Customer Stories / Automotive
Building a Scalable Payment System Using Amazon EC2 Solutions with MAN Truck & Bus
Learn how MAN Truck & Bus in the automotive industry automated payment processing using Amazon Elastic Cloud Compute (Amazon EC2).
Automated
payment approval and processing
Faster, more efficient
payments made even more secure
Improved visibility
into total cost of ownership
Accelerated
repairs
Removed
drivers’ need for cash and physical payment cards
Overview
With a fleet of close to 300,000 connected commercial vehicles, MAN Truck & Bus (MAN) knew that building a new, automated payment and vehicle management system would be an enormous task. Yet the company saw the importance of keeping up with industry trends toward digital payments and autonomous driving.
MAN used Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop a new digital solution that it calls MAN SimplePay, which automates payment and maintenance approvals, removes the need for cash or physical cards, and improves cost-of-ownership transparency for fleet managers and owners.
![Man truck image Man truck image](https://d1.awsstatic.com/Keyvisual.04d1dfa65579a74a94a8c4e990d21b36d998c782.jpeg)
Opportunity | Using Amazon EC2 Solutions to Power an Automated Payment and Vehicle Management System for MAN
Based in Germany, MAN manufactures commercial vehicles that transport goods and people around the world. MAN also provides digital solutions related to its vehicles. The company, which generated nearly $11 billion in revenue in 2021, wanted to be able to adapt to evolving market trends—such as electric and autonomous vehicles—as it continues to expand. One of its offerings is managing payments related to vehicles. In pursuit of its motto, “simplifying customer business through leading sustainable solutions,” MAN needed to make payments in and around vehicles simple, convenient, and fast.
MAN wanted to design a system that worked autonomously, didn’t use cash or physical cards, and could process transactions and orchestrate payments using its vehicles’ telematics and infotainment systems. In 2017, it used AWS to build a cloud-based digital services solution that has since connected close to 300,000 trucks to the cloud. With that foundation in place, MAN chose to build its MAN SimplePay solution on AWS as well. “On AWS, we had the flexibility to choose services that fit our needs,” says Kashif Hussain, head of software updates and chief product owner for the MAN SimplePay project. “AWS is our solution of choice.”
The company engaged AWS for support as it built MAN SimplePay. In June 2021, MAN began designing its new concept with the AWS Digital Innovation team and then underwent a 6-week rapid prototyping phase. In February 2022, MAN began building the MAN SimplePay cloud infrastructure, developed its backend service and web front end, and updated the software applications for its vehicles. “The rapid prototyping phase was one of the project’s highlights,” says Kashif. “Working with the AWS team gave us the confidence to move ahead and build the product.”
In November 2021, MAN began designing the full solution based on its prototypes and engaged AWS Professional Services, a global team of experts that businesses use to realize their desired outcomes on the AWS Cloud. “The knowledge of the AWS support team and its customer-centric attitude was valuable,” says Kashif.
Solution | Improving Convenience for Drivers and Efficiency for Fleet Managers and Owners on AWS
MAN used features of Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2), which provides secure and resizable compute capacity to support virtually any workload, to power the MAN SimplePay app’s backend in the cloud. Crucially, the system is seamlessly scalable on AWS. “We can scale MAN SimplePay to respond efficiently when usage peaks,” says Kashif. “We’re highly satisfied with the elasticity of Amazon EC2.” By running MAN SimplePay on AWS, MAN has also simplified onboarding for its partners and other companies that want to connect with the system. “This solution is like an open marketplace,” says Johannes Huber, project lead for MAN SimplePay at MAN.
The company has designed its MAN SimplePay solution to automate payment approvals, handle transactions, and speed up vehicle repairs. It secures connections between its vehicles, services, and the cloud using Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC), which businesses can use to define and launch AWS resources in a logically isolated virtual network. “We’ve made payments in and around the truck faster, more efficient, and even more secure,” says Kashif. If a breakdown happens, the truck can approve a payment on the spot, and the repair can start quickly. “We’re equipping the truck to pay for itself,” says Kashif. This is the foundational system that will also power the company’s electric and autonomous vehicles in the future.
In addition, MAN is using the automation capabilities of AWS to simplify many common tasks for its users. Drivers no longer have to carry cash or physical payment cards because MAN SimplePay handles refueling. And in the near future, the system will handle payments for breakdowns and electric vehicle charging. This feature saves drivers time at the pump, resulting in shorter breaks and a lower risk of cards and cash being lost or stolen. “A driver’s only task will be to fuel the truck, and the system will automatically handle everything related to unlocking the pump and making payments,” says Johannes.
Meanwhile, MAN SimplePay solves major pain points for fleet managers. Tracking invoices to measure overhead costs used to be difficult, but the system has automated this task. Now managers can see a comprehensive overview of all transactions and routes in a user-friendly dashboard, which simplifies performance-cost analysis. MAN is storing and accessing this data efficiently using Amazon DynamoDB, a key-value NoSQL database that delivers single-digit millisecond performance at any scale. “Having a total cost-of-ownership dashboard is a core offering of MAN SimplePay,” says Kashif. “Fleet managers and owners have a real-time view of all the costs associated with their vehicles.”
Outcome | Scaling SimplePay to Support New Customers and Services
MAN expects to launch MAN SimplePay in early 2023. It also plans to onboard new connected services and companies as the digital solution rolls out. “The advantages we gained from using AWS as we structured the overall project and determined the best way to achieve it were substantial,” says Johannes. “We were able to build a great customer experience.”
About MAN Truck & Bus
MAN Truck & Bus, a company of Traton Group, is one of Europe’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturers and transport solution providers. Its product portfolio includes vans, trucks, and buses as well as passenger and cargo transport services.
AWS Services Used
Amazon EC2
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) offers the broadest and deepest compute platform, with over 500 instances and choice of the latest processor, storage, networking, operating system, and purchase model to help you best match the needs of your workload.
Amazon DynamoDB
Amazon DynamoDB is a fully managed, serverless, key-value NoSQL database designed to run high-performance applications at any scale.
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Amazon VPC
Amazon Virtual Private Cloud (Amazon VPC) gives you full control over your virtual networking environment, including resource placement, connectivity, and security.
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AWS Professional Services
The AWS Professional Services organization is a global team of experts that can help you realize your desired business outcomes when using the AWS Cloud.
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Organizations of all sizes across all industries are transforming their businesses and delivering on their missions every day using AWS. Contact our experts and start your own AWS journey today.