Overview
CDK Global had spent years developing backend software that helps automobile dealerships optimize their mechanic schedules — matching services, parts, and procedure times to keep technicians productive and reduce costly downtime. C.O.S.A. (Customer Online Service Appointment) is the consumer-facing layer of that optimization software.
The Opportunity
The dealership needs to know who's booking and gather as much detail about the requested service as possible — but the more we ask, the more likely the consumer is to abandon the flow and the dealership loses the appointment. I built a one-pager separating what we needed, wanted, and could simply gather, so the team could make tradeoffs with eyes open.
Creating the dataflow
Most in-market solutions overload consumers with options. Dealerships weren't letting people simply book an appointment, and as a result off-brand competitors like Jiffy Lube were capturing service dollars. I designed a dataflow that gathers the information dealerships want without ever blocking a consumer who just wants to schedule and move on.
Putting the dataflow into practice
Mobile first — always. This was the second mobile prototype: I tested allowing the phone's browser to handle native dropdowns vs. taking over the UI completely. The version that forced a consistent, bespoke interface ("touch path") performed significantly better in usability testing.
Head-to-Head Competitor Testing
Building on what we learned on mobile, I developed a desktop prototype for a competitive analysis. Because desktop browsers handle dropdowns more consistently, I returned a few selections (specifically dependent single-variable ones) to the native browser. The prototype was hand-coded so participants couldn't tell it wasn't a real product — making the head-to-head comparison genuinely fair.
Competition test results
Working with usertesting.com, we recruited in-market testers actively looking to get vehicle service done and ran the prototype head-to-head against the leading in-market competitor. The result: COSA was preferred 5 to 1.
The business impact
When companies invest in true end-to-end UX, there's real business value to be unlocked. CDK Global gave us the time and trust to do the market research, competitive analysis, and head-to-head usability testing. The result, plainly: CDK now knows this approach to service scheduling outperforms what's in-market today — and it cost zero developer dollars to find out.
