Client
Fiat
Industry
Automotive
Web-service for Fiat: Making сar buying possible during a pandemic
What business problem was solved with this product?
The global pandemic posed challenges no one could have anticipated, disrupting industries and forcing businesses to rethink how they connect with customers. Fiat, a leader in automotive innovation, was no exception. With retail outlets shut down and an urgent need to clear unsold inventory, the task was clear: adapt or risk stagnation.
The business urgently needed a sales tool for in-stock vehicles: one that could integrate directly with the nationwide dealership database. Each listing had to reflect not just a car model, but each unique vehicle in stock. Despite our team being scattered and working remotely from home, we took on the challenge and delivered.
Who is who
Challenge
During the pandemic, the shutdown of retail outlets caused a significant buildup of unsold vehicles at over 30 official Fiat dealerships. Our client tasked us with boosting (revitalizing, actually) online sales and linking the new service to the existing inventory database.
Constraints: ❎ Limited budget – businesses were struggling during the pandemic; ❎ Team was scattered; ❎ Technical limitations, 'make it cost-effective'; ❎ Tight timeline, we had to respond quickly to changing circumstances 😷; ❎ Strict compliance with Fiat brand guidelines
Scope
Discovery Workshop
Waterfall Process
Competitor Analysis
Stakeholder Interviews
Flowcharts
Usability Testing
UI kit
Design QA
Post-launch Optimisations
Approach
Given the constraints of the situation, I opted for a waterfall process for design and development. While the process was linear, we ensured strong alignment at every phase with the team and stakeholders before moving forward. To keep communication tight, we maintained intense collaboration via an active Slack channel, held Zoom sessions to review progress, gather feedback, and adjust when needed.
Contribution
I spearheaded the entire design process from start to finish, contributed hands-on, and was involved in every stage — from requirements to QA and delivery. Our team implemented a straightforward, user-friendly stock locator capable of pulling comprehensive data from the existing database of available vehicles.
The concept was later extended to include Fiat Professional commercial vehicles.
Process
As mentioned, our web service enabled Fiat to boost sales during a time when all physical showrooms were closed. It gave customers – ready to buy but unable to visit dealerships – direct online access to the live inventory database. This allowed them to browse, filter, and book specific cars from the safety and comfort of their homes.
Together with the client, my team and I defined a set of essential filters to streamline the selection process. I created a component library and UI kit that aligned with Fiat’s brand guidelines while respecting the technical constraints of the back-end infrastructure.
We also introduced several key features to enhance the user experience:
For each vehicle, the system automatically generated a neatly formatted PDF spec sheet, serving as a personalized product leaflet.
I proposed adding an interactive map to every car listing to show its current location, making the experience feel more tangible. Customers could literally see their car and even track its movement — adding a sense of confidence and anticipation to a purchase made entirely from home.
Impact
We developed a cost-effective solution in just 16 weeks. Following the launch and digital campaign, sales surged by 300% almost immediately. We also hit our conversion target – 3% of engaged visitors (those who viewed and compared 3+ cars) ended up reserving a vehicle.
To enable seamless purchasing, we integrated the platform with the warehouse accounting system and adapted the CMS for order management. This allowed customers to browse real-time inventory, select a specific vehicle, and complete their purchase online from any dealership nationwide.
To keep development lean and scalable, we built the platform on an open-source, MySQL-based backend framework - ensuring both flexibility and cost efficiency.
Interestingly, waterfall turned out not to be a faux pas, especially under pressure.
