BYGGMAX - Simplifying self-service with an online trailer booking system
Background
When Byggmax opened their first warehouse in 1993, they were the first construction product supplier in the Nordics to offer a drive-in shopping experience where customers do part of the job themselves. Something that has enabled Byggmax to offer lower prices and rise above the competition in the marketplace. Today they serve thousands of home and professional builders with more than 130 warehouses in Sweden, Norway, and Finland.
As operations expanded, however, Byggmax realized that their famous drive-in shopping experience was in need of improvement. As part of their service offering, Byggmax offers customers the possibility to rent a trailer for free in order to transport purchased building materials home. Without a centralized booking system connecting all of their warehouses, they were struggling to efficiently monitor the big picture and forecast trailer demand for each of their stores. They asked us at Fastdev to help them come up with an online booking solution that would simplify the trailer booking process for management and customers alike.
Challenge
In order to book a trailer, Byggmax customers had to call the store manager who would then record the booking on a paper or digital spreadsheet. Without a centralized booking system, whenever management at Byggmax headquarters requested statistics from each of their stores they were in for a long wait. And once all the data was received, the various formats made the process of combining all the data extra laborious and time-consuming.
Our team at Fastdev needed to develop a solution that would serve both management and the end-user. One that would let users easily view trailer availability and make a booking at a specific store and then, on the other side, allow management to access an overview of bookings and store statistics, and make any modifications needed.
Development Process
Step 1
In consultation with Byggmax, we established the general system concept and requirements and what technologies would be used to build it.
Step 2
Our team created a mockup of a standalone web-based solution with two interfaces: one for customers and one for management. Following approval of the mockup solution, we proceeded to develop the booking solution tailored to each of Byggmax’s markets—Sweden, Norway and Finland.
Step 3
Finally, we added interface design elements in alignment with Byggmax’s corporate identity, and then conducted a series of tests to ensure proper system function.
Results
The final solution was released in October 2015. Now, Byggmax has a centralized system that not only enables them to cut back on administration and increase their overview of trailer usage, but adds value for their customers by making the drive-in shopping experience easier than ever before.
Customers can log into the booking system using their Byggmax web store credentials, select a store and view a list of available trailers and time slots. After booking, they receive an email notification as well as reminders leading up to the rental date. Customers can also make booking modifications in the system if needed.
The management interface allows Byggmax store managers to view all booked and available trailer rental time slots per store, create bookings on behalf of customers, and make booking modifications. They can also easily modify time slot specifications and trailer availability. The statistics page provides trailer usage percentages for any selected period, as well as data related to the number of bookings created by customers or store managers. The administrator interface provides Byggmax with an overview of statistics for all stores, with options to filter the statistics view by store(s) or time period.
On the booking page, Byggmax customers can view available trailers and time slots at a selected store location and make their booking.
Byggmax store managers can use the system to easily access an overview of bookings, modify trailer availability, and make bookings on behalf of customers.
The statistics page gives Byggmax managers and administrators the ability to view trailer usage percentages per store during a selected time period.
“Fastdev delivered a high-quality website,” says Sonny Rehal, Technical Manager at Byggmax. “Very competent developers led by a sharp project manager.”
