IMS, who operate throughout the UK, Europe, and North America, are a telematics and insurance provider supporting the transport sector. A giant in their space, they report analysing in excess of 40 billion miles of driving data through their telematics to provide smart solutions based on real user data.
The {Challenge}
IMS's primary goal was to replace physical black box devices with smartphones, in line with their company mission to 'make roads safer' using data and technology. As such, the data they collect directly affects real decisions for their organisation, and their wealth of customers. With close ties to pricing, claims and policy cancellations - it needed to be exact and accessible.
When we started working with them, that data across their apps wasn't trustworthy, rendering it unusable. This presented a big problem. In fact, it was more than a problem. IMS aren't a business just 'using' data, their operations and services are built entirely around it. What they were facing was a critical business risk, one that needed a set of seasoned transport tech experts to come in and solve. That's where we came in.
The <Solution/>
With testing being the primary point of failure for their apps, we started there. However, our solution wasn't to bolt on extensive, time consuming testing as some sort of crisis approach. Our first port of call was to implement our Mobile Assurance Program.
MAP is our bespoke approach to testing that keeps the process staggered, consistent and efficient. IMS needed a repeatable way to test their apps in real conditions - without delaying their release cycles or adding unnecessary legwork, which is exactly the kind of scenario we built MAP for.
To build a MAP that worked for them, we audited which devices the majority of their users were accessing the app from and built out a device testing set from there - including the less common devices that were causing problems in the field. Then, we ran controlled tests in real-world scenarios. Comparing the same journey and same conditions across multiple devices at the same time to generate consistent, comparable results.
An important part of this process for IMS was that the testing felt manageable and repeatable. So, as soon as we settled on the best testing setup for their apps, we created structured test scripts that could live as standardised processes within their team. That way, every run followed the same process, so we could ensure the tests were measuring the right things.
A key part of this project was reporting everything clearly so that the IMS team had something actionable to work with. Being precise about what failed and where, as well as which devices were affected. This area in particular is where automated testing fails. You need an expert to be able to outline the 'what' and 'why'.
When we found issues, we logged them directly into their workflow to give developers immediate updates on what needed changing - helping them to prioritise fixes earlier. Within the first 3 months alone, we detected 93 easy to fix bugs that their previous tests had missed. Finding them and feeding them back to development quickly cemented our relationship with IMS as problem solvers, which quickly evolved into a long-term partnership.
The :[Results]
As a result of our MAP work, IMS were able to lower their overheads around testing, freeing up funds that they could use to iteratively improve their apps. Quite a few of their apps needed minor fixes to keep up with SDK changes, for example. A necessary improvement for app store status, but one that couldn't receive any time or investment in light of their testing issues.
We took on making these changes, as well as improving areas like battery management and providing general 'lights on' support for their apps. Today, IMS can rest easy knowing that their apps are well looked after and thriving in the hands of users. If a problem were to occur? They simply call us, and we get it fixed in no time.
The {Why}
At Indiespring, a lot of our early work with clients starts in this way. A client comes to us with a pressing problem - usually app store removal risks, complex legacy integrations breaking their app, or a nagging suspicion that their testing is leaving them open to risk. We come in and solve the problem quickly. Typically, when we do that, clients are able to breathe a little and look for what's next.
What's next for our app? What can we do to improve what we have now the problems are gone? At that time, though it's not a contracted requirement, they continue to choose us. We're proud to provide services that forge these types of long-lasting relationships with organisations around the world, and we can't wait to see how this IMS partnership continues to thrive.