ADVANTAGES is a digital product information platform for sales personnel at Mercedes Benz. Behind it lies a complex system of processes, tools and channels that provide dealers with all the relevant information on Mercedes Benz and its range of vehicles, and helps them engage with customers in the best possible ways. Currently dealers in 45 countries are using the ADVANTAGES ecosystem – in Germany it is used in 80 percent of all sales conversations.
My team’s brief was to identify fields of improvement and to develop new features for ADVANTAGES that would enhance the overall user experience of the platform. As a UX Designer on the team, I was responsible for the conceptual development of these new components, and specifically worked on, user research, conceptual sketches, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, as well as interaction models and specifications.
A series of workshops with sales personnel in Germany and user interviews conducted with Mercedes Benz representatives from five different continents, helped us develop scenarios, use cases, and user requirements.
During syntesis, we consolidated, classified and prioritized our findings to create a list of potential components that would contribute to the enhancement of the platform. Lastly, we presented a list list of new features to our client and subsequently started to develop and implement a number of components.
The Compare Mode enables dealers to quickly and intuitively compare different vehicle configurations in real-time, to support their customers in purchase decisions. These configurations include the prefabricated model options offered by the manufacturer, as well as the vehicle paintwork, and decorative elements of the interior.
The development of the Compare Mode followed a mobile-first strategy. Thanks to an integrated CGI process, high-resolution visualizations of all desired vehicle configurations could be generated and integrated into the respective systems. This means that all product information is kept current and easily accessible to the dealer.
The ADVANTAGES Magazine was intended to provide sales personnel around the world with the latest information on Mercedes Benz and its range of vehicles, as well as familiarize them with general trends and developments within the automotive industry.
The aim of the magazine was to develop a compact, concise and responsive design, that users could seamlessly utilize in their daily lives. This was accomplished by the implementation of a mobile-first strategy and the use of a single-source publishing backend-system that was designed to provide images, videos and other content internationalized for all markets worldwide.
