Mecwin WorkRoute - Case Study

It all started on a dusty weekend ride through the outskirts of Bangalore, my bike roaring as I tracked my route, speed, and stats on an app called ESR - Eat Sleep Ride. As a passionate biker, I loved how it gave me realtime insights into my rides—top speed, distance, even inclination. Little did I know, that app would spark a game changing idea for Mecwin. Fast forward a few months, and I’m leading the charge on Mecwin WorkRoute, a field force management platform that’s turned chaos into clarity for our Service Engineers (SEs), Accounts Team, and farmers. Spoiler: it’s saving us millions, and it’s so simple it only needs four screens to work its magic. Ready to hear how we did it? Let’s roll! 🏍️

The Big Why: Turning Chaos into Cash Savings

Mecwin Technologies India Pvt. Ltd. is all about “Empowering the Future” with solar pumps, IoT, and automation to make agriculture smarter. But our field service system? It was a financial black hole. Our 30 SEs were manually logging 150-200 km of daily travel, submitting reimbursements averaging ₹30,000 per month each totaling ₹9,00,000 monthly or ₹1,08,00,000 annually. Problem? These logs were error prone, leading to inflated claims, delayed payments, and a whopping ₹54,00,000 in annual overpayments. Meanwhile, SEs were frustrated, the Accounts Team was drowning in validation work, and farmers were left waiting for service updates.

Mecwin WorkRoute was our answer: a platform to automate tracking, streamline reimbursements, and restore trust across the board. Inspired by my biking app’s real time stats, I envisioned an app that could do the same for our SEs—track their routes, calculate fair reimbursements, and save us a fortune. And here’s the kicker: we kept it so simple that it only takes four screens to get the job done.

The Research Grind: Digging into the Dirt

To build WorkRoute, I dove into UX research with a mission to uncover the mess and map a way out. Here’s the breakdown:

• Stakeholder Deep Dives: I interviewed management, SEs, farmers, and the Accounts Team. SEs like Ravi (28, Jharkhand) were fed up with manual logs and delayed payments, while the Accounts Team, like Kavitha (35, Corporate Office), struggled with 30+ daily claims. Farmers like Arjun (42, Rural Tamil Nadu) just wanted to know when help was coming.

💡Research Nugget: “Hearing Ravi say, “I just want to be paid fairly,” after a 200 km day was the push I needed to make WorkRoute a reality.”

• Field Recon: I shadowed SEs, watching them scribble odometer readings after long, sweaty days. I also sat with farmers, hearing their frustration over delayed service.

• Number Crunching: Historical data showed we were spending ₹1,08,00,000 annually on reimbursements, with over ₹50,00,000 lost to inefficiencies.

• App Inspiration: I looked at apps like Namma Yatri, Uber and ESR, noting their rider tracking, pay calculations, and offline modes. WorkMate’s personalization and MapMyIndia integration were also gold.

The verdict? Manual processes were bleeding us dry, eroding trust, and slowing everyone down. But automation, transparency, and a biker inspired tracking system could fix it all with a minimalist design that doesn’t overwhelm.

What We Learned: Pain Points and Payoffs

Service Engineers

• Pain Points: Manual logs, delayed reimbursements, and feeling undervalued.
• Needs: Realtime tracking and quick, fair payments.

Accounts Team

• Pain Points: Unverified logs, endless validation, and error rates through the roof.
• Needs: Automated, accurate data on a centralized dashboard.

Farmers

• Pain Points: Delayed service and zero visibility on SE arrivals.
• Needs: Realtime updates to plan their day.

Management

• Pain Points: Losing ₹54,00,000 annually to inflated claims.
• Needs: Transparency and cost savings through automation.

Building WorkRoute: From Biker Dreams to Reality

With my biking app as inspiration, our team—led by Tejas Tallam (Project Manager), Hemanth Udupa (Backend Developer), Cheran NP (Frontend Developer), Shyam Rithul RS (Frontend Developer) Saneep PP (App Developer), and me as UI/UX Designer got to work. We faced a tight timeline, legacy systems, and no dedicated testers, but we made it happen.

Core Features That Delivered

• Realtime Tracking: GPS updates SE locations every few seconds, so admins can see Ravi’s route in realtime.

• Task Management: Admins assign tasks based on proximity and workload, cutting unnecessary travel.

• Reimbursement Automation: Calculates expenses based on travel mode and preset travel policy, based on GPS tracked distance.

• Trip Details: SEs log start/end points, vehicle type, and multiple trips per day 99% accurate.

• Reporting Powerhouse: Daily, weekly, and monthly reports on distance, time, route map and reimbursements for admins and Accounts.

• Payment Management: Accounts logs payments, tracks transaction IDs, and adjusts balances seamlessly.

The Workflow: From Mess to Magic

• Service Engineers: Log in, start tracking, get tasks, upload receipts, stop tracking, and generate reports.

• Admins (Service Head): Monitor SEs live, assign tasks, and pull detailed reports.

• Accounts: Log payments, track balances, and validate claims in a snap.

• Farmers: Get realtime updates on SE arrivals—no more waiting in the dark.

The UI: Five Screens, Endless Impact

WorkRoute’s design is simpler than my biking app, because in the field, less is more. We boiled it down to just four screens, making it a breeze for SEs like Ravi to use, even after a 200 km day:

• Login Page: Secure access with a tap—no fuss, no muss.

• Dashboard: Weather, date, location, and a task list synced with Mecwin Nethra tickets, all at a glance.

• TMS Chat: A replica or parallel Ticket Management System Chat to communicate with Admin, Farmer and the respective Distributor, providing live updates and feedback made easier.

• Reports Page: Daily, weekly, and monthly reports, plus a spot to upload receipts for reimbursements.

• Account Settings & Travel Policy Page: Profile settings, logout, and a downloadable travel policy for clarity.

We rolled out iteratively:

• v1.0: Basic tracking and reports—got us started.

• v2.0: Offline Sync, added weather, location, receipt uploads, and task lists, plus bug fixes.

• v3.0: Chat system integration, UI enhancements, live notifications, and more features for a polished experience.

The Impact: Numbers That Make You Smile

WorkRoute didn’t just streamline processes—it transformed our bottom line and team morale. Here’s the data:

• Reimbursement Savings: Pre WorkRoute, 30 SEs cost ₹9,00,000 monthly (₹30,000 each). Post WorkRoute, it’s down to ₹4,50,000 (₹15,000 each)—a monthly saving of ₹4,50,000, or ₹54,00,000 annually.

• Total Cost Efficiency: With no running costs (just developer salaries), WorkRoute is pure profit—₹54,00,000 in savings yearly!

• SE Productivity: Time spent on manual logs dropped to zero, boosting ticket resolutions by 25%. SEs now handle an average of 12 tickets daily, up from 9.

• Accounts Efficiency: Validation time slashed by 70%—Kavitha now processes claims in 2 hours, down from 7.

• Farmer Satisfaction: 85% of farmers reported higher trust thanks to realtime updates, up from 20% pre WorkRoute.

• Adoption Rate: 94% of SEs and Accounts adopted the app within three months—exceeding our 90% goal.

• Accuracy: 100% accurate distance tracking via GPS—no more inflated claims.

• Task Efficiency: Route optimization cut travel time by 20%, letting SEs handle 15% more tickets monthly (from 180 to 207 tickets per SE).

• Customer Response Time: Farmer wait times dropped from 72 hours to 12 hours, thanks to real-time tracking and task assignment.

User Manual

The following documentation describes the ease of usage and showcases all the major features of the WorkRoute app.

Challenges and Wins: The Startup Hustle

Building WorkRoute wasn’t all smooth rides. We battled a tight timeline, legacy systems, and no dedicated testers, I became the unofficial bug hunter, testing on my own phone between bike rides. But the wins were worth it: SEs feel trusted, Accounts has reliable data, farmers are happier, and we’re saving millions.

What I Learned: Lessons from the Road

Here’s my WorkRoute wisdom in bite sized chunks:

• Inspiration Everywhere: A biking app sparked a million dollar idea, always keep your eyes open!

• Simplicity Scales: Fewer screens proved that less can do more: Ravi doesn’t need a fancy app, just one that works.

• Numbers Drive Change: ₹54,00,000 in savings got management’s attention faster than any pitch deck.

• Trust Is King: Transparency turned skeptics into believers—SEs, Accounts, and farmers all feel heard.

• Iterate Relentlessly: From v1.0 to v4.0, each update made WorkRoute better, don’t stop improving.

• Tech + Empathy: WorkRoute isn’t just an app, it’s a lifeline for SEs, a tool for Accounts, and a promise to farmers.