Rolls-Royce - Salesforce PDO Case Study

The Challenge

The R² Data Labs division of Rolls-Royce wanted to spur innovation and collaboration in the aviation industry by enabling secure data sharing, analysis and incubation via a new platform. Delivering this type of solution rapidly utilising Salesforce technology required a partner with technical expertise, experience and creativity to turn their ideas into an enterprise grade product ready for market launch. VRP joined Rolls-Royce and their design and data partners as part of a multi-year program to make this happen.

The Wish

Yocova connects aviation companies, data specialists, OEM mainframers and aviation independent software vendors (ISVs) to work together to solve business problems. At the heart of the platform is the marketplace where ISVs list apps and APIs that can be trialed and then procured by aviation companies. Licenses and data plans are managed within the platform.

Ideas and data are collaborated and incubated in private groups and data rooms, with the data hosted within or outside of Yocova, but available securely through the platform. The journey can then go full circle with new APIs developed, surfaced and monetised back through the marketplace for the benefit of other members.

The Solution

R² Data Labs selected VRP Consulting as their technology partner to deliver Yocova. Built using Salesforce technologies, VRP designed, architected and delivered the Yocova platform rapidly against a roadmap of expected features and user journeys. VRP worked in harmony with Rolls-Royce's design and data partners and suppliers to achieve the desired outcomes at all stages of the program.

The Stages

In order to realise value sooner as well as mitigate risk from such a substantial project, R² Data Labs, VRP Consulting and partners planned a roadmap of releases from alpha prototype to public release.

The first stage was to design and deliver a basic portal and marketplace with single sign on through to selected ISV apps and APIs. Next, the brand, design and user interface was evolved to include personalized homepages based on audience segmentation, allowing users to see the information they are interested in and access the tools they need.

For the beta stage of development, VRP created richer functionality including trial mechanisms whereby users of Yocova can access third-party apps and APIs from within the marketplace. Another key development and differentiator for the platform was data rooms, to enable invited users to securely collaborate on hosted APIs and datasets to resolve business problems.

Further releases will include updates to contract lifecycle management, payments and billing as well as enterprise access management features to allow airlines access to OEMs services.

The Result

Rolls-Royce launched Yocova to the public on 10 February, 2020. Along with the existing companies, data specialists and aviation ISVs from the alpha and beta stages, Yocova has welcomed more users onto the platform to increase the levels of collaboration. While it is still to early to ascertain the full impact Yocova will bring to the aviation industry, it is likely new innovations and insights will spring from the data analysis that is powered by this platform.

Company Profile

Rolls-Royce plc is a British multinational engineering company which developers and supplies aerospace defence and power systems. With a history that stretches back to 1904, Rolls-Royce has adapted and innovated solutions in changing markets. R² Data Labs is the data innovation catalyst inside Rolls-Royce. It exists to deliver untapped value from data, acting as a development hub for new services that improve the way we and our customers operate.