The range of services offered by SIXT Mobility Consulting (SMC) ranges from consulting to complete fleet management.
KPS was tasked with developing a digital self-service offering for SMC to provide an optimized digital user experience for corporate fleet operators and users of company vehicles. A team from KPS digital and the SIXT app development team designed and programmed the The Companion app in just seven months, with KPS taking over the external project management. Thanks to the efficient collaboration, the free app has been available in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store since autumn 2019. The service has since also been rolled out to Switzerland with Austria soon to follow.
Fully digitalized service portfolio
The Companion app enables employees who use a company vehicle to perform a variety of tasks relating to their vehicle quickly and easily with their smartphone. It allows them, for example, to check their contract details and receive reminders for vehicle service appointments or new vehicle orders. Company car users receive push messages informing them about appointments and enjoy a personalized user experience. In addition to reminders about repair shop and maintenance appointments for their vehicles, the app also informs users about seasonal tyre changes, expiring leasing contracts, or upcoming vehicle new orders. For some customers, the formalities for vehicle handover and return can also be completed directly using the app, speeding up the process.
For upcoming tyre changes, appointments with some tyre partners, like ATU and Euromaster, can be made directly through the app. It also speeds up refueling stops. Thanks to Shell Smart Pay, a virtual digital fuel card, company vehicle users no longer have to pay at the counter after refueling, but can pay directly via the app.
Breakdown and accident assistance
The service app also provides support in challenging situations: In the event of an accident or a breakdown, detailed, step-by-step checklists help users deal with the situation themselves. Click-to-call functions provide direct contact with SIXT Assistance or permit direct and straightforward emergency calls, increasing driver safety. The app also reduces the workload of SIXT customer service, because, should a driver encounter minor problems, they always have instant access to information on their smartphone that can help resolve the situation.
As Jan Blumbach, Principal at KPS and the app project lead, explains: “In super-fast time, we have launched a solution that offers SIXT Mobility Consulting customers in Europe an improved service and an optimized user experience. The project was a resounding success, both in terms of the quality of the app and its acceptance among SMC customers.”
Christoph von Tschirschnitz, Managing Director of Sixt Mobility Consulting Europe: “Management of the ‘The Companion app development’ project by Jan Blumbach and his team at KPS AG was extremely effective and allowed us to achieve our ambitious time-to-market goal of seven months. Besides management of the project team, which also included members of Sixt Mobility Consulting and Sixt’s own IT subsidiary 6-Systems in Kiev, I also appreciated the continuous dialog on how best to implement the app features. I greatly value project managers who do not shy away from challenging our existing ideas for implementation in the interests of delivering an even better solution. It is only by competing to find the best solution that we can ensure excellence for our fleet customers.”
New website completes SMC’s digital offering
The app represents a further expansion of SIXT Mobility Consulting’s digital fleet management offering. In tandem with the app launch, the new company website, which had been given a facelift by KPS, also went live. The new and improved website provides a clear overview of the company’s fleet management services, user support, and the ordering process.
