Tekion Internship | Fabricating the future of Automotive Retail

Background

I interned at Tekion as a Product Designer this past summer (2021). I was a part of the TAP (Tekion Automation Platform) team, where I collaborated with incredible people to develop the future of automotive retail.

Timeline

June ’21 to Oct ‘21

Role

Product Design Intern. Responsible for Research, Ideation, and Final Visual Deliverables.

Platform

Web and Mobile

Why Tekion?

Tekion is a next-gen, cloud-native platform for the automotive retail industry.

Tekion’s worth tripled in a year, which is statistical evidence of how and at what pace products are built at Tekion. I wanted to obtain experience in the enterprise domain and work in a fast-paced atmosphere. I contacted Tekion’s team and they graciously offered me an interview, which lead to this opportunity.

Some of my contributions

Tekion Calender

All Tekion staff and their clients will use this calendar application. A solution that would eliminate their reliance on third-party calendar and communication applications, as these apps were not intended for the needs of an automotive retail firm. Manohar Veera was my product manager and I was the sole designer engaged.

A web portal for internal employees, as well as a gateway for releasing Webinars, were incorporated in the product. Clients could also use a mobile application to schedule meetings and more.

Tekion Internal CRM

At Tekion, this was one of the most difficult challenges I worked on. I was involved in the product’s early conceptions. I spend my time brainstorming and completing requirements, journeys and wireframes.

Tekion Product Master

A new internal tool that will assist in the formulation of product bundles and packages, listing of these offerings, and the determination of discounts. These packages are then listed and sold to the consumers. A distinct tool with a strong financial emphasis.

Key Learnings

What’s it’s like to work in a Lightening speed environment

When it comes to the speed with which things are completed, Tekion lived up to its name. During my internship, I worked on a variety of problems and products. There were instances when I was working on two or three products simultaneously, with deadlines as short as two days.

You learn a lot about how to organize your day, how to make the most of your limited time when building Flows, Architecture, and Interface Designs, and collaborating with different stakeholders.

Art of Rationalization

Several individuals are involved in the product review process. Design Managers, Product Managers, Engineers, and Product Designers are all included. And it’s not uncommon for everyone to have a say. During my internship, I learned how to validate and defend your design decisions in order to eliminate any conflicts of interest.

Disentangle complexity from B2B Products

Enterprise products that first appeared to be too difficult to comprehend, let alone design. With the support of my peers, I was able to understand how these products work, how data is stored and maintained, how things are developed.

Integrating Business Objectives

The user is not the only stakeholder in the product we are designing. Business requirements are also equally important. This internship taught me how businesses generate income, the way we gather leads and turn them into customers.

:D

I was never bored or felt out of place. With the team, we had frequent fun meetings and activities.

Tekion understands how to look after their employees, from the really cool joining swag to the surprise gifts in between. You’re constantly made to feel special.

Finally, I’d want to show my thankfulness to the team (Especially, Rohith M S, Justin, Manohar, Divya, and Sushmita) for providing me with the opportunity to grow and learn so many new things.

Aditya Bansal

Interaction Design student at Delhi Technological University

Reach out to me at aditban@gmail.com or at adityaban.com