Digital transformation in the workshop – saving thousands of hours

With a service design approach and a clear goal for workshop efficiency, we streamlined Husqvarna’s machine service process and developed UpTool – a new workshop management app that supports technicians, simplifying more than 10,000 service cases each year and saving thousands of hours that could be spent working.

Husqvarna Construction Products’ product range includes machines, diamond tools and accessories needed for cutting, sawing and drilling at all sorts of construction sites. Their customers often need to have their machines running all day, every day, all year round – after all, getting the work done is all that counts.

But, every once in a while, something breaks or a machine needs servicing. What can Husqvarna do to deliver an outstanding machine service and maximize their clients’ working time?

Towards the industry’s best service

Husqvarna Construction Products and Stendahls formed a strategic partnership with a clear goal: developing the best end-user service experience in the business. Using service design principles and tools, we mapped out all of the roles, functions, needs and possibilities around the machine service process.

We also identified Husqvarna’s service technicians as the best starting point for the journey: after all, the people who actually fix the machines play a key role in the service process. By supporting them, we saw an opportunity to take a real step towards delivering the best service experience available.

UpTool – the app for technicians

Focusing on the everyday needs of service technicians, we developed an iPad app named UpTool. UpTool aggregates all the necessary IT support for a service case, taking on a lean UX approach, and servicing it all at the technician’s fingertips. The technicians now have all information they need for every step of the service process gathered in one interface. Gone are the days of searching in different systems for spare parts, prices, client info or product manuals, and redundant information slowing you down.

Besides collecting all the information relevant to a product service case, we also studied the actual service process as performed at different service workshops around the world. Together with Husqvarna, we developed and unified the process – making it leaner and more efficient. And by actually visualizing the updated way of working within the UpTool app, the service process became more tangible, both for individual technicians and the organization as a whole.