To handle car claims DEKRA Belgium Automotive uses Informex, a national database in which all damaged cars in Belgium are listed. To make Informex communicate with their current Mendix application, DEKRA Belgium needed another application, W-Expert. However, this application was outdated and could no longer communicate with Informex. Therefore DEKRA Belgium Automotive had two choices: update its current Mendix application so it could communicate with Informex again or rebuild the complete application. At the same time, the company had launched an optimization strategy for application development with standard modules. With that strategy in mind, they decided to fully replace their existing Mendix application, and develop a new application based on standard modules. The new application had to communicate directly with Informex so the W-Expert application was no longer needed.
Business Need: To handle car claims DEKRA Belgium Automotive uses Informex, a national database in which all damaged cars in Belgium are listed. To make Informex communicate with their current Mendix application, DEKRA Belgium needed another application, W-Expert. However, this application was outdated and could no longer communicate with Informex. Therefore DEKRA Belgium Automotive had two choices: update its current Mendix application so it could communicate with Informex again or rebuild the complete application. At the same time, the company had launched an optimization strategy for application development with standard modules. With that strategy in mind, they decided to fully replace their existing Mendix application, and develop a new application based on standard modules. The new application had to communicate directly with Informex so the W-Expert application was no longer needed.
Solution: Ciphix, DEKRA’s strategic partner for digital innovation, was contacted to develop the new standardized application. Ciphix started the process with several scrum meetings. During those meetings, they created user story maps and determined the functionality needed for the new application. As DEKRA Belgium was working closely with DEKRA in the Netherlands and they were already using standard modules, the standardized Dutch module was copied and the information specific to the Netherlands was removed. As a result Ciphix quickly had the data structures for a new application with basic functionality. This meant adding the specific functionality for DEKRA Belgium could start quickly. For every feature they checked whether it was general or Belgian specific functionality, a time consuming but interesting process. Within a few months, the DEKRA Automotive 2 application was built.
Results: The DEKRA Automotive 2 application was built on the Mendix-platform as it allows fast, agile app development and with the App store modules, it enables a standardized module-based approach to building applications. The solution synchronizes with Informex, the Belgian database for damaged cars and with Office 365. The solution has a direct connection to Informex data. The W-Expert application is no longer needed to make the connection. The solution gives employees direct access to new or existing files and automatically routes the incoming files to the right people and departments. The integration with Office 365 automatically puts all incoming files from Informex in SharePoint. As a result of the integration with Office 365, employees spend less time finding the right files so they can work more efficiently. Because the W-Expert application is no longer needed and the application is based on standard modules, time and money are also saved on the maintenance of applications. For DEKRA the new standardized approach with standardized modules is a success. It speeds up development time and decreases the time needed for maintenance. So far 22 base modules have been developed. In the future, more modules will be added like one for invoicing.