Firmware & Configurations
Problem
Updating and configuring devices connected to fleet vehicles previously required servicing each vehicle individually. This process was time consuming, difficult to track, and required vehicles to be physically brought in for updates.
As fleets scaled, admins needed a way to remotely view available device updates, initiate them across multiple vehicles, and monitor their progress. At the same time, device configurations needed to be easier to manage and apply across fleets. Previously, configurations were handled manually on a per-vehicle basis, making it difficult to review settings, maintain consistency, and deploy updates efficiently.
A centralized interface was needed to manage device updates and configurations across vehicles, allowing admins to deploy changes remotely while maintaining visibility into update status and device settings.
Research & Wire Frames
Because over-the-air firmware and configuration management was a new capability for the platform, we relied heavily on internal stakeholders at Whelen who had direct knowledge of customer workflows and operational constraints.
To better understand how users might expect updates to behave, I researched existing update management patterns in systems such as macOS and Microsoft Windows. This helped establish a baseline for common update workflows, including how updates are surfaced, initiated, and monitored.
One key difference between these systems and our product was the need to manage updates across multiple connected devices within a vehicle fleet. Updates also needed to respect operational constraints, such as requiring vehicles to be in an active state and preventing updates when vehicles were in First Responder mode or inactive.
Using these requirements, I created wireframes to rapidly prototype potential workflows and review them with stakeholders. Validating the core workflow early allowed the team to align on system behavior before investing in detailed visual design, which helped accelerate later stages of the project.
Solution
We designed a centralized update management interface that allowed admins to remotely deploy firmware updates across their fleet while maintaining visibility into device status and update progress.
The interface organized vehicles into clear update states; Ready for Update, Needs Attention, Downloading, and Complete, allowing users to quickly understand the status of updates across multiple vehicles. A bulk selection workflow enabled adminis to initiate updates across many vehicles at once, significantly reducing the operational overhead previously required to service vehicles individually.
To support real-world fleet operations, update eligibility was tied to vehicle status. Vehicles in First Responder mode or inactive states were automatically restricted from receiving updates, ensuring deployments would not interfere with active emergency use.
By combining fleet level visibility with simple deployment controls, the system allowed admins to manage firmware updates and configurations remotely, reducing downtime and eliminating the need to physically service vehicles for routine updates.