CLIENT
Jeeves ERP
OVERVIEW
Jeeves ERP commissioned the development of a concept for a modern and contemporary ERP system, aiming to enhance both visual design and user experience. The ERP industry is often characterized by outdated user interfaces and user experiences, and this project sought to introduce fresh perspectives and innovative ideas to set a new standard for future ERP products and services. The resulting prototype demonstrates a vision for ERPs that prioritize user needs, transforming them into efficient and supportive tools with minimal sources of daily frustration.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Jeeves ERP consists of over 3,500 unique programs, many of which lack consistency. In the past, design decisions were primarily made by developers, focusing more on solving technical issues than on usability and the users needs and goals.
The challenge emerged from direct internal and external feedback.
New users found the application difficult to navigate, with a disjointed interface that required constant switching/jumping between screens. This inefficiency led to wasted time and frustration, detracting from the overall user experience and the tool's perceived value.
Moreover the product’s complexity as well as outdated visual profile made it difficult to sell, as reported by internal stakeholders, prompting a need for a redesign that would be more beginner-friendly and visually appealing.
GOALS
Working with an external designer, an in-house designer, and a program manager, the goal was set to create a prototype with a more intuitive and streamlined interface. The redesign aimed to minimize the learning curve, make the application easier to sell and set a design benchmark for future developments.
COURSE OF ACTION
We talked to several people within Jeeves ERP and scoured the internet for job applications within the factory worker sector. In total, we created 12 different personas and presented our findings to each other. By doing so, we learned more about the people within the industry: how they are connected to each other, collaborate, their daily tasks, what motivates them, and their goals and pain points.
To be able to propel our work we reframed the problems into How might we questions that allowed us to open up the problem statements for more efficient, targeted and innovative ideation sessions. We choose to work with 6 top voted problems, down below you see 3 of them:
A ‘Day in LIFE’ solution
After gathering our insights and potential problems the team realized that we would not be able to solve every issue from our insights. We had limited time, and the HIPPOS expected a shiny new toy to be presented to the board. In order to continue our mission to make the tool more intuitive and beginner friendly we decided to present our ideas and solutions in a form of a story - a prototyped daily user journey of a one of the system’s users.
The team decided to tell the story of a factory manager's daily work, integrating multiple touchpoints within a production factory. This narrative approach was chosen because the production sector was a significant revenue generator for Jeeves ERP. By focusing on this sector, the team could create a compelling, relatable story while showcasing new design elements that would offer the most impact with the time and resources available.
The story included 12 stages in 3 main sections:A morning briefing with a factory overview An afternoon collaborative planning meeting An evening deep dive into the data and scheduleThe stages and their features were chosen based on previously gathered feedback as well as the knowledge of the Product Manager.
We worked with the team at Blueprint to create a visual concept for the vision of a new ERP experience. Both Victor and Juliusz have a great ability to quickly translate domain specific user needs into solutions, and the results of their work brought clarity and alignment to our plans and efforts to improve our products.
Christian Schreil
Product manager, Jeeves ERP
MORNING - Exerting full control
The essential information overview
As a factory manager, you desire total authority and like to start the day with the most crucial information in her hands, thanks to the dashboard they are able to see the most essential information presented in a strong, visually appealing, user-friendly design.
Each type of information that should be presented was determined through extensive research, talking to the reference team and the librarian. Within these information elements, the user also have the possibility to click on each specific element and drill down further to get richer information. We also decided to strip away a lot of label text that easily clutters the screen and instead focus on presenting a lot of information with Icons, loading bars, gauges and images. This opened up for easier back-and-forth navigation than before.
The final result consisted of information of:
- Factory performance
- Production progress
- Material stock levels
- Line leaders
- Notifications of potential risks or anomalies
The final presentation was presented through the day of a factory manager and showed her navigating the screens of a mobile and tablet:
AFTERNOON - The planning meeting
Empowering the Decision-Making
One of the discovered pain points was lack of effective tool for gathering, processing and exchanging information ahead and during the planning meetings. The team prototyped a comprehensive flow for providing and analyzing insights as well as introducing a voting feature to democratize the decision making process.
The flow was ideated and scoped in a collaborative workshop within the core project team and validated with internal stakeholders.
As a member of the Forecast Council, the factory manager prepares insights for weekly meetings. Jeeves ERP notifies her when it's time to gather her data.
In the meetings, participants present insights, then vote anonymously on important product categories. Each member reviews the forecasts and suggests changes. This process helps the user contribute effectively to the company's strategic decisions.
EVENING - Deep Dive
Facilitating comprehensive evaluation
After the planning meeting our protagonist can finally sit down in their office and use their desktop to analyze the production plan in detail. Simplified navigation and information structure was a key target for the project, hence the team introduced focused overlays and reducing of visual clutter.
As the factory manager leaves the office at the end of the day, she checks the daily production report on his phone. To further support the modern nature of the new system the team also introduced a concept of voice activated assistant that rechecks the upcoming production plan for the manager. With a quick voice command, the system confirms all schedules and inventory levels are set.
RESULT
The final prototype set a new standard for Jeeves ERP, establishing a new design language and components system that standardized the UI with contemporary guidelines and best practices. Showcased in a commercial film, the prototype received positive feedback internally and externally, prompting Jeeves ERP to advance the product.
The project's success was reflected in the positive reception of the prototype and its broader impact. It educated colleagues on the benefits of design thinking, leading to its adoption across other teams. The team recognized the need for buffer time, managing expectations, and embracing a "good enough" mindset to ensure timely delivery without compromising quality.
This project marked a significant step in making Jeeves ERP more intuitive and user-friendly, setting a new benchmark for the company's future products.
Style Guide
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#10668C
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#E1E8ED
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Accent Colors
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Roboto
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Roboto
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Roboto
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Font
Trebuchet MS
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Trebuchet MS
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