Client Backstory
Bosch is a leading supplier of technology and services in the areas of Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. Additionally, Bosch has, in India, the largest development center outside Germany, for an end to end engineering and technology solutions. The Bosch Group operates in India through thirteen companies and set-up its manufacturing operation in 1951, which has grown over the years to include 18 manufacturing sites, and seven development and application centers..
Website: https://www.bosch.in/
Challenges
- Operating such systems remotely.
- Selling a heating system which user can install at their home and office.
- Allowing to work remotely over WIFI and internally over BLE protocol.
- Ensure smooth functioning of the system over the WIFI, BLE, and manually.
- Developing Thermostat hardware which can be operated physically and remotely.
Strategic Approach
Requirements were challenging as all the features to connect hardware through mobile phones/tablets were evolving. Even the required hardware modules were not in the mature stage in those days.
After understanding the app idea of the client, we figured out Who is going to be the target audience, What will be the USP of the application, Which segment of the target audience are we going to use for evaluating our app, What are we going to do differently from the client’s competitors and how are we planning on generating revenue from the app. This helped us in gathering the project requirements, scope, and validating the client's idea of developing IoT enabled mobile app in early 2009. We then undertook market research and competitive analysis, to identify and avoid the mistakes done by competitors and make the app idea more fruitful.
Before the actual project started we collected the following documentation to ensure we are building the right application
- RFP
- SOW
- Design documents
- Sample Data/Physical Printed Forms of process
- Hardware connection documents
- Provide more power to their thermostat users by allowing them to manage their thermostat temperature, schedule, etc.
- Remotely on/off the thermostat and enable scheduler.
- Error logs/codes to reduce support/technician cost.
- Provide personalized user experience, discounted offers, accessibility, customer support 24x7.
- Develop a system which can help customer to save energy as well as get proper room temperature on desired time.
- Develop an application where the user can control the temperature.
Impact
- Increase in sales of their heating devices.
- By remotely monitoring the performance of devices and troubleshooting them, the client was able to reduce their operation maintenance overheads by 20%.
- Become one of the leading company in the class to sell such a solution.
