Extranet

DSI Conseil & Services, a digital services company, provided a full team (designers, developers, project manager) to create an optimized solution that consolidates the management of bookings, vehicle status tracking, customer information, and financial reporting. This case study highlights the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the results achieved.

1. Project Context

• Client: UCAR is a French company specializing in vehicle rental services, offering flexible solutions for both short- and long-term rentals. UCAR is known for its franchise model and partnerships, which enable national coverage through local agencies.
• Project Goal: To develop an extranet platform for UCAR franchisees that centralizes and optimizes the management of vehicle bookings, fleet tracking, customer information, and payment handling, while also providing performance reports to improve operational efficiency.
• Target Audience: The platform serves UCAR franchisees, allowing them to manage daily operations such as vehicle fleet monitoring, bookings, customer relations, and financial activities.

2. Challenges and Issues Faced

• Centralized Management Across Multiple Agencies: The main challenge was consolidating information from various franchised agencies into a single platform, while allowing local management of operations specific to each agency.
• Real-Time Vehicle Tracking: The platform required real-time tracking of vehicle status (availability, maintenance, returns) to allow proactive fleet management and scheduling.
• Payment and Invoicing Management: Integrating a system for monitoring and managing customer payments, generating invoices, and creating financial reports for each franchisee was critical.
• Performance and Security: The platform had to handle high volumes of users simultaneously, while ensuring data security and privacy for customer and financial information.

3. Solution Provided by DSI Conseil & Services

Dedicated Team:

• Project Manager: Oversaw the project, ensuring it met deadlines and UCAR's requirements were fulfilled.
• Front-End and Back-End Developers: Developed a responsive user interface and infrastructure to support real-time fleet management, bookings, and customer information.
• UI/UX Designers: Designed a user-friendly interface that allowed franchisees to easily manage day-to-day operations.
• Security Experts: Implemented security measures to protect sensitive customer and transaction data.

Technologies Used:

• Backend: ASP.NET, chosen for its robustness and scalability in handling complex transactions and large amounts of data.
• Database: SQL Server, selected for efficient management of booking, vehicle, and customer data.
• Frontend: Angular, used to create a dynamic, responsive interface that offers a smooth user experience.
• REST API: Enabled real-time communication between franchise agencies and the Bo platform, ensuring seamless synchronization of data.
• Security: Encryption and enhanced authentication systems were implemented to ensure the confidentiality of user and financial information.

4. Project Management Methodology

Agile Approach: The project followed an Agile methodology, allowing for frequent collaboration with UCAR and continuous adjustments based on user feedback. Development sprints facilitated the incremental release of key features, ensuring the platform was built iteratively with stakeholder input.

Management Tools:

• Jira for task tracking and project management.
• Confluence for documenting technical specifications and development processes.
• Git for version control and facilitating collaboration between development teams.

Collaboration with UCAR: Weekly meetings with UCAR ensured clear communication, priority validation, and progress tracking. This regular interaction helped refine the platform to meet user needs and business goals.

5. Results Achieved

• Optimized Centralized Management: The Bo Extranet provided UCAR franchisees with a centralized platform that streamlined daily operations, reducing errors and improving productivity.
• Real-Time Vehicle Tracking: Franchisees gained the ability to track the status of their fleets in real-time, allowing for proactive scheduling, maintenance, and fleet management, which increased vehicle availability and reduced downtime.
• Enhanced Financial Management: Automated performance reports and payment tracking tools allowed franchisees to better manage their financial activities, improving invoicing accuracy and overall operational transparency.
• Client Satisfaction: UCAR expressed satisfaction with the platform’s user-friendly design and operational impact, highlighting improved efficiency across franchised agencies and enhanced ease of use.

6. Conclusion

The Bo 'Extranet' - Platform for UCAR project allowed DSI Conseil & Services to showcase its expertise in developing SaaS solutions for managing complex operations. The collaboration with UCAR resulted in a platform that optimized booking management, vehicle tracking, and financial reporting while ensuring a seamless and secure user experience. Ongoing updates and new features continue to enhance the platform, adapting to future needs and improving overall service efficiency.