About berbel Exhaust Technology GmbH
Cooker hoods made in Germany. berbel has revolutionized the way cooker hoods work. How? Quite simply: with the unique, filterless berbel principle! It's the ultimate recipe for the best cooker hoods "Made in Germany." Because high-quality kitchen technology is a matter for professionals. And berbel has the recipe for it! berbel Ablufttechnik GmbH has received numerous awards for its top-quality cooker hoods. The combination of unique technology with outstanding design consistently impresses the expert juries of prestigious award committees. As a result, many berbel cooker hoods have received renowned awards.
Customer requirements
- Development of an Android and iOS app with which the berbel Skyline island extractor hood can be controlled via Bluetooth
- Control of a premium high-end product with various functionalities such as fan speed, light intensity and lighting effects
- Creating a user account in the app to define personalized scenes (combination of fan speed, light and height)
- The app was designed and built with a modular architecture, allowing it to be flexibly expanded with, for example, additional hood models and new functions
- To better understand the target group of the Skyline island hood in order to optimally meet their requirements and needs and to convince them of its advantages in the long term
Project goals
- Creating incentives for purchasing a berbel Skyline: Innovative and convenient control via app
- Use the app as a marketing channel to attract more customers to berbel
- Avoid service calls by using registered products and thus reduce internal costs
- Increasing sales of maintenance materials through targeted messaging when needed
The project
With the berbel+ app, customers of a Skyline island hood can conveniently control it via the app and create personalized scenes to set their desired combination of fan speed, light color and intensity, and height with a single click. Those who want to unlock the full potential of the Skyline can use berbel's predefined lighting effects (so-called Motion Lights): 12 light sequences ranging from smooth color transitions and dynamic lighting effects to calming colors. The app also provides an overview of all setting options, useful extras, and tips for optimal use of the Skyline island hood.
Since the app's initial launch at the end of 2023, its design and technology have been continuously developed and improved. Berbel and q.beyond work closely together to constantly develop new ideas for making the app even better. These include various extensions for making the app available in other countries and thus opening up new markets.
The extractor hood's settings are defined by: fan speed, light intensity and color for cooktop lighting, ambient lighting, and uplight, as well as the distance to the cooktop (height). Berbel's "Motion Lights" (preset lighting effects) perfectly showcase the Skyline. The client deliberately chose to complement the Skyline product with an app to achieve a positive brand image and position themselves as a modern, dynamic, and technologically advanced brand
Images of the application
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Click to enlarge
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Services
- Custom app development based on the cross-platform framework Flutter for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets, as well as development of a backend for authentication
- Consulting services regarding conception, user interface and user experience based on several years of experience in app development
- Various workshops for requirements analysis and product vision with definition of a minimum viable product (MVP) for a fast time to market
- Collaboration with other service providers to implement a holistic project with hardware, firmware, and software components (app development)
Results
- State-of-the-art app development: berbel+ impresses with its appealing design and intuitive user interface.
- The technical connection via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) reflects the latest state of the art. This allows the app to fit perfectly into the berbel product range – thanks to its outstanding design and innovative technology.
- The customer now has an app that can easily be expanded to include other products from the range of extractor hoods.
The challenge
The challenge of the project was to harmonize the various hardware, firmware, and software developments to enable control via Bluetooth. Development was hampered by the global chip crisis during the pandemic, necessitating temporary adjustments to the project timeline.
Furthermore, berbel, through its distribution via Retailpartners, lacked direct contact with end customers.
The app was therefore intended to serve as a communication channel, providing users with a direct line to berbel and enabling a better understanding of their needs and expectations.
From idea to implementation: Our project highlights
“Despite challenging market conditions, q.beyond delivered high-quality and flexible software development for our berbel+ app. They responded quickly to changes in the project scope and helped us successfully launch the app. Thanks to their customized solutions and efficient collaboration, our customers can now enjoy innovative and user-friendly control for our Skyline island cooker hoods. We appreciate the quality and professionalism that q.beyond brought to this project.”
Marcel Kruse, Product Manager, berbel Ablufttechnik GmbH
Sounds exciting?
Do you have any questions about the reference or custom software development? Then please feel free to contact me. I look forward to discussing it with you.
Dennis Bendixen, Head of Cloud & Application Department