About the client
Meet our client,
Rand McNally
Rand McNally is a US-based company with a legacy dating back to 1856, widely recognized as a pioneer in mapping, navigation, and fleet management technology. Over the decades, Rand McNally has been guiding drivers every step of the way – from iconic printed atlases to first-class navigation systems.
Industry
Transportation & Logistics
Location
Based in the United States
165+
years on the market
450K
accidents prevented
PROJECT GOAL
Goal of the project
For decades, Rand McNally has been a leader in the industry of mapping and navigation technology. As part of their evolution, they shifted focus from dedicated hardware devices to a mobile-first experience. They partnered with us to expand their product line with a smartphone-based app that drivers can start using instantly, with the long-term goal of eliminating specialized hardware dependencies altogether.
CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Challenges we faced
Deliver hardware-free, high precision tracking. Our key challenge was to build a software-based solution for real-time tracking and data collection that could match the accuracy of Rand McNally’s existing hardware systems.
We leveraged our deep experience in GPS technologies and custom algorithms to achieve hardware-level precision through software while keeping battery consumption remarkably low.
Designing a mobile navigation interface optimized for professional drivers. The key challenge was to ensure high usability under real driving conditions – time pressure, limited attention, and varying lighting environments. The interface had to minimize the risk of misclicks while remaining intuitive and consistent across devices, orientations, and platforms.
We based design decisions on real use cases and expert feedback from product and operations teams. To validate usability, we internally tested the interface under conditions simulating real driving scenarios.
Lack of clear requirements and design direction. At the early stage, working without defined specifications, resulted in repeated clarifications that delayed development. The backlog and feature scope were constantly shifting, which made planning and coordination difficult.
We brought in a Business Analyst and a UX/UI Designer, to established clarity on what, how, and why we were building. The BA aligned requirements and backlog structure with business goals, while the Designer created a cohesive visual direction. As a result, specifications and design were fully synchronized with the product vision, rework was minimized, and development cycles accelerated significantly.
IMPLEMENTATION ROADMAP
Our collaboration journey
Over the past two years, our collaboration with Rand McNally has evolved from MVP development into a long-term partnership built on trust, transparency, and shared ownership. Together, we’ve evolved the product and the process, ensuring continuous improvement at every stage.
Phase 1
MVP Launch
We began with a clear goal – to build a scalable MVP that validated the concept of a hardware-free, high-precision fleet tracking mobile app. Our development team delivered a stable, high-performance foundation, allowing Rand McNally to validate the idea and bring it to market quickly.
Phase 2
Team Expansion
As the product evolved, new challenges appeared – from unclear requirements and no backlog vision, to design inconsistencies across modules. To strengthen delivery, we expanded the team by adding a Business Analyst and UX/UI Designer. This helped structure the development process, align priorities, and establish a consistent user experience across the app.
Phase 3
Agile Partnership
Today, we work as a cross-functional agile team, including developers, designer, PM, QA, and BA. With regular, iterative releases, we maintain a flexible roadmap that adapts to evolving product needs, ensuring continuous delivery of value and innovation.
WHAT WE DID
Services we provided
To achieve the project goals, we combined expertise in research, design, engineering, and testing – ensuring every stage of product development contributed to a reliable, scalable, and driver-friendly mobile app.
6 months
of MVP development
2,5+years
of strong partnership
SERVICES WE PROVIDED
Business Analysis
As the product evolved, it became clear that structured business analysis was essential to maintain alignment and development efficiency. Introducing a dedicated BA brought clarity, improved communication, and helped the team plan ahead with confidence.
What we did:
As-is analysis
Since the app was already almost ready for release, we started with a detailed review of the existing solution to identify gaps, UX bottlenecks, and potential risks.
Competitive and legacy analysis
Evaluated competitor products and Rand McNally’s legacy systems to determine market expectations and define what the optimal in-app navigation experience should look like.
Quick-win improvements
Identified high-impact improvements that could be implemented before launch to immediately enhance product quality and user experience.
Backlog structuring
Formed a prioritized backlog of improvements and new features for future releases, ensuring the team had a clear roadmap for continued development.
“At the start we faced challenges due to unclear requirements – so the dev team had to clarify many details during meetings. Once we brought in a BA, this issue was resolved.”
SERVICES WE PROVIDED
UX/UI Design
When we joined the project, the existing design assets provided a helpful starting point, though some inconsistencies introduced friction during development. To elevate clarity, we brought in our Senior UX/UI Designer to refine user flows, unify the visual language, and close specification gaps in close collaboration with engineering and BA. This alignment accelerated development, reduced rework, and created a more predictable, streamlined delivery process.
What we did:
UX audit
As it wasn’t from-scratch design, our designer started from a UX audit of the existing navigation module. Our goal was to identify usability opportunities and ensure the experience supported the needs of professional fleet drivers.
Competitor analysis
The designer analyzed other leading navigation and fleet management apps to understand best practices for readability, interaction patterns, and information hierarchy.
UI refinement
Working within the established layouts we refined clarity, hierarchy, and overall usability of the navigation module. The same principles were applied to landscape mode, ensuring a consistent and intuitive interface across devices and orientations.
“Throughout the process, my main focus was building consistency across the platform modules – from visual elements to interaction logic. When a product has a unified design system, scaling becomes easier and faster, allowing new features to integrate naturally without disrupting the user experience.”
SERVICES WE PROVIDED
Development
Our development team played a key role in transforming Rand McNally’s vision of a hardware-free fleet tracking app into a fully functional mobile product. Leveraging our extensive expertise in native Android and iOS development, we focused on achieving hardware-level precision, seamless navigation, and reliable performance in real-world conditions.
What we did:
Architecture setup
Designed a modular, scalable architecture using native technologies, ensuring stability and easy maintainability.
Core functionality
Implemented the core tracking and navigation logic, focusing on data flow optimization between client and server.
Integration
Connected multiple APIs and SDKs (mapping, navigation, and telemetry) to deliver accurate and responsive real-time behavior.
Performance optimization
Improved app loading speed and minimized memory usage to provide smooth performance even with continuous background tracking.
Technologies we used
We use the latest technologies to deliver user-friendly, scalable, and secure solutions as per your business requirements.
-
Swift
-
UIKit
-
MVVM + Combine
-
Kotlin
-
Compose
-
MVI
-
Room
-
Google Maps
-
KML
-
Google analytics
-
New relic
-
Firebase Crashlytics
-
Segment
-
Firebase Cloud Messaging
-
HEREmaps
SERVICES WE PROVIDED
Quality Assurance
To ensure stability, precision, and reliability, our QA team established a comprehensive testing process covering all phases of development – from planning to live environment validation.
What we did:
Test planning
Defined clear testing scope, priorities, and acceptance criteria for each sprint.
Functional and regression testing
Verified all features across multiple devices and OS versions, ensuring smooth navigation and data updates.
Performance and stress testing
Simulated real-world usage scenarios, including long driving sessions and unstable connectivity, to validate app stability under realistic fleet conditions.
ABOUT THE PRODUCT
Rand One is a hardware-free mobile app📱for fleets and professional drivers 🚚
It shifts Rand McNally’s proven fleet capabilities from dedicated tablets to a flexible, smartphone-based experience.
The app makes a wide range of features accessible directly from a smartphone:
- real-time vehicle tracking
- smart navigation
- driver management tools
- reporting tools
As the next evolution of the TND tablets, it delivers hardware-level precision through software — with the accuracy, speed, and reliability fleets expect, but without installation or external devices.
CORE FEATURES
Product Overview
Below are the core features that define the Rand One experience.
01
Hours of Service Tracker
Duty statuses play a critical role in managing the app’s location tracking feature. When users switch to the “On Duty” mode, the app actively records and logs all location data. When switching to “Off Duty” mode, tracking automatically stops, prioritizing and safeguarding driver privacy.
02
Driver ID
This feature streamlines vehicle allocation, facilitating efficient task assignment. Drivers can view nearby available vehicles on a map or list and assign themselves with a single tap, improving efficiency and accountability.
03
Driver Score
& Logbook
The app provides detailed trip statistics, highlighting instances of speeding and harsh driving that affect the driver’s score. Users can explore trip records, filter data, and analyze performance across classifications and time periods.
04
Truck-Safe Routes
The app allows users to generate compliant routes across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico for a wide range of tractor–trailer combinations, including hazmat and oversized loads. Routes can factor in road restrictions such as weight limits, and bridge heights, ensuring safe and compliant navigation.
05
Guided Search
he feature enables quick access to over 7,700 truck stops, 2,200 CAT Scales, and key amenities. Drivers can view diesel pricing, check services, and save favorite locations for faster, more efficient trip planning.
06
Navigation Mode
Real-time route guidance provides visual and audible warnings for the road ahead, realistic junction views for complex interchanges, and more. Drivers can also get weather insights, and use detour options for seamless trip management.
07
Landscape mode
Landscape mode is essential for both mobile devices and tablets.
On mobile, it maximizes map and route visibility, though adapting it to mobile is more challenging due to limited vertical space. That is why our team carefully prioritized and organized content to maintain clarity.
On tablets, landscape mode is even more critical, as most in-vehicle tablets are mounted horizontally.
PROJECT RESULTS
Partnership in action
Volpis has been collaborating with Rand McNally for over 2.5 years, building a strong and trust-based partnership focused on long-term product evolution.
Our role goes beyond task execution – we actively contribute strategic insights, UX expertise, and technical solutions that support continuous improvement and future scalability of the Rand One platform.
Client’s testimonial
Volpis delivered accurate work that showcased custom hardware components ahead of time, exceeding expectations. Moreover, the professional team ensured effective collaboration between teams through their high level of accountability, transparency, and genuine commitment to the project’s success.
Contact us to build the right product with the right team
Top rated company since 2015
Top mobile app development 2018
Top B2B company 2019
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