Successful IoT-Transformation in Product Development

MHP as a partner for project and requirements management

Given the complexity of the project, it became evident that additional project management and process expertise would be required for tasks such as gathering and coordinating requirements, identifying stakeholders, and defining user stories. ZF chose MHP as their project partner based on MHP’s extensive knowledge of OEMs, suppliers, and manufacturing, as well as their ability to blend industry expertise with tailored solutions. 

In its role as project coordinator, MHP not only collected and coordinated the multifaceted project requirements but also conducted technical assessments of the prerequisites. MHP also assumed the role of Product Owner. In this role, they demonstrated the ability to understand the needs of multiple departments and efficiently harmonize them with the development processes – both internally and with external teams. Their ability to record the requirements precisely and coordinate them seamlessly among all parties allowed MHP to effectively translate ZF's vision into reality, laying the groundwork for the project's success. 

doubleSlash: The creative and technical engine behind the development of the IoT platform

doubleSlash has been one of ZF's strategic partners for many years. They design and operate innovative digital products for ZF, using their expertise to guide and execute the complete BizDevOps cycle. 

Located in Friedrichshafen, doubleSlash and ZF have a history of close collaboration, which has resulted in holistic solutions that have been implemented across various areas of the company. 

Team Spirit Leads to Success: The Birth of the IoT Platform

In a preliminary analysis, doubleSlash identified and evaluated ZF's systems and prepared to decide on a platform. During the initial phase, it was also important to identify all relevant interest groups and stakeholders and incorporate their needs and perspectives into the planning process. Requirements from different departments (personas) were recorded and divided into minimum viable products.

A minimum viable product (MVP) is a simplified version of a new product with only the most basic features. The purpose of an MVP is to gain insights into the target audience's needs and preferences with a minimal investment in effort. The strategy allows companies to develop products iteratively, on the basis of real user feedback. This reduces the risk of missteps during development.

Due to time constraints, doubleSlash designed the platform simultaneously. It was based on an IoT reference architecture and the prior analysis of core requirements for an IoT and data management platform. By defining user stories, they gained a clear understanding of how the end product should look and work from the user's perspective. These requirements influenced the details of the final product design and helped to define three MVPs. With the help of standardized templates, the stories were clearly depicted and documented.

From the start, the plan was to hand over all tasks to ZF's DevOps team. The goal was to empower the customer to independently operate the platform post-launch and continue developing the shared vision.

A Platform for All Global Locations

Speeding up testing and validation: The solution was designed so that ZF could operate and expand it independently post-launch. ZF now has a central platform that is used across all global locations. Throughout the project, a team of ZF employees received training that would enable them to take over the platform and actively continue developing it. As Product Owner, Janos Vona coordinated the team's training and ensured that a timely handover was possible. doubleSlash made sure that the ZF team was actively involved in the development process using methods such as intense pair programming. This ensured a direct transfer of knowledge to the ZF team. 

Thanks to MHP and doubleSlash's involvement, team members can now work independently on the development of the measurement platform without assistance from the other two parties. 

This fulfilled a project requirement that had been important right from the start. The goal had always been to create a sustainable solution that ZF could operate independently after project completion, and which could be expanded piece by piece into other divisions. 

With comprehensive knowledge transfer sessions at ZF headquarters, doubleSlash ensured that the ZF team had the technical and methodological know-how to continue developing and operating the platform.