Improving the Process of Updating Clients
I worked through ambiguity and a tight deadline to save users 80% of time spent on task
Our truckloads are fresh produce delivered by refrigerated truck over long distances, 2-5 days. Each Hwy Haul client contract details what specific updates are required and via what channel. Today, more of our truckloads than ever require regular updates via a client’s transportation management system (TMS). By adding the ability to communicate directly with their TMS via our portal, we reduce the friction of needing to log into a client’s TMS each time.
Perishable food travels by truck, and clients require updates to know where it is.
Role
Interviewing
UX/UI
Walk throughs with users
Tools
Google Meet, Sketch, Zeplin
Deliverables
High fidelity screens for desktop
Medium-fidelity prototype
Timeline
2 weeks
OVERVIEW
More Updates = More time needed
As the share of our clients are requiring updates via TMS increases, so does number of updates and the time our staff spends on each truckload. This is a problem that will hamper our ability to scale up as a startup.
Our Users are Internal and Won’t Change
The people sending the updates will continue to send those updates. As welcome as that finding that is, I still needed to discover that fact and understand their workflow prior to designing a solution.
Solution: Adding a Right-Hand panel
Adding this panel leverages a pattern that is just starting to be introduced elsewhere on our portal. By carefully incorporating this into the existing UI, we can contextually add TMS functionality next to the existing email functionality. This reduces users’ cognitive load and saves 80% on the time users spend on these updates.