Connecting Teams through UI/UX

Client description:

The client was operating with a distributed team of nearly 300 employees at over 250 locations across 15 states.

The problem:

How could we refresh technology platforms to be easier for staff to use in the office and remotely, streamline processes, and reduce the risk of people walking out the door with proprietary information they don't need for their job?

• individual tools developed over years in multiple desktop and web-based applications
• design did not follow the flow of activities
• tools were difficult to use from mobile devices
• new features were usually designed from the top-down for the squeakiest wheel instead of being focused on the users' experience
• substantial dependance on email alerts with some employees receiving more than 10 per day
• systems offered little collaboration or oversight from management
• questions about functionality and usage were directed to IT management
• IT strategy demanded that the company maintain control of data and not be inhibited by the limitations found in integrations with third-party software

Our process:

We engaged with the company to evaluate businesses use cases and provide a cohesive brand experience to internal users. This involved user research, interface and experience design, management of client application developers, and training of trainers. Our team audited and rationalized reports for consolidation. We also set up a self-service support platform and worked with training teams and IT to streamline the support process. The system was designed with flexibility to accommodate additional lines of business.

The solution:

• Dashboards for management - greater insight to cash flow responsibilities
• Activity logging - greater transparency and accountability of system usage
• Report rationalization - reduced the number of reports to maintain while still serving up relevant and actionable information to staff
• Approval workflows and alerts - reduced emails alerts while reducing the time to execute workflows for approval processes and data entry
• Self-service support platform - reduced help-desk calls and focused support to critical issues and feature requests
• Usability - mobile-first platform could be easily navigated and used from cellular phones and tablets in the field
• Role-based access - business units could more easily see who had access to proprietary information and tools