Kurts: Mobile Platform for DIY Tool Rent
A partnership that resulted in product ownership
The case
Kurts is a spin-off of a German family business, Kurt Köning, with more then 500 employees, operating in the construction industry since 1932. Kurt Köning approached the Helmes Group Company, TeleSoftas, with an idea to expand their business with an entirely new business model: 365, 24/7 access to DYI construction tools and equipment, powered by a Mobile App.
Together with Kurt Köning we created the first tool sharing service worldwide, operated fully by a Mobile App, with very simple and easy processes, already functioning throughout Europe.
Scope: UI & UX Design
User flows
Wireframes
Usability testing
UI design
UX audit
Design system
High-fidelity prototypes
Workshops and brainstorming
sessions
The challenge
The biggest challenge was figuring out how to seamlessly connect the digital kurts product and physical kurts toolboxes to give customers a remarkable omnichannel experience. While creating the app, we focused on easy tool pickup and return processes. By simplifying this part of the flow, we ensured that users could feel confident about the next steps and be delighted with how easy it is to pick up their necessary tools.
© 2020 Kurt König
The outcome
In 2022, together with the client, we took the idea of tool sharing and made it bigger. The kurts app became a marketplace that helped local rental companies and DIY stores appear on kurts and use the solution for easier rental processes. The
app users can now easily book tools in advance and rent them from lockboxes stations. They can also rent mini-excavators and bigger professional tools digitally. This improvement expanded the variety of tools and pickup locations to include selected partners across the country. And made tool sharing accessible to even more people. Behind this app is a powerful backend for all partners that includes access to exciting data insights.
The innovation was introduced to the public at the Mobile World Congress Expo in 2018. It received Germany’s Digital Champions Award’19 for digitising the regional economy.
The product is fully operating in Germany, and further expansion is planned across Europe. Franchising allows an efficient Kurt’s tool-renting service adoption throughout many locations.
”We are extremely satisfied with TeleSoftas performance and very happy about the result. TeleSoftas has been an essential part of creating an outstanding start for the kurts© product.”
