Gaining competitive advantage through digitalization

Facts

Client
Dr. Hartl Autoverleih / Dienesch GmbH
Services
The technology behind it
  • React.js based Web Applications
  • Hasura.io for rapid API building
  • Back-end services using Node.js
  • PostgreSQL as primary data storage
  • Keycloak — for SSO
  • Built with Jenkins into Docker images
  • Deployed to our Red Hat OpenShift cluster

Dr. Hartl Autoverleih: managing the generational switch

Dr.Hartl Autoverleih was the first car rental service established in Vienna and is a family-run business. Whether you're a private person looking for a small car or a company wanting to transport cargo, they've got a vehicle to meet everyone's needs. Managing Director Andreas took over the company from his father years ago. The business was steady, but he saw both the need and opportunity to leverage digitalization to expand even more so in the B2C market. The car rental company now competes with multinationals like SIXT and Europcar — offering a more personal, tailored, price transparent, and localized approach. We talked to Andreas about our cooperation thus far.

Select the date range they would like to rent the car for

The challenge: competing with multinationals and offering a scalable yet personal service

Once car2go and DriveNow hit the market, things started to get a lot more exciting and competitive for car rental services like Dr.Hartl. Andreas realized from early on that the company couldn't compete with these car-sharing services but instead became a part of the mobility mix. However, he also knew that the company had to professionalize its online presence and digitalize its services to keep up. A lot of service providers, especially when it comes to standard software solutions, have approached him throughout the years. Still, Andreas knew they couldn't offer the flexibility and personal service Dr.Hartl provides to customers. That's where we stepped in.

Our solution

The TRIGO team built a price calculator for customers and a CRM system in the backend for the Dr.Hartl team to manage customer data, booking requests, and Dr. Hartl's fleet of cars.

The price calculator

The price calculator allows customers to quickly calculate a rental vehicle's price and send a booking request within minutes.

Customers can:

  • Select the date range they would like to rent the car for
  • Select and filter car types
  • Easily customize their request with navigation systems, car seats, etc.
  • Add voucher codes
  • And send a booking request with the click of a button

The price calculator was built as a widget that could easily be integrated into the website which another company developed. At TRIGO, we always consider the technology already there and ensure our solution offers a smooth and on-brand integration.

CRM System

The CRM System in the back office is the team's helping hand and enables them to gather customer data, create care rental contracts, and manage the car fleet on a day-to-day basis.

It has significantly reduced paperwork, ensures customer data is kept in one place, and enables a more efficient workflow for employees. This is also a more future-proof and scalable solution, giving Dr. Hartl the freedom and ability to scale their business going forward.

Both systems were created with simplicity and ease in mind. As Managing Director Andreas says: "Technology and software aren't my strengths, and I don't know much about them, to be frank. First and foremost, I'm a car rental dealer and Managing Director of the company, but that gave us the perspective to make the solution as simple and easy to use as possible. Which ensures we can offer the customer a comfortable experience."

How we work together

Dr.Hartl and TRIGO collaborated for approximately a year. A lot of time was invested in the initial discovery phase to tease out the ultimate solution — discussing and nailing down the company's processes and just how software can slot into that system.

When it comes to digitalization, the company is experiencing a generational switch — so we knew this process had to be gradual. TRIGO and Dr. Hartl worked intensively together, “we approached everything throughout the corporation at eye level, and we worked on creating the solution together — which has been fantastic.” stated Managing Director Andreas.

Why Dr. Hartl has proven to be a good client

Dr. Hartl and the team saw the opportunity in digitization; they have a long-term uncomplicated and future-proof approach to digitizing their processes — step-by-step. Andreas is always up for a discussion and takes on feedback well, while we also take his companies structures and limitations into account. This open-minded approach has made our collaboration incredibly successful.

How Dr.Hartl has benefited

  • Dr.Hartl can compete with multinationals like SIXT & Europcar
  • Digitalization has allowed Dr.Hartl to significantly increase its customer base in the B2C car rental sector
  • Around 75-80% of the company's B2C and approximately 50% of B2B customers book their car rentals through the price calculator
  • The CRM system enables the company to comply with Austrian law (Registrierkasse) and gather valuable customer data in one place
  • Significant paper reduction in the back office & employee efficiency has risen by around 30%

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