Daimler Truck Mobile App for Vehicle Technicians

before

Daimler Truck North America (DTNA) is one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers in the world, with over 400 dealer locations throughout the US and Canada

Internal diagnostic and repair platform limited to laptop functionality, creating challenges for technicians working under tight spaces and schedules

Needed to add an integrated mobile app designed to let technicians collect and access crucial information while working on vehicles

after

New TechAssist mobile app integrates with DTNA’s core TechLane platform, released in the Apple App and Google Play stores

Image capture and voice-to-text features let technicians collect, share, and access information on parts and procedures, from any location

MVP was launched to pilot location in less than 6 months, with rapid and ongoing adoption across other operating locations

Challenge

Connecting technicians to technology

Having experienced exponential growth throughout the latter half of the 20th century, Daimler Truck North America marked the new millennium with the completion of a revolutionary new testing facility and a focus on enhancing vehicle efficiency, performance, and sustainability. Now in its eighth decade, it is the leading commercial vehicle manufacturer in North America. As the company has continued to develop its production processes, its internal technical systems have also needed to evolve. Vehicle diagnostics and repairs are crucial to DTNA’s operations, but its proprietary platform for managing them lacked the mobile-first features technicians needed to work efficiently. Daimler saw an opportunity to increase productivity and make this work more attractive to the next generation of potential technicians, and they asked us to help bridge this gap.

Process

User alignment

DTNA’s original core platform, TechLane, is a hub for all things technical about fleet vehicles – fault codes, parts numbers, systems diagrams, troubleshooting guides, and more. Easy access to this information is essential for upkeep and repairs, but for technicians working under large commercial vehicles, having to climb out to look something up on a laptop could be a big speed bump. During a DTNA-sponsored hackathon in Austin, Texas, tech innovators Gavin Gillas and Rick McDonald devised a concept for a mobile app counterpart to interface with the TechLane platform. DTNA asked us to build upon their foundational work to create a purpose-built mobile solution designed with technicians’ needs in mind.

process

Creating a roadmap

A successful solution would need to combine functionality and compatibility. After distilling the information-sharing needs communicated to us by DTNA, our team investigated the TechLane platform’s infrastructure and integration capabilities. This context informed product strategy for supporting user authentication, as well as the transfer of images, text responses, and metadata between the new mobile app and the existing TechLane platform. With these needs and constraints in mind, we mapped out the MVP for the “TechAssist” mobile app, designed for rapid implementation and smooth integration.

solution

Hands-free note taking

Many truck mechanics will tell you that when it comes to vehicle maintenance, even two hands are rarely enough. With TechAssist, technicians can use voice-to-text to document work completed and needed, as stand-alone memos or with image files attached.

solution

QR to hub

Once the hands-on vehicle diagnostics are complete, a technician can quickly and easily upload the image and text documentation captured with the TechAssist app to DTNA’s central software hub by capturing a dedicated QR code for the work order, available on the TechLane web platform.

`Praise` from our clients

Twenty Ideas is an ideal working partner. They are direct, professional, and committed to creating work of the highest quality. When we present them with a problem, we are confident that they will provide a solution that is well thought out, well designed, and that can be executed efficiently.

Juergen Steinhart

Senior Manager of Service Systems for Daimler Truck North America

We had an urgent need and they quickly figured out how to best solve it. They not only listened to my team, but collaborated with our current effort and guided us to much better solution in a very short timeframe. The right team for the job.

Steve Miller

Senior Manager of Service Systems for Daimler Truck North America