Introduction
Gomigo is an online web app which helps simplifying invoicing, billing and payments for small business owners, entrepreneurs and freelancers. Being the In-house designer, I collaborated with other teams to ship out Inventory module in the platform.
Timeline: 3 weeks
Role: UI/UX Designer
Contributions: User Research, User Interface Design and Testing
Teams involved: Development and Management
In this case study, I will be sharing my comprehensive design process that led to the successful development of an inventory system. From identifying the problem to conducting user research and testing, I will outline the steps I took to create an effective solution.
The problem
When I joined, Gomigo was already in use by a handful of users. As we expanded it for wholesalers and mid-markets, we realised that these users had different sales and distribution channels with various vendors, requiring different invoicing for each vendor and customer. Additionally, the items offered by these vendors were on a large scale, so we needed to develop a system to address this issue.
Research
Trivial research
We conducted this research to understand the most basic methodology of inventory management. We found that many users (more than 90%) still use softwares like MS Excel and Tally for inventory management.
Pictorial representation of the above research finding
Inductive Research
During this research we started building hypothesis on why people use excel and at what extent. Below are the highlights of research:
Easy to use interface: Excel is user-friendly and has a recognisable interface, making it an affordable and commonly favoured option for companies to handle their operations. The program is structured as a workbook comprised of multiple worksheets, and is accessible by non-specialists for various purposes, including accounting and scheduling.
Effective visualisation: With Excel, one can gain a comprehensive understanding of data through the use of graphs like bar charts, line charts, pie charts and more. Also Excel helps spotting trends, comparing data sets, and communicating insights to others in a comprehensive manner.
Primary Research
Objectively conducting the above research, I moved on to conducting primary research in which a small group of users were interviewed in order to validate the hypothesis and generate relevant ideas. This research led to clearly understand the user pain-points which are listed below:
In Excel, users had to manually enter all items, causing a high risk of errors. To reduce these errors, our users requested a more streamlined system.
Competitor Research
We then searched for existing online tools for inventory management and their features. We understood their flow, features, and derived insights on what solutions they provide that are absent in Excel.
This competitor research has been done using capterra
Solution
Extensive research was conducted, and valuable insights were gathered from stakeholders to determine the most effective way to build an inventory system for our platform. Through brainstorming sessions and stakeholder feedback, we were able to identify the core features that were most important to our users, with a particular emphasis on inventory tracking.
We worked tirelessly to integrate this new feature with the existing platform, ensuring that it was seamless and easy to use. The importance of receiving continuous feedback from our stakeholders to refine and improve the system over time was recognised. By prioritising their needs and concerns, we were able to lay down the crux of this feature and develop a solution that truly met their needs.
As we continued to iterate and improve upon our inventory system, we remained committed to staying up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies in the industry. Our goal was to provide a platform that empowered our users to effectively manage their inventory and streamline their operations, ultimately leading to greater success and growth for their business.
Final designs
We brainstormed internally and carefully segregated all the feedback from stakeholders in order to create the best possible UI/UX. After several iterations, we finally arrived at a set of final mockups that would meet the requirements and expectations of all stakeholders.
Once the final mockups had been completed, we demonstrated them to the stakeholders. During the presentation, we explained the thought process behind each decision and how it would benefit the user experience. The stakeholders were impressed with the attention to detail and the focus on creating a seamless and intuitive UI/UX.
The process of brainstorming, segregating feedback, and designing mockups was instrumental in achieving this success.
.svg)
Testing and Impact
After finalising the designs and user flows, we moved on to the development stage. As a key team member, I worked closely with the developers to ensure the module was crafted according to specifications.
Creating a lightweight and scalable inventory system was a big challenge. We used agile techniques like caching, compression, and optimised data structures to ensure efficiency. We thoroughly tested the system for reliability and scalability. Our collaborative efforts were successful. We created a system that allowed users to quickly and easily add items while maintaining high performance and functionality.
As soon as the inventory module was rolled out, users actively used it in sync with other modules of the platform. It went smoothly with only minor bug fixes required. Within just 20 days, there was a usage spike of 12%. This indicated that the inventory module was well received by the users. As time went on, users also demanded a mobile app to use the module more efficiently.
To cater to this demand, the team planned the release of a mobile app in the upcoming quarter. This would allow users to use the inventory module more conveniently, even while on the move.
Takeaways
Perfection in design should not be the ultimate goal, as it is a never-ending process that can always be improved. Instead, the focus should be on creating a usable product that meets the users' needs.
