When Customers are Colleagues

Ada takes care of software quality at the ride-sharing company MOIA. The special thing about it is that the customers - in this case the drivers - are also colleagues. This changes the feedback structure and creates new requirements and challenges. Ada talks about the special features of keeping quality high and developing it further.

“It’s totally easy to test navigation systems at your desk (….), it’s completely different to sit behind the wheel yourself” - Ada Pohl

Ada is a Senior Quality Specialist and has been developing quality strategies since 2014. From the XING homepage to the MOIA navigation system, she loves technical challenges that require logical thinking and quality awareness. When she’s not applying her quality mindset to technology, she’s trying to crochet the highest quality stuffed animals.

Highlights of this episode:

• Ada Pohl is Senior Quality Specialist at MOIA and shares her experience in software testing
• MOIA is a ridesharing service that has developed everything from the vehicles to the app in-house
• Feedback from riders is collected through monthly surveys and direct interviews
• The feedback helps to make the app more user-friendly and improve the user experience
• Test drives and test rides are used to test the app in real-life conditions
• Challenges when working with feedback include balancing rider needs with stakeholder desires
• The biggest challenge is to incorporate the feedback into the roadmap without neglecting stakeholder needs
• MOIA is moving towards autonomous driving and focusing on developing the connection between passengers and the vehicle

Insights into the development process at MOIA

In the episode ‘When customers are colleagues’, we share insights into how MOIA, a ridesharing service, works closely with its own drivers - the users of its internal apps - to gather feedback and continuously improve the user experience. Ada Pohl, Senior Quality Specialist at Moia, explains how the company collects valuable feedback through surveys and test drives and uses it to continuously optimize both the driver and customer app.

The unconventional career of Ada Pohl

Today I’m talking to Ada Pohl. Not only is she an experienced Senior Quality Specialist at MOIA - an innovative full-stack ridesharing service - but she also has a name with special meaning. Her parents, both computer science graduates, named her after Ada Lovelace, a pioneer in the world of computer science. Ada humorously told us about her unconventional career and how she followed in the footsteps of her namesake. Her story is fascinating proof that sometimes names really can be a calling.

MOIA: More than just a ridesharing service

As a full-stack ridesharing service, MOIA not only offers transportation services, but also develops and operates all the necessary components itself - from the app to the vehicles to the drivers. Together with VW, the company has developed specially adapted electric vehicles and relies on an innovative booking system. This enables customers to plan trips efficiently and transport as many people as possible together on similar routes. The focus is always on an optimal user experience for passengers and drivers alike.

The heart of MOIA: the apps

MOIA’s digital tools play a central role in the operation of the service. With several applications - including a navigation system app developed specifically for drivers - MOIA ensures that both the customer experience and operational processes function seamlessly. Thanks to the close exchange with its own drivers, MOIA can continuously make improvements and ensure that the apps are not only functional, but also actively contribute to making work easier.

Feedback as the cornerstone of development

A key element in MOIA’s development process is feedback from its own employees - especially the drivers. Through regular surveys and direct feedback, valuable insights are gained that allow the company to optimize both sides of the service - the customer side as well as the internal usability. Ada explained in detail how this feedback is collected and why it is essential for MOIA to incorporate it into the development process.

The art of balance: challenges in the feedback process

Despite the clear benefits, collecting and integrating feedback also comes with challenges. Ada shared her experience of balancing the demands of stakeholders with the real needs of drivers. She further explained how important it is to find a middle ground between these sometimes conflicting interests while always keeping the end goal in mind - an outstanding user experience for all stakeholders.

Autonomous driving at MOIA

Finally, Ada gave an outlook on future developments at MOIA. The focus is now increasingly on the area of autonomous driving. The company is planning test runs for self-driving vehicles and is working on further optimizing the interface between passengers and autonomous systems.