From Hardware to Partnership
How User Research Redefined Ford's Commercial Future

THE CHALLENGE
Ford needed to pivot from selling trucks to delivering mobility-as-a-service—but lacked clarity on what fleet operators actually valued in this new landscape.

THE INSIGHT
Discovery research with operators as well as fleet managers, revealed that ‘uptime' was everything. Fleet operators weren't buying vehicles—they were buying reliability and peace of mind. The opportunity lay in designing services that kept vehicles moving, not just manufacturing better vans.

THE SOLUTION
We developed service propositions centred around maximising fleet uptime. Through iterative prototyping, we translated complex fleet operator needs into tangible concepts that senior stakeholders could understand and invest in.

THE IMPACT
Our 'uptime' insights directly informed Ford's strategic pivot, feeding into the pipeline that launched Ford Liive Centres. These service hubs now provide predictive maintenance and fleet management support—transforming Ford's relationship with commercial customers from transactional to partnership-based.