Company
Teltonika Telematics
My role
Lead Product Designer
My focus
Business alignment, Strategy, Research, UX/UI design, Content creation
Product webpage
TachoSyncTachoSync is a web-based tachograph data management solution that enables remote downloads from Teltonika's professional category telematics devices.
What is a tachograph?
A tachograph is a device used to record a vehicle's speed, distance traveled, and driver activity, such as driving time, breaks, and rest periods. It's primarily used in commercial vehicles like trucks and buses to ensure compliance with regulations regarding drivers' hours.
Using TachoSync, users can manage a large number of companies, users, and resources (such as vehicles or drivers), as well as set up file download schedules and automatic file downloads. Users can also monitor their file download state and troubleshoot in case any errors occur.
Target market: EU + The Schengen Area
About Teltonika: Teltonika is a leading provider of products, accessories, and solutions in vehicle telematics.
What is a tachograph?
A tachograph is a device used to record a vehicle's speed, distance traveled, and driver activity, such as driving time, breaks, and rest periods. It's primarily used in commercial vehicles like trucks and buses to ensure compliance with regulations regarding drivers' hours.
Using TachoSync, users can manage a large number of companies, users, and resources (such as vehicles or drivers), as well as set up file download schedules and automatic file downloads. Users can also monitor their file download state and troubleshoot in case any errors occur.
Target market: EU + The Schengen Area
About Teltonika: Teltonika is a leading provider of products, accessories, and solutions in vehicle telematics.
Initial research
We began by conducting both surveys and 1-on-1 interviews with our existing clients. Since Teltonika is a B2B company, it already had a large number of clients in need of such software. This made it easy for us to reach users directly, gather quality feedback, and empathize.
This was later supplemented with surveys, which helped us get quantitative feedback from a larger pool of clients.
Afterwards, we researched existing competitor software and started brainstorming potential improvements. In this stage, we also briefly discussed the business model and monetization, although we came back to this more towards the end of development.
This was later supplemented with surveys, which helped us get quantitative feedback from a larger pool of clients.
Afterwards, we researched existing competitor software and started brainstorming potential improvements. In this stage, we also briefly discussed the business model and monetization, although we came back to this more towards the end of development.
Problem
Early on, we began to understand that there are multiple different problems users faced. Since such software touches multiple areas, not all problems and solutions could be addressed through the software's UI alone.
Besides having a very outdated UX and UI, most such software fails to notify users in case of a failed file download or an upcoming company/driver card expiry, as well as having a very complex UI (especially for first-time users).
Some main challenges included:
- Business model and monetization;
- Minimize errors and download failures;
- Come up with a role/permission system that would allow different roles within a company to control different aspects of TachoSync;
- Creating a first-time, user-friendly UI flow;
- Make the UI fully responsive and mobile-friendly.
Besides having a very outdated UX and UI, most such software fails to notify users in case of a failed file download or an upcoming company/driver card expiry, as well as having a very complex UI (especially for first-time users).
Some main challenges included:
- Business model and monetization;
- Minimize errors and download failures;
- Come up with a role/permission system that would allow different roles within a company to control different aspects of TachoSync;
- Creating a first-time, user-friendly UI flow;
- Make the UI fully responsive and mobile-friendly.
Brainstorming and general flow
Generally, all heavy vehicles (such as trucks, buses, vans, etc.) are fitted with a tachograph - a device used to record a vehicle's movements, including driving time, speed, and distance, as well as driver activity such as breaks and rest periods.
Having this information ready at all times to forward to the fleet management company's governing office is critical, and failing to do so can result in heavy fines.
Having this information ready at all times to forward to the fleet management company's governing office is critical, and failing to do so can result in heavy fines.
Business model and monetization
Coming up with the business model took a lot of time and discussion between different levels of the company.
Ultimately, we settled on a combination of a credit and subscription model. The clients could purchase any number of credits, which would last for 1 year. 1 credit would be reserved each month for every device that connects to TachoSync.
The purchasing of credits would only be possible through a Teltonika sales representative, which meant that from the UI side, we could only show the current state of credits, as well as credit history.
This
Ultimately, we settled on a combination of a credit and subscription model. The clients could purchase any number of credits, which would last for 1 year. 1 credit would be reserved each month for every device that connects to TachoSync.
The purchasing of credits would only be possible through a Teltonika sales representative, which meant that from the UI side, we could only show the current state of credits, as well as credit history.
This
Minimize errors and download failures:
Early on, we assembled a team of BE developers that worked closely with the R&D team, reworking the communication between the device and software. They brought the failure rate down and improved the communication speed between the device and TachoSync.
From the UI side, we created a "Download monitoring" modal, which allows users to follow the download progress of their files, as well as any errors that have occurred.
In an ideal scenario, errors wouldn't occur; however, in case they do, users can clearly see at what stage of the download the error occurred.
Note: in later iterations, we would improve the error messages to show more detailed descriptions and possible solutions.
From the UI side, we created a "Download monitoring" modal, which allows users to follow the download progress of their files, as well as any errors that have occurred.
In an ideal scenario, errors wouldn't occur; however, in case they do, users can clearly see at what stage of the download the error occurred.
Note: in later iterations, we would improve the error messages to show more detailed descriptions and possible solutions.
Roles and permissions
One of the biggest requests by the clients was allowing more control over users and their permissions. Several clients requested a simple separation between a role that has access to all options within the software, and a different one with minimal permissions (mainly the view option).
Due to a lack of more information, and this being requested by only several clients, we opted for a simpler solution for MVP 1. We added 2 roles: Administrator and User - with a third option reserved for internal support. We agreed to test this option, and were prepared to implement more customizable roles if they were requested in the future.
Due to a lack of more information, and this being requested by only several clients, we opted for a simpler solution for MVP 1. We added 2 roles: Administrator and User - with a third option reserved for internal support. We agreed to test this option, and were prepared to implement more customizable roles if they were requested in the future.
Tutorial and user onboarding
After conducting a large amount of user testing, in regards to tutorials and onboarding, we settled on a completely interactive tutorial, without any overlays. This ended up being very successful, and had us push the same kind of tutorial on other Teltonika software.
Firstly, even though the tutorial pops up on screen for all new users, it didn't cause frustration, as there was no overlay, and the user is not forced to go through the tutorial.
(verified by surveys and user testing)
Secondly, having the tutorial fully interactive has proven that users retain information much more, which resulted in better and faster onboarding.
(verified by surveys and user testing)
Lastly, users can always opt to skip the tutorial and restart it at any time from the Settings menu..
Firstly, even though the tutorial pops up on screen for all new users, it didn't cause frustration, as there was no overlay, and the user is not forced to go through the tutorial.
(verified by surveys and user testing)
Secondly, having the tutorial fully interactive has proven that users retain information much more, which resulted in better and faster onboarding.
(verified by surveys and user testing)
Lastly, users can always opt to skip the tutorial and restart it at any time from the Settings menu..
Responsive design
During initial research, most users complained about lack of mobile support for many similar software (e.g.: often vehicle drivers need to download files while on the go). As well as being a web-based software, this made us focus heavily on making the software fully responsive, and especially on a good mobile user experience.
Having a fully responsive Design System helped us prepare and develop designs for all screen sizes fast and without complications during design hand-off.
In the first month after release, we saw an increase in mobile use from 6% to 18%.
Having a fully responsive Design System helped us prepare and develop designs for all screen sizes fast and without complications during design hand-off.
In the first month after release, we saw an increase in mobile use from 6% to 18%.
