Aligning the Digital Ecosystem with Core Hardware - scenario

A focused engagement with Elevate enabled Favero to transform its core customer touchpoint. This involved replacing a legacy platform with a stable, native digital solution. This system-level shift achieved two strategic outcomes: establishing a high-reliability user experience and providing a scalable, future-proof architectural foundation. The outcome successfully converted a significant growth constraint into a strategic digital asset.

When the Digital Layer Constrains Performance - challenge

Favero Electronics operates within the high-stakes environment of professional cycling. Their high-performance pedals are integrated with advanced sensors, demanding absolute precision and data reliability from the equipment. The Assioma power meter pedals held a market position as top-tier hardware. The challenge arose because the product's companion application, a critical cyclist touchpoint, had become a friction point. Its legacy hybrid technology was misaligned with the premium brand positioning. For these power meters, the application functions as a vital system component, not an optional peripheral.

This systemic misalignment generated two key operational risks:

• Customer Friction: A high volume of support inquiries was generated by application instability, not hardware failure. The executive understanding was that instability in the premium product interface erodes customer confidence.
• Platform Limitations: Continuous incompatibility issues arose with standard iOS and Android updates. The team could no longer effectively manage critical issues within the non-native framework. This existing technical debt made the necessary strategic expansion into the Chinese market unviable.

Grasping this served as an opportunity to secure efficiency and scale by integrating the digital foundation into core business processes. The clear next step involved a transition to a servitization model. Favero required a completely new digital system foundation, not merely a cosmetic update.

A Strategic Co-Creation for Native Stability - the solution

The strategic decision was executed: to transition from the hybrid model and develop two distinct, fully native applications (iOS and Android). This native-first architecture (built using Swift and Kotlin) was the only technical pathway to guarantee the system stability and performance demanded by the user base. For high-stakes processes, such as firmware updates where connection failure risks device integrity, native stability was a non-negotiable functional requirement. This complex initiative necessitated a collaborative partner, not a transactional vendor. Project success hinged on securing a team that could integrate seamlessly, comprehend the existing hardware architecture, and function as a true extension of Favero's R&D capability.

Elevate's team worked in direct collaboration with Favero's software architects and R&D leads. This tight co-creation model, built upon a shared technical vocabulary and direct communication, allowed the program to meet aggressive timelines and navigate the complex technical integration with sensors, Bluetooth protocols, and regional market requirements.

System Evolution and Enhanced Connectivity - outcome

The impact was immediate and quantifiable. The new applications established a seamless, stable, and intuitive experience. Customer satisfaction, the primary KPI, was met, a fact validated by app ratings and external reviews. Crucially, support tickets related to application issues plummeted. The most significant transformation was the 230% increase in monthly active users. This metric demonstrates that the application shifted from being a one-time activation hurdle to a valued, ongoing system component of the cycling experience.

This new platform is the foundation for future product evolution. It provides the robust, scalable architecture necessary to build new services, including cloud-based data analytics and advanced, automated customer support features. The primary business objective is to efficiently scale product volume without requiring a proportional increase in customer support resources.

Lessons Learned: The value of co-creation

The project yielded strategic lessons extending beyond the development process itself.

• Collaboration is Method, Not Sentiment: The project successfully overcame internal resistance to outsourcing. It proved that co-creation with a partner who integrates and brings deep technical expertise is a more efficient and effective operational model than relying exclusively on in-house development.
• Clarity of Purpose Drives System Design: Favero’s application is intentionally designed as a pure operational tool, not a user-profiling instrument (lacking login/registration). This core philosophy, that the app exists solely to serve the product, simplified the system architecture and reinforced the brand’s focus on performance.
• Invest in the Foundation, Not Just the Facade: The decision to build two separate native applications represented a significant investment. This project validated that choice by creating a robust, flexible, and secure asset that will function as the engine for product innovation for the next cycle.

Key insights for your organization

The success achieved with Favero offers a clear blueprint for any company whose physical products depend on a digital experience.

• The Digital Interface is a Core System Component: For connected hardware, the digital experience is not an add-on; it is integral to the product’s value proposition. A dated or unstable application will undermine a premium hardware brand.
• Utilize Native Development for System-Critical Functions: For high-stakes IoT interactions, such as firmware delivery or direct sensor interfacing, native development ensures a level of stability and performance that legacy platforms cannot guarantee.
• Define the Platform Philosophy: Establishing whether the application is a marketing engine or an operational tool guides every stage of system design and defines the relationship with the user base.
• Seek an Integrated Partner: True transformation is facilitated by co-creation. Select a partner that will integrate with your internal teams, comprehend your hardware’s domain requirements, and help establish a long-term foundation for system evolution.