Taking full ownership of the development process for 1.5 years
FleetManager
FleetManager is the leader of business telematics solutions for both large and medium truck fleets. They offer tracking solutions for trucks and trainers by in-cab driver terminals, temperature monitoring, and engine diagnostics.
About the project
FleetManager approached Neoteric as they planned to develop a new product for one of their customer segments. Aiming to achieve tech team scalability, they were looking for a company that would offer a flexible cooperation model. They were searching for a development company that would be able to increase and decrease the number of developers as project requirements change.
Our tasks
Developing a job management system
We planned to develop a system helping haulage companies process as many loads and drops as possible every day. The software we were asked to build aimed to facilitate the process of receiving orders and moving goods between locations.
Developing charts with drivers’ activities
We aimed to introduce charts showing driver activity, including the time of driving, loading truck, and drivers’ rest. The activity board had to be synchronized with the widgets where the same or similar information was shown on lists.
Adjusting the system to comply with the law
Due to legal changes of the weekly working time and overtime pay calculations in some markets, we had to develop a configurable system. It had to include the option of setting the base number of hours and additional hours and assign wage rate for every vehicle type – short-haul, long-haul, and delivery.
Working out user onboarding
We had to introduce a tutorial for first-time users of the new platform modules to provide them with useful tips, functionality description and show settings flow within the application.
Challenges
1. Adding new map views
We faced the challenge of implementing new Google Map views due to a faulty implementation of the original Google Map. Our developers had to find a way to avoid mixing up data when new map views were added.
2. Familiarizing our developers with the original code
API of the existing application was poorly documented and difficult to handle. Our developers also had to deal with an extensive UI codebase with dozens of developers working on it before, introducing different approaches and technologies.
3. Taking charge of the whole development process
During the second phase of our cooperation, we had to handle the process from gathering requirements to the product launch. To build a successful product, we had to start with a deep understanding of the client’s business, as well as plan work for several months in advance.
4. Fixing technical issues within the application
Our developers had to resolve a number of technical issues present in the original application code. There were a number of bugs as well as problems with data flow we had to fix to make new modules work properly.
Within months, Neoteric met internal standards of quality and efficiency. The agency’s deep open-source knowledge, meticulous documentation, and fluid onboarding capabilities add to their value. They are dexterous and skillful enough to handle a project end-to-end, making them an integral partner.
Solutions
1. Understanding the application background
Before starting the development process, our tech team performed a deep code review to understand the application background better to resolve technical issues.
3. Meeting the client’s team
During the second phase of our cooperation, we had to scale our team and take full ownership of the application module development – from gathering project requirements to development. That is why we visited the client in their office to gather project requirements and get to know the client’s tech team better.
2. Streamlining communication
Working with a poorly documented API and fixing multiple bugs on the way, the developers and the QA team maintained clear communication with each other as well as with the client’s team using Slack and holding regular meetings.
4. Staying accountable and transparent
Before getting down to development, we demonstrated our ideas and development plan to the client using Balsamiq platform to gather feedback, suggestions, and receive their approval for development.
Project Results
A successful launch of a job management system
We extended the client’s existing product enabling dispatching jobs to drivers and vehicles, plotting those jobs on maps, and providing drivers with directions. Thanks to the software we built, those jobs could be transmitted to the driver’s in-cab device to be marked later as started, completed, or in-progress.
Launching the driver’s profile software
We successfully launched a piece of the application with drivers’ profiles, reports, and grids. As a result, the application became eligible for use in countries with driver hour regulations.
Scaling a team from one to four developers
As client requirements increased, we had to scale the team to four developers. During the second phase of our cooperation, we took full responsibility for managing the development process of the modules we were assigned to build.
