I talked to 4 program mangers, each managing between OEM and Enterprise customers. Although these customer have very different order habits and relation with the company. We felt that it is important to collect the needs from both types of customers so that this portal can be for everybody.
1. Although portal is functional, the portal feels outdated and many users feel that there are better software out there. We want to show potential customers what our process entails to attract new customers.
2. Customers currently use the site mainly for inventory and shipping. They DO NOT use the WIP and production aspect of the portal because it does not give them the information they need.
3. "Since customers can't find the info they want, our team has to do the work of compiling all the data and information and sending it back to the customers through email."
4. "There seems to be a disconnect between what AMAX wants to show the customers vs. what they customers actually see. We need to figure out what AMAX wants to show the customer on the portal."
From these results, we can conclude that some aspects of the portal and information displayed in the system are not good data representations of what the customers need. Many existing tabs are not used but AMAX still get lots of request for specific reports that pertain to them. So how can we show thorough data while still being able to juggle with customer's specific requests.
We created simple wireframes at the beginning of the project to focus on the site's workflow, without the additional complication of refining its visual detail.
These quick info card deck appearing on the top of the page gives the user a comprehensive overview of information from each category. If more information is wanted, users are able to click the cards and they will be take to a screen with detailed information. This serves as fast and digestible information display for customers to view.
The line graphs our the order statistics by quarter. Users are able to see a general overview of "Closed Orders", "Open Orders", and "RMA". Additionally, users are able to hover over the graph to get detailed changed rate information to draw conclusions on the data presented.
The Progress Bar's status presented in clear bright colors and different logos provide the user a clear and easily trackable Engineering Change Request. This design was inspired by lots of delivery package interfaces how easy or difficult is it for users to track their purchase online or get notified of a change in status.
I was able to do the entire UX process from user research, and prototyping to high-fidelity wire-framing. Although our team could not speak directly to the customers, I was able to speak regularly with the Program Managers and Sales team to understand how their customers were interacting and feeling about the new dashboard. This allowed me to understand the wants and needs of different big and small customers of AMAX and how we can plan to add to the portal in later iterations.
One of the hurdles I had to deal with was documenting my handoffs to developers to ensure it is clear and understandable. Through the documentation process, I was actually able to go back and improve my existing components to have the design-to-code transition a smoother process. Learning more about writing documentation and specifications for developers to easily execute the design while leaving room open for change and improvement was an eye-opening experience for me.
After deploying, I am planning on learning more about customization of the portal to serve each individual customer their wants while not overwhelming our team in creating a “new” report or feature every time a customer has requested. I’ll update and maintain the components from the user's feedback and inputs. As the portal continues to grow, it's important to identify patterns so that we can contribute and add to the database and have a clear record and priority of customers' needs.
