MyCar

Outcome

MyCar is a beneficial application for car wash owners that is proved by its success and popularity among users. The results were not long in coming: by improving the work of car washes, the owners significantly increased profits in a short time, attracted new customers and increased the loyalty of existing ones. Statistics also showed that customers started washing their cars 2-3 times more often than before. Thanks to in-depth analysis and developed strategy, MyCar and Computools created ways to solve car wash owners problems, such as automation and optimisation of the process of maintaining the customer base, a queue at a car wash, inconvenience with booking place at a car wash, car cleaning and washing quality. During the work on the application, Computools took as a basis the best technologies, taking into account the specifics of the services offered and the target audience.

Several key options we solved:

High-performance cross-platform development.
Embedded tools for car wash administrating and managing.
Implemented advanced analytical tools.

+ 112%

Throughput, Users

+ 76%

Average Order

+ 63%

Increasing Productivity

+ 69%

Increasing Revenue

- 58%

Reducing Costs

72%

Business Process Automation

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Computools' in-depth analyses conducted for the client showed that more than 53% of car owners made a preliminary record at a car wash, instead of coming spontaneously and wait for freeing the wash box. Such a record helps fill up the working schedule of a car wash for 2-3 days ahead, that is, the owner sees in advance the workload of the wash boxes and employees. The idea of creating a new application - MyCar - was based on this research.

The app consists of two parts and each of them has its own target audience.

CarWash is an electronic journal for a car wash with a convenient and user-friendly interface. CarWash helps to optimize the work of the administrator, increase client traffic and generate additional income by providing unique services. What is more, this is an excellent additional advertising tool for newly opened car washes, as well as for a long time existing ones. Having installed the application, the user will already know everything they need about a car wash: location, working hours, free time for the booking.

CarWash is an admin panel for the car washes’ owners. It allows the administrator of a car wash to control and improve the quality of work. At the same time, it allows taking orders from customers directly in the phone or tablet. The owner of the car wash in real time can see the work schedule, loading boxes, customer flow, order history, detailed analytics and car wash statistics.

Building Minimum Viable Product Concept

Developing an MVP is the first step in new product work. For MyCar, MVP is the starting point for achieving the core goals: optimizing the operation of car washes, increasing customer traffic and income. Close cooperation at each stage with the Computools team allowed to create a viable prototype based on the proposed idea.

Thanks to their knowledge and skills, the Computools experts led the client through all stages of creating a Minimally Viable Prototype, bypassing possible challenges and difficulties. Strong communication with the client and the experience of the Computools team helped to successfully implement the project.

Defining the market problem

It all starts with research, finding out the market demand and filling the niche in which the product is supposed to be offered. A serious problem was identified in the car wash market: the lack of automation in the process of maintaining the customer base. While the latest technologies are transforming the business everywhere, the car washes owners are forced to keep a record of customers manually, more often even on ordinary paper mediums. In addition, there was a need to improve the quality of service, attract new and retain loyal customers. A new application allows solving all these challenges and problems.

Identifying the target audience

Despite the importance of this stage in the usual development, while building the MVP, the target audience can expand in the process of using the product. In our case, the target audience consists of the owners of the car washes and their customers -- car owners.

Evaluating competitors

These are absolutely unique products that do not yet have similar ones on the market, respectively, there are no competitors yet.

Defining the user flow

Determining the flow of users to a completely new product is quite difficult. Based on Computools experience and marketing research, we were able to predict the number of users who will be interested in the application during the week, month, and six months. This will allow further comparative analysis and make adjustments.

Prioritizing the features

In spite of the fact that the MVP assumes the presence of a minimum number of functions, together with the customer, Computools determined exactly what features the ready-to-launch application will have, what advanced functions will be offered to the car wash owners and automobilists.

Choosing the project management method

Speed is a matter of great importance when developing MVP. For this project, Computools chose Scrum, because it allows to speed up the development process, save time and costs, and provides the best opportunities for quick launch of the product.

Developing the MVP

Directly development conducts strictly on schedule and the client is a part of the team working on the development of the application. That allows him to be aware of what is happening on the project, to closely monitor the implementation of solutions and features of the application.

Market launch and feedback analysis

Digital Platform & Technology

The choice of technology for the project is a key issue that was decided immediately after the definition of the project goals, functions of the future product and the main requirements for it. Computools realized the project's objectives using innovative solutions and the most appropriate technologies, which would later be supplemented with plug-ins and widgets, enhanced with additional features.

Computools

Business Analyst

Project Manager

Team Lead

MyCar

Project Coordinator

Communication

Flutter

Flutter is a mobile app SDK for building high-performance, high-fidelity, apps for iOS and Android, from a single codebase. It allows delivering high-performance apps that feel natural on different platforms. Flutter apps are built using Dart, a simple object-oriented programming language. Dart compiles into native code and there is no need to access OEM widgets as Flutter has its own. This means less mediated communication between the app and the platform. All of this contributes to fast app startup times and fewer performance issues. One of the most lauded features of Flutter is hot reload which allows you to instantly view the changes made in the code on emulators, simulators and hardware. In less than a second, the changed code is reloaded while the app is running with no need for a restart. This is great not just for building UIs or adding features but also for bug fixing.

Symfony

Symfony is a set of reusable PHP components and a PHP framework to build web applications, APIs, microservices and web services. Symfony is one of the most feature-rich PHP frameworks. It provides stable, faster and flexible web applications development. Symfony has proven its reliability over time while many other frameworks failed. Many notable platforms as phpBB, Drupal, Magento, and eZ Publish use its components. Symfony is a stable and well-tested framework with regular updates. The most recent versions stay long-term supported and compatible with the newer releases: up to 3 years for some of the versions. The unmatched speed, reusability and flexibility of Symphony is what makes it one of the topmost PHP frameworks. It follows the industry’s best practices and incorporates some of the best and most pioneering tools in the industry, and comes integrated with features like dependency injection.

Specification

Working on a project of any complexity requires severe preparation, specifications and working documentation, which will further help in achieving the core goal and in performing current tasks. The Computools team always takes a very responsible approach to this development stage.

Goal - Place an order for a car wash
Precondition Open the telegram-bot needed the car wash
Main Flow Choose the required service Choose the date and time of providing service Send the service order to the car wash Get the order confirmation from the car wash Pay for service online
Postconditions The date and time of the service is booked, the ordered service is paid Alternative Flows
1 There is no needed service at the car wash. The service order failed
2 The required date and time are not available on the chosen car wash. The service order failed
3 Car wash did not confirm the service order. The service order failed

BACKSTAGE

Computools strive to comprehensively study the project, to ensure the application of innovative solutions, not only previously used, but also newly created, specifically for a certain task. To do this, in addition to fulfilling the tasks plan, we hold various meetings and brainstorming sessions.

Whiteboard Meeting

The whiteboard meeting is another great way to discuss ideas for a project. Visualizing solutions, making connections and solving challenges when they are visually viewed on board allows us to find the best path for new products

Brainstorming

During a brainstorming session, our experts are not only looking for a solution to a problem that has arisen in the course of working on a project. Computools also give developers the opportunity to express any, even the craziest ideas. This is how unique developments are created

Dev Meeting

Sharing experience, new skills and original ideas at developer meetings help to improve the quality of the product, avoid any difficulties with its release and solve current problems related exclusively to the technical side of the project

PROJECT TIMELINE

1 week

2 weeks

6 months

CONSULT

Defining Goals

Identifying high-level project goals
Determitining the client's primary high-level expectations

Analysis & Exploration

Researching existing solutions and technologies
Analyzing ready-made solution on the market, their pros and cons for the project
Defining main restrictions and providing solutions
Identifying the main risks

DESIGN

High-Level Architecture

Selecting approaches and a key development. stack
Selecting basic architectural patterns and tools
Forming an application stack taking into account restrictions, solutions` reliability, development speed etc
Forming the main development guidelines

Interactive Prototypes & Specification

Building a specification of the project
Development of a prototype in parallel with specification
Forming Definition of Done

Build Development Process

Choosing project methodology, calculating the number of project teams, forming process configuration
Forming of work format
Configuring the technological processes and interactions between roles

ENGINEER

Build The Team

Calculating the optimal number of specialists for each role
Forming the team`s core from professionals who started working on the project from its early stages, i.e. Business Analytic, Architect, Team Lead, Progect Manager, UX designer
Selecting and adding executors to the team`s core. Conducting an intro meeting of the team

Development

Distributing tasks by the Progect Manager and Team Lead
Execution tasks according to plan
Discussion of Innvative methods
The introduction of original solutions

Testing & Stabilization

Developing a testing plan
Implementation of end to end tests and additional automatic tests
Testing following a test case
Applying improvements
Code stabilization/refactoring, increasing system stability, reducing the probability of bug emergency and speed up development

CASE STUDY

MyCar

Outcome

+ 112%

+ 76%

+ 63%

+ 69%

- 58%

72%

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

CarWash features

MyCar features

Building Minimum Viable Product Concept

Digital Platform & Technology

Computools

MyCar

Communication

Flutter

Symfony

Specification

COMPUTOOLS TEAM

BACKSTAGE

Internal Communication Flow

Project Management Methodology

PROJECT TIMELINE

CONSULT

DESIGN

ENGINEER

Engineering

Carwash & MyCar App

Contact Us

Press Releases

Computools Congratulates Winners of the South Ukrainian Chapter of the International Collegiate Programming Contest

Computools’s Digital Summit 2021: How It Was

Computools Is Listed at Clutch as Top IT Ukraine Association Service Providers

Computools’s High Quality Work Is Certified By ISO 9001: 2015

Computools’s experts teach courses for the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine employees

Our Offices

GET EXPERT ADVICE!