Fleet management transformation for a lower-carbon future.

A significant step in this direction was the ‘Superfleet’ Programme, an ambitious initiative aiming to streamline fleet management and promote greener solutions. But how did they make this transition? How did strategic UX designers like me play a pivotal role in marrying customer-centric design with bp’s vision? Dive into this case study, and I’ll take you through a journey of innovation, challenges and success.

Introduction

The Client

bp, established in 1908, is a global energy company with a vast infrastructure encompassing 62 locations, 20,650 retail sites and 22,000 EV charge points. With a workforce of 67,600, they balance a rich heritage in oil production — extracting 2.3 million barrels of oil equivalent per day — while also evolving to meet modern energy demands. In the first quarter of 2023, they reported impressive earnings of $8.2 billion.

The ambition

The Vision

bp aimed to move beyond just being an oil company, wanting to be a holistic energy provider that’s kinder to our planet. They made big changes in the fleet industry — and bp’s goal was to bring all these ideas together and help Fleet Managers work smarter for a greener future.

What success looked like

The Goals

The flagship initiative

The ‘Superfleet’ Programme

The ‘Superfleet’ Programme was our key project to bring the vision to life, evolving through several versions before we got it just right. As a strategic UX designer, I believe it’s key to note that ‘Superfleet’ was all about putting people first. This focus meant that our customers didn’t just get a great experience, but one that truly met their needs.

How we worked

Approach

Our programme was among the first to use the Tri-track agile methodology. Think of it as a better way to deliver the right thing, where the discovery and the delivery are kept separate, giving us lots of benefits. It meant the strategy was visible, and things moved quickly.

This method also helped us work better together, spot good opportunities faster, keep our focus, and drive collaboration — which helped make big decisions easier. We aimed to get real results, improving how customers felt and adding value at every turn.

My contribution

My Role

As a strategic UX designer, I was lucky to work alongside a talented team filled with top-notch designers and amazing consultants from around the world. Within just a year, I saw my design skills grow rapidly. I played a key role in the adoption of the first track of the Tri-Track agile methodology.

I worked on 11 different domains, ensuring that we captured every step of the customer’s journey and integrated it seamlessly with our business processes. My tasks included customer interviews, primary and secondary research, moderating workshops, and creating artefacts for our product squads. At bp my confidence and presentation skills grew, and I presented bi-weekly updates to the programme.

Discovery

Research: Laying a Foundation of Discovery

We quickly realised that to truly focus on our customers, we needed their direct input — which is often harder than you’d think in large organisations. To make this happen, our team defined a framework for how we’d carry out our customer research, aiming to set a standard, keeping customers front and centre.

It helped us continuously check and validate our ideas, and ensured accountability by doing research sprints. This regular check-in meant we were always in touch with our customers, helping us learn faster. I worked closely with the core research team, especially in planning and synthesis of findings, which helped shape our foundational customer journey.

Co-creation

Workshops

I created a toybox of workshop templates, such as the ‘Picture This’ and ‘Obstacle Race’, which quickly became favourites across the organisation. I’m a firm believer in making workshops fun and engaging because it leads to positive outcomes — something I’m always eager to share.

I moderated workshops face-to-face, something new for me because of the pandemic. This experience ignited even more passion in me. While most sessions were virtual, I invested a lot of effort into planning and conducting each one. I often employed empathy mapping, a technique that’s great for pinpointing customer challenges, needs and tasks.

Service design

Mapping

I co-created 11 unique customer journeys, across 11 domains — each one capturing how Fleet Managers move through bp’s products and processes.

These journeys identified

Together these maps formed part of a service blueprint for the end-to-end journey.

Notifications

Frameworks

Working on notifications was a true highlight for me. I played a pivotal role in shaping a framework that pinpointed key moments in the customer journey, known as “moments of truth”. These moments provided insight into what drives our efforts to enhance the customer experience.

We also identified “jobs to be done” — specific tasks that Fleet Managers undertake which activate a notification. I’d categorise each trigger by its nature: whether it’s actionable or just informational, proactive or reactive, its intended recipient, and its level of urgency. This approach was rolled out across five major areas. Plus, it was awesome to see nudge theory come to life through this process.