Submitting feature requests to Geotab

We as a company strive everyday to do better and find new innovations to improve our company. Achieving customer service excellence is a top priority. Although it sounds quite straightforward, continuous improvement means more than simply trying to improve everyday.

Continuous improvement, as formalized in the Kaizen methodology (meaning “change for the better” in Japanese), seeks to make processes, products and solutions better by continually gathering feedback on ways to do better. The goal is to reduce inefficiencies, excess use of time and effort, or over-processing.

“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.”

-Mark Twain

Customer Feedback Is Imperative

At Geotab, we do everything possible to find any waste in our processes, such as:

• Limiting the extra data received from our devices to give the best information to our customer
• Creating web tools to help save time in our web-based tasks
• Improving our user interface for usability

To aid in the direction of these improvements, we also depend on the ideas and feedback of our partners and customers. One of the best and easiest ways we can receive this feedback is by way of a Feature Request.

See Also: How to Use the Geotab Data Feed

Why We Love Feature Requests

Geotab is always appreciative of the valuable feedback and suggestions of our partners and customers for improving Geotab's products and solutions. We review all feature requests, which come in on a regular basis. By receiving more and more feature requests everyday, we get to hear great ideas on how we can improve our business and reduce waste.

Suggestions which fit into the long-term product strategy are regularly included in the development roadmap for implementation in the future. The mere fact that we have a diverse team of subject matter experts involved in the evaluation stage, is a display of our ingenuity. Furthermore, we consider any user of our products as a potential expert, who can help us improve our product and their business.

Feature Requests Come From All Over

We like to hear from everyone, so that’s why feature requests can come through any of our departments. While our support team receives these requests through support cases opened by our Authorized Geotab Resellers, other parties can receive these requests, including our Geotab Account Managers or certain experts in the field (such as Geotab ELD team members).

After we receive a request, an internal case is created and assigned to the appropriate teams for review. Before creating an Internal Feature Request case, the business case is investigated in order to schedule it into the development phase. We want to ensure we prioritize features based on how they will improve our services to our customers.

How to Submit a New Feature Request

For end users, the best way to request a feature is through their Reseller. As our partners, they help us investigate each case and help us plan for the future.

The investigation procedure includes a few questions that we ask of our Resellers to help understand the urgency and the importance of a potential new feature. This procedure helps us plan and prioritize feature development, so it’s important that the end user is aware of the types of questions the Reseller must answer.

There are three overall categories of questions:

Feature Explanation

• Where will this new feature be used in the Geotab system?
• Can you please describe the feature with your own words? How will it be used?

Business Case

• What is the fleet trying to achieve as an end-goal with this feature?
• How critical is this feature to their business operations?
• What is the number of customers who want this feature and what are their database names? How many devices are within their system?
• Is there a potential new customer who requires this feature? If so, what is the size of their fleet?

Alternative Analysis

• What are some of the problems or difficulties they’re having with the current version of the product?
• Have you suggested an alternative for the feature? What did you suggest that they weren't interested in? Why weren’t they interested?
• Have you checked the Geotab Marketplace for an application or an add-in that can potentially achieve the end-goal of this feature request?

Geotab SDK Feature Requests FAQs

How should I submit a feature request for the SDK/API?

If you are a reseller, a feature request must be submitted through a support case using the MyAdmin portal. End users must contact their reseller about the desired feature request.

A properly submitted request will ensure that you/your reseller can track the progress and make sure it reaches the correct channels. We can also keep all interested parties informed of any developments.

I'm not sure if the feature I'm looking for already exists. Should I submit a request?

If you are unsure if the feature you are interested in is available — before you submit a request — create a new post in the Geotab Community forum and ask. We will respond as soon as possible. If there is a forum post related to a feature you are requesting, include a link to the post when you submit a support case.

The Development Process

We try our best to review every case we receive regardless of how big or small. The end-goal of this process is to identify improvement opportunities and any waste that we can eliminate while making sure most users will benefit from the work we invest. This process is called the continuous improvement cycle.

Continuous Improvement = Discover > Plan > Take Action > Review > Repeat

While our developers work on the new feature, our support department is responsible for the communication with the reseller and end user to give any updates on the case. Some cases are even followed by our partners, who create add-ins to our products. During the development phase, additional opportunities for improvement are sometimes identified as well.

Below, you can find some of the successful feature requests received from end users and Resellers that were worked on and implemented. While some included small fixes, others required more work. Nonetheless, if we can eliminate waste and improve the business of our customers, we have achieved success for all.

Examples of Successful Feature Requests

1. MyGeotab — Quick View of Trip from Trips History

This is a feature that was requested by one of our Resellers. Although it sounds quite simple, it was a complex process that was implemented in a short timeframe. It reduces the time it would take to understand which trip in the list belongs to which trip on the Map, while giving necessary trip information at a glance. This was an important update because it made MyGeotab more efficient and also was a time-saving feature for users.

2. Geotab Drive — Vehicle Inspection (DVIR) Checklist

This feature came through a support case as well as an end user request through a Reseller. Before the request, the DVIR workflow allowed the user to make note of anything that needed attention, and if no notes were made, it assumed everything was fine.

The request made was to provide a pre-made checklist to the driver. This required a new configuration and extensive work. However, due to the number of affected customers and strong business case, this request was given top priority and the work commenced immediately. As a result, the feature request was implemented in less than two months.

With the implementation of this change, we helped minimize the risk of potential errors and improve the business of our customers. 

The DVIR process became more efficient with a simple checklist, as asked by our customers. You can see the current list from the below image. Read more about DVIR in this blog post.

3. HOS — Texas Interstate Ruleset

Most of our Geotab Cloud ELD Hours of Service (HOS) users are familiar with rulesets. Rulesets define the allowed time for driving while considering resting times. States and countries may have different rulesets, which presents a challenge since you must be aware of the differences in rulesets across states/countries. See more info on HOS regulations here.

The Texas Interstate Ruleset was brought to our attention by a potential customer in Texas who needed this ruleset in order to use our Drive/HOS product. Even though this was a potential customer, we take in these new cases because we find quite often that what they are seeking is beneficial to current customers as well. So we listen to and appreciate any outside ideas and points of improvement that are communicated to Sales team. In this case, developing a Texas Ruleset would be very beneficial to any user in the state of Texas.

Rulesets can be seen from the HOS settings in the Drive application or from MyGeotab by selecting the ruleset for a specific vehicle.

4. MyGeotab — Ability to lock the Live Map Screen

This feature request is a simple one that improved usability and efficiency of MyGeotab. A potential customer, when testing MyGeotab, detected that the live screen would change and go back to its default form when the web page was refreshed. It was a quick and a simple fix which included locking the view and allowed the user to utilize this option with a toggle button.

In less than two months, the new Live Map lock feature was implemented. This feature can be seen from the Map page of MyGeotab, under Map dropdown and Views option, as Lock this view.

Stay in Touch

At Geotab and across the telematics industry, we are at a pivotal moment. It is essential that we establish an environment of constructive and positive feedback in order to benefit ourselves, our partners and our customers. With the mindset of continuous improvement and excellence in customer service, we will continue to grow by collaborating, sharing and helping each other improve.

Feature requests are a great way of showing us how we can improve to provide better service and products. We look forward to our continued collaboration with our partners and to the exciting times of further growth and success!

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