The second SAP Hack2Build event – a rapid prototyping initiative that drives early-stage inspiration and use-case exploration – took place in November. EPI-USE Labs was delighted to come out on top with a delivery management application called ‘TuskTrack’, focused on helping delivery drivers.
The second SAP Hack2Build event – a rapid prototyping initiative that drives early-stage inspiration and use-case exploration – took place in November. The EPI-USE Labs’ team was delighted to come out on top with a delivery management application called ‘TuskTrack’, focused on helping delivery drivers.
TuskTrack addresses the challenges faced by delivery drivers by providing a seamless proof-of-delivery system. The app allows drivers to submit deviations from expected deliveries, attaching descriptions and photographic evidence. Recipients play a crucial role by providing their signature, automated delivery location info, and a rating of the delivery.
Using a ‘collaboration is key’ approach, the EPI-USE Labs team used the methodology of design thinking to establish and revolutionise their hackathon entry, shifting from a CloudFoundry solution to the simplicity of SAP Build Visual Cloud Functions and the SAP S/4HANA API.
Despite having a solid solution, there were several challenges that needed to be overcome, including building a barcode scanner and incorporating client signatures. The team leveraged SAP Build's marketplace, effortlessly integrating these features. Connecting to the S/4HANA system posed another hurdle, emphasising the importance of a stable backend for development to progress smoothly.
With a limited timeframe, daily touch base sessions kept the team in sync with one another, ensuring a focus on the TuskTrack’s core functionality: proof of delivery. While ambitious features like a GPS functionality with a speed tracker were envisioned, unfortunately time constraints led to their exclusion.
Validation and testing was done by engaging real clients to ensure the app met the hackathon’s specific requirements throughout the phases of development. This real-world application and feedback loop allowed for rapid refinement of TuskTrack and, in combination with a dynamic team of like-minded and collaborative individuals, each member brought unique strengths to the table, fostering a fast-paced and efficient development process.
“Thank you to SAP for hosting the exhilarating Hack2Build event. While the victory was sweet, the experience of witnessing other teams' solutions was equally rewarding.
TuskTrack stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and the spirit of what a hackathon is about,” says Llewellyn de Vries, Custom Development at EPI-USE Labs.
TuskTrack's journey from ideation to victory at SAP's Hack2Build exemplifies the potential of collaborative problem-solving and iterative feedback loops. The app's focus on addressing real-world challenges in the delivery landscape, coupled with a user-friendly interface, showcases the power of innovation that is often fuelled by real-world problem solving.
This innovative way of thinking and approaching problems using design thinking is brought to life in the EPI-USE AppHaus Pretoria, the first of its kind on the African continent. As part of the exclusive SAP AppHaus network, and situated in South Africa, the EPI-USE AppHaus Pretoria is the vehicle used to solve complex business challenges, creating value through innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.
To learn more about experiences at the EPI-USE AppHaus Pretoria, or the concept of design thinking, visit: https://www.epiuse.com/apphaus-pretoria
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