About the client 

Jaguar Land Rover produces luxury vehicles with attention to uniqueness and aiming to meet individual clients’ needs.  

As stated on the company’s website: Our brands are steeped in a rich tapestry of timeless designs that resonate with people, creating an emotional attachment, an intimacy, that is truly unique on the global stage.

People involved in the project
from the client’s side 

Matthew Sleath 

Marketing & PR Director 

Jaguar Land Rover Japan Limited 

Hirotaka Gotanda 

IT Manager  

Jaguar Land Rover Japan Limited

Challenges 

Japan’s automotive market presents a unique blend of heritage and cutting-edge technology, making it one of the most demanding regions in the world. With its attention to detail, distinct geographic landscape, and intricate regulatory  framework, meeting the expectations of Japanese consumers requires a deep understanding of local preferences and market-specific needs.  

Given these circumstances, Jaguar Land Rover wanted to adapt their global Stock Locator solution for this highly specific market, maintaining the brand’s commitment to luxury and precision. 

Key challenges included: 

1. Integrating with CarSensor, Japan's leading automotive marketplace: CarSensor's platform demanded custom fields and API integrations that went beyond global standards, requiring us to tailor the solution to fit the portal’s strict requirements. 

2. Navigating local pricing regulations and legal obligations: Japan's unique pricing structures and legal frameworks meant implementing accurate pricing fields to account for on-the-road costs, taxes, and fees specific to the region. 

3. Handling complex postal code-to-geolocation mappings: Japan’s geography and its history of dealership networks meant that translating postal codes into coordinates was complex and required substantial customization to ensure retailers were displayed accurately. 

4. Supporting the Japanese language across all user interfaces: Both  customer-facing and admin interfaces needed seamless localization, including full support for the Japanese language, to ensure the platform was accessible and intuitive for retailers and consumers alike. 

5. Complying with local regulations for customer data access and privacy: With Japan’s stringent laws on data access and consumer protection, the platform needed to adhere to local automotive data compliance standards without compromising the global structure. 

Goals 

1. Adapt Stock Locator to meet the Japanese automotive market’s specific legal and market requirements, including custom retailer filtering and unique pricing fields. 

2. Improve the overall user experience for Japanese customers by providing accurate retailer information and detailed, localized pricing. 

3. Ensure seamless integration with external APIs for real-time data retrieval and accurate data matching between external and internal systems. 

4. Adhere to local regulations related to used vehicle sales. 

5. Implement feature flags to introduce new functionalities for Japan without disrupting the existing system for other regions. 

Solutions 

We began with a thorough business analysis to understand the unique needs and requirements of the Japanese market. This involved identifying the need for custom features and planning for potential technical challenges. 

1. Integration with CarSensor

One of the most critical tasks was integrating with the CarSensor system, a platform used in Japan to list cars. This integration required: 

• Exporting car data from our system to CarSensor.

• Implementing custom fields required by CarSensor, which were not present in our original system.

We created a script to gather car data, including custom fields, and export it to a CSV file. We automated the process of uploading this CSV file toJaguar Land Rover’s server for import into CarSensor. We ensured the data matched the required format and included all necessary fields.

2. Handling Japan-Specific Pricing Fields

Japanese automotive legislation required additional pricing fields not needed in other markets. 

This meant adding in 8 additional pricing fields, including Approved Vehicle List (AVL) fields, which are crucial for providing accurate and detailed information tailored to the Japanese market. 

Among other fields added to the system were: 

• On-the-road price, which includes taxes and other fees specific to Japan. 

• Custom fields for used cars, such as historical ownership and previous maintenance details.

Reffine developed backend logic to handle these additional fields seamlessly within the existing system structure.

3. Custom Filtering by Retailers

We developed a new retailer filter specifically for the Japanese market. Unlike the standard retailer filter, this new feature required integrating with external APIs provided by Jaguar Land Rover. The API had two key endpoints: 

• Translating postal codes into geographic coordinates.

• Providing a list of retailers sorted by distance from the given coordinates.

We handled external API requests to fetch Japanese retailer data, including their locations and distances from the user's postcode.  

Now, Stock Locator in Japan sorts retailers based on proximity and displays those closest to the user.  

For that to happen we had to map external retailer IDs with our internal system IDs to ensure accurate data matching. 

4. Stock Transfer

The stock transfer functionality, which allows retailers to request and approve transfers, represents a significant enhancement to Jaguar Land Rover’s digital customer experience in Japan. This functionality included: 

• Enabling stock transfers between retailers.

• Implementing an approval process with request comments.

• Daily email summaries of transfer activities.

5. Implementing Feature Flags

This approach allowed us to enable or disable specific features for Japan while keeping them hidden from other markets. 

6. Japanese Language Support

To ensure full usability for both customers and administrators, we implemented complete Japanese language support across the platform. This involved: 

• Translating all content accurately.

• Adapting layouts for Japanese characters.

• Optimizing the UI for cultural nuances to ensure intuitive usability.

Results 

• Successful CarSensor Integration

Efficient data export processes ensured that all necessary car data, including custom fields, were correctly integrated with the CarSensor system.

• Improved User Experience

The introduction of custom filtering by retailer and Japan-specific pricing fields significantly enhanced the user experience for regional Jaguar Land Rover customers. 

• Accurate and real-time data retrieval

Seamless integration with external APIs ensured accurate and real-time data retrieval, providing users with reliable information. 

• Efficient Data Handling

Accurate mapping of external retailer IDs to internal system IDs ensured data consistency and reliability. 

• Local Feature Flexibility

The implementation of feature flags allowed for the smooth introduction of market-specific features without impacting the global system. 

The project showcased our ability to tailor complex systems to meet specific market needs while maintaining the integrity and performance of the global system. This successful implementation in Japan opens the door for similar customizations in other regions, which are made possible by our flexibility and technical expertise. 

Client opinion