The challenge
The gas station market is competitive and consumers are looking not only for fair prices, but also for convenience and additional benefits. Shell needed a way to stand out and retain its customers.
The solution
Shell Box was developed as an all-in-one platform that allows:
Mobile Payments: Users can refuel and pay directly through the app, without the need for physical cards or cash.
Rewards program: With each refueling, users accumulate points that can be exchanged for products, discounts or Smiles miles.
Promotions: Discount coupons and referral programs encourage users to continue using Shell Box and recommend the platform to friends.
Station Locator: A mapping feature helps users find participating Shell stations.
The Results
With Shell Box, Shell not only offered a convenient refueling solution, but also increased customer retention through a robust loyalty program.
The app, available for iOS and Android, has become an essential tool for many drivers, who appreciate its ease of use and the benefits it offers.
Today the app is available in Brazil and Argentina for individuals and now for businesses. It has already processed over 35 billion in fuel transactions, more than 40 million transactions, and has over 5,000 accredited gas stations, including more than 1,600 select stores and 250 OXXO markets in Brazil alone.
But Shell only achieved this because AP was present with UX, gamification, and agile development strategies, and here are some of the benefits we brought about:
Gamification is the application of game mechanics and concepts in non-game contexts, with the goal of engaging and motivating users to achieve specific objectives. By incorporating gamification strategies into the Shell Box app, the company can reap a number of benefits. Let's explore some advantages:
Enhanced Engagement:
One of the most evident benefits of gamification was the increase in user engagement. By transforming routine tasks, such as refueling a vehicle, into playful activities, users are more likely to interact with the application regularly.
Feedback
Instant:
Point, reward, or progression systems offer users immediate feedback on their actions, which can be rewarding and motivating.
Loyalty
From Customers:
Rewards, badges, or tiers could be offered to users who frequently refuel or use other Shell services. This encourages customer loyalty, as they feel they are being rewarded for their loyalty to the brand.
Customization:
Based on user behaviors and preferences, the app can personalize challenges, rewards, and experiences to meet individual needs, further increasing engagement.
Promoting Desired Behaviors:
Gamification can be used to encourage specific behaviors, such as refueling at Shell stations during off-peak hours or buying specific products at Select stores.
We build agile processes
AP, as a specialist in Scaled Agile, brought to Shell a new way of working with technology and development that enhances and emphasizes alignment between business strategy and execution, ensuring that all teams are working on initiatives that support the company's and Shell Box's strategic objectives, increasing collaboration, continuous value delivery, and adaptability.
This helped ensure that the application was and continues to be developed efficiently, meeting user needs, and aligning with the company's strategic goals.
Strategic Alignment
The SAFe emphasizes the alignment between business strategy and execution, ensuring that all teams are working on initiatives that support the company's strategic objectives.
Risk
Management
SAFe incorporates practices of continuous integration and frequent testing, which helps identify and resolve issues quickly, reducing risks associated with software development.
Continuous Improvement
SAFe emphasizes retrospectives and continuous improvement, ensuring that teams are always looking for ways to work more effectively.
Incremental Delivery
Instead of waiting until the end of development to deliver a product, SAFe promotes the continuous delivery of value, allowing stakeholders to see progress and adjust priorities as needed.
Customer Value Focus
SAFe prioritizes work based on customer value, ensuring that resources are allocated to the most valuable items in the backlog.
Processes and Standardization
By following SAFe, teams throughout the organization will use consistent terminologies, practices, and processes, facilitating communication and collaboration.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Through regular sprints and reviews, SAFe enables teams to quickly adapt to changes, whether in response to customer feedback, market changes, or technological innovations.
Transparency and Visibility
The framework promotes visibility at all levels of the organization, from portfolio management to the individual development team.
Training and Certification
SAFe comes with a robust training and certification framework, ensuring that team members have the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed.
We conduct research and analysis
Conducting a UX research and behavioral analysis for Shell Box was crucial to ensure that the application met the needs and expectations of users.
By understanding the user perspective and adapting design and functionality based on their feedback, Shell was able to offer a more intuitive, enjoyable, and effective experience for its users, and continues to do so with a UX research strategy that involves feedback from our team for continuous improvement of the application:
Persona Identification: Before conducting research, it was vital to identify user personas, the archetypes of typical application users. This helped shape research methods and understand different behaviors and needs.
User Interviews: Speaking directly with users provided insights into their experiences, desires, and difficulties when using Shell Box. These interviews could be conducted face-to-face at gas stations in real-time moments.
Usability Testing: We observed users as they navigated and interacted with the application, revealing areas for improvement in design and functionality. Users could be asked to complete specific tasks while we observed and took notes for later work.
App Data Analysis: Analytical tools were and are used to collect data on how users interact with the application, e.g., most visited pages, most used features, session duration, and abandonment rates.
User Journey: We mapped the user journey to help visualize how they move through the application, identifying friction points or areas that can be enhanced.
Behavioral Analysis: In addition to understanding usability, it was essential to understand underlying behaviors. Why do users prefer certain payment methods? Why do some users accumulate points but do not redeem them? These insights can be discovered through in-depth interviews, surveys, and data analysis.
Prototyping and Iteration: Based on the collected insights, prototypes are developed to test new features or improvements. These prototypes are tested with users to gather additional feedback.
Incorporating Feedback: UX research is an ongoing process. As feedback is collected and analyzed, improvements are implemented in the application and then tested again to ensure effectiveness.