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Customer Story

Global Player in Transport Solutions Launches 5-Star App for Innovative Fleet Management

Schmitz Cargobull gets rave reviews for its new be UpToDate smartphone app, which lets fleet managers manage and monitor their fleets on the go

Related services
Software Development

Industry
Transport, Trade and Logistics

Company
PGS Software | Part of Xebia

Schmitz Cargobull is a German manufacturer of trailers, semi-trailers, and truck bodies and a global player in transport solutions. The family-owned business was founded in 1892 by wagon-maker Heinrich Schmitz. The head office is located in Horstmar, Germany. With a turnover upwards of 2.2 billion euros (in 2019) the company is the European market leader in commercial vehicle construction. It employs 6,500 people and maintains a network of around 1,200 authorized workshops throughout Europe.

Why
Respond to evolving needs and demands of customers
What
Give fleet managers more control, flexibility and access to information
How
Savvy smartphone app solution

Instant Access

Schmitz Cargobull’s existing TrailerConnect® portal already offered telematics as a desktop application, but the company wanted a mobile solution— an app that would offer instant access to information for real-time decision-making and give fleet managers more control and flexibility while doing their work. The company approached Xebia with a clear brief: to develop a simple yet effective smartphone app as quickly as possible.

Efficiency and Effectiveness

Xebia helped develop a native iOS and Android app in just eight weeks. Once the beUpToDate mobile app was introduced, it quickly became clear that it gives logistics companies a lot more flexibility in their workflows, enabling them to meet tight deadlines more easily and keep stocks low. The app has also increased fleet managers’ efficiency and effectiveness by allowing dispatchers to receive information and make on-the-go decisions. For example, dispatchers can keep an eye on both their fleet and individual vehicles. Notifications and real-time positioning allow fleet managers to stay informed around the clock. And, thanks to comprehensive metrics, e.g. temperature in refrigerated trailers, brake condition, fuel levels, etc. logistics providers can rest assured that their cargo has arrived intact.

“Our customers are very satisfied with the design and usability of the beUpToDate app. We like Xebia’s methods, disposition, and ability to listen and understand us and our customers. They surprised us with a simple and elegant solution.”
Schmitz Cargobull
Adrien Berger Mobile Apps Project Manager

Simple & Elegant Solution

Xebia kicked the project off with a two-week start-up phase, where requirements and UX design were defined in workshops and iOS and Android teams were assigned. The team consisted of four developers, a QA specialist, a business analyst, a Scrum master, a graphic designer, and a UX designer. The developers applied only native technologies to avoid dependencies. Xebia used everything from iTunesConnect, Swift5, and Google Firebase to Sketch and UxPIN. The app was continually improved and updated during development thanks to continuous integration. Since its introduction, the mobile app was downloaded 1,828 times in the first eight months. It subsequently received a five-star app rating on both Google Play and Apple App Stores.

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