Great Dane
Telemetry Digital Platform Creation
BACKGROUND
This project was undertaken at Great Dane trailers, a century old engineering-led manufacturing organization, under the guidance of the marketing department. The brief was to study the market opportunities present in the telematics industry through a design-thinking lens. The research carried out led to the development of qualitative and quantitative metrics that showcased market opportunities as well as the organization’s ability to ideologically pivot to face data-driven challenges, to C-Suite. The project spanned 10 weeks. Project developed with Brandie Fuller (VP marketing)
THE PROBLEM
Traditional trailer manufacturers will witness a decline in their market-hold over the next decade, as design and data driven organizations enter the trailer market space.
THE VISION
To develop telematic product services for the goods mobility industry, by investing in building human-centric, agile systems that nurture creative problem solving: Howl.
FUNCTION
Research Design, planning and execution
Survey Design and administration
Content Strategy
Editorial and Visual Design
Development Strategy
THE RESEARCH
After having framed the research design, the secondary research conducted was to acquire an understanding of the stakeholders involved, the current market landscape and future opportunities and threats. The data extracted was then visually represented to showcase gaps in current capacity and offerings.
The competitors/complementors map as well as the strategy canvas were created based on information gathered through the stakeholder map and trends matrix. It elicits that as telmetry becomes a necessary function for tractor trailers within the next decade, data-driven organizations will replace the traditional manufacturing oriented competition of the present. In order to to meet the market threat, developing a design thinking mindset would be vital.
In addition to studying the market forces and competition. An internal survey was designed and administered through the organization’s internal communication tool. Nearly 10% of the organization responded to the survey sent out, which enabled the strategist to understand the organization’s capacity to pivot towards the ideology of becoming data and design driven.
THE PITCH
After having carried out the qualitative and quantitative assessments of the collected data, the strategist laid out how the organization could go about developing a design and data driven department within the organization that specializes in pursuing telematic products and services.
The pitch to C-Suite consisted of the need, which was: individuals with certain skill sets that needed to be hired as well as corporate and cost structures required to get the cross-funcational team off the drawing board. In addition, the branding for the new department which lives outside the rigid vertical structure of the organization was also laid out.
Welcome. Howl.
THE SUCCESS
Once C-Suite green lit the project, Howl, the data driven strategy department began to take shape, within three months of this projects’ completion. The organization has subsequently instated a strategy lead and is now looking for members to grow the same. The first digital product is the fleetpulse telemetry system.
