Roto Frank AG
Roto Frank AG is a leading global provider of hardware systems and components for the construction sector, generating a revenue of 637 million euros in 2017. Since 2018, 711media has acted as Roto's digital lead agency. Previously, Roto's spare parts service operated as a telephone hotline where window manufacturers and individual customers could place orders for spare parts. However, with the increase in available spare parts due to numerous company acquisitions and the lack of unique part numbers for many components, qualified Roto staff handled customer inquiries. The project's goal was to streamline this lengthy process and make it accessible regardless of hotline hours, allowing customers to quickly find and order spare parts. After conducting a thorough analysis of the existing situation and requirements, 711media collaborated with Roto to create a digital version of the telephone inquiry system. The outcome was a dual spare parts finder service, incorporating full text search capabilities and a modular query logic that facilitates the online identification of nearly all parts. To ensure simplicity, clarity, and efficiency, a concept was designed featuring a user-friendly interface (optimized for smartphones), unique search options, and accommodations for incomplete queries. Before development, an interactive prototype was created to test the concept, which underwent continuous evaluation and user testing. The application was custom-developed on a Typo3 platform using PHP, featuring an easily navigable backend for managing all query processes and sequences. In addition to the parts search functionality, the application includes product detail pages and an order process linked to Roto's internal SAP system. The system is also designed for extensive internationalization, slated to begin in 2020. Additionally, users of the Roto spare parts service have the option to create a customer account to store their details.