KEBA Postbox App

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Long-standing client KEBA has come up with a spectacular innovation: Their new Postbox parcel station is a totally autonomous standalone, needing neither internet link nor power connection to function. Instead, it runs on an integrated battery with ten years lifespan, and connects to mobile devices via Bluetooth and a Postbox App, created by Netural. A parcel station you can place just about anywhere, a unit that is as low-maintenance as it gets, and a Postbox App that translates enormous complexity into amazing ease-of-use – KEBA and Netural have indeed created the perfect package.

Task

KEBA, an internationally leading provider of automation solutions, commissioned Netural to develop a software solution for innovative parcel lockers which operate without internet connect and external power supply. The main requirements were:

Full remote control: KEBA replaces energy-consuming displays with full remote control via mobile devices.
Wide range of user types: The system needs to fit large logistics companies as well as small service providers.
Intuitive use: Without a display on the locker, the app must provide total ease-of-use for end users and couriers storing or retrieving parcels.

Challenges

The biggest challenges in developing the KEBA Postbox App were:

Data handling: They system has to juggle numerous types of data, such as parcel sizes and compartment availability.
Parallel development: Firmware, API and app had to be developed simultaneously without prior specification.
Flexibility: The Postbox App must be available both as an integrable reference code for large logistics companies, and as a stand-alone solution in the App Store.

Solution

Netural developed the KEBA Postbox App in close collaboration with KEBA, using agile methods and co-creation processes. The process was complex, the result was convincing simplicity:

Agile development: Iterative approach to accomplish the parallel development of firmware, API, and app.
-Intuitive user interface: An app that hides the complexity of the underlying technology, achieving total usability.
Ease-of-use for end users and couriers: With the Postbox App, storing and retrieving parcels is a cakewalk, not rocket science.
White-label solution: Available for smaller logistics providers (with their own branding), and as an integration solution for large parcel carriers.

The project was realized in two phases: Phase I produced a demo app for storing and retrieving parcels without a login function. Phase II produced reference code for large logistics providers and a stand-alone solution for the App Store.

Result

The KEBA Postbox App is a proud achievement that completes a groundbreaking technology package:

New flexibility opens new markets: The battery-operated KEBA solution brings total flexibility to parcel station location decisions.
Cost efficiency counts: Battery-powered and maximum low-maintenance, the solution reduces operating costs for parcel carriers.
Speed wins the innovation race: From “go!”, Netural achieved MVP (Minimum Viable Product) in an agile setting within 10 months, and the final product in the App Store in an additional 5 months.
Team effort succeeds: The amazing development speed was the result of a collaboration of various technological disciplines and the close cooperation between Netural´s engineering and UX teams, and KEBA

Conclusion

The KEBA Postbox App is a prime example of technological innovation and user-friendliness. While meeting demanding technical requirements, the solution offers outstanding usability, because throughout the process, co-creation and UX design kept a strict focus on the user. Once again, Netural has proved that complex challenges can be successfully managed through agile development and close collaboration with the client.