Creating Carbeat, a game changer in vehicle repair

The Automotive and Specialty Coatings division of AkzoNobel was looking for digital ideas to improve productivity in bodyshops. They approached VizBiz to facilitate the process.

Lean startup philosophy

Using the lean startup approach, we quickly tested a number of ideas and chose the best idea based on the customer feedback gathered. The chosen idea was to create a visual management tool that shows in which status each repair order is in a bodyshop to everyone in the shop.

The selected idea was tested on site at two customers to validate key assumptions so the new product would work in real life in a bodyshop and could be scaled up. VizBiz has supported AkzoNobel to compose and configure the software solution that is part of Carbeat.

The pilots has showed that the benefits for the customers were solid, improved communication in the bodyshops and efficiency gains in the repair process. Based on these results the project has been scaled up and Carbeat is now being used by AkzoNobel customers around the world.

Video: The concept of Carbeat

Carbeat Reporting

The Carbeat production and communication tool accurately captures how long each order remains in a certain process step. The challenge was how to turn raw production data into actionable insights for customers. Based on discussions with AkzoNobel consultants and our own data research, we have created a set of dashboards that show improvement opportunities from various angles. The reports are localised for the countries where they are used, taking into account aspects like like the language, currency and metrics used in a certain country. VizBiz has introduced Tableau to AkzoNobel and is responsible for maintaining, localizing and improving the reports.