UX DESIGN / UI DESIGN / USER RESEARCH
Simplified Work Order – Agent View.
My role
Sole Product Designer &
UX Research (2 people team).
Duration
August 2022 to
March 2023
Tools
Figma, Miro, Figjam, Excel, Microsoft Forms, Notion
As a product designer, I redesigned the Tech Support Agent's Work Order Creation page with user feedback and business requirements in mind. Resulting in an intuitive interface, optimized user flow, and new page layout that reduced clicks by almost 50%.
The Redesign Process
Research
Define
Ideate
Prototype
Test
Implement
Background
In 2016, Dell and EMC merged and adopted Salesforce Lightning as the unified CRM platform for Tech Support Agents. In 2022, a user survey identified pain points in the Work Order Creation process, leading to an initiative to redesign the User Flow.
Research
The Services Tool Survey was conducted by Dell Technologies to gather feedback on applications used by Tech Support Agents, including Salesforce Lightning.
User Feedback Synthesis
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As part of the Work Order UX team, we identified pain points by reviewing 1500+ user comments.
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We synthesized and ranked the feedback to streamline and automate where possible.
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This survey data informed the redesign of the Work Order Creation flow.
See full Research Synthesis
What is a Work Order?
Tech Support Agents create a Work Order to troubleshoot customer issues by generating a dispatch through Salesforce. This allows them to select, send parts, and schedule field engineers for repairs.
Define: The user's problem & opportunity.
Research led to the creation of a persona overview, which helped define the user's needs and goals and identify potential opportunities.
Problem:
Agents are required to enhance customer satisfaction but face obstacles such as excessive clicks, extra steps, and slow performance.
Opportunity:
Simplifying the Ui for the Work Order Creation page can save time, automate tasks, and enhance the overall user experience.
Ideate
To redesign the Work Order Creation page, I took the following steps:
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Audit page with IT and Business stakeholders.
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Review system calls with Solution Architects.
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Review labels and messaging with Content Strategist and Business POC.
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Plan Automation with Solution Architects and Business stakeholders.
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Create a new user flow design with two starting points for Work Order creation.
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Redesign page layout based on user feedback, feasibility, and business input.
So what changed?
1. Automate Work Order creation with a Connected Model through Next Best Action (NBA), a guided flow in Salesforce.
​2. Use a Disconnected Model to allow agents to select a service type and access a simplified Work Order creation page.
Case Page
NBA recommendations for
WO Creation: Connected Model
1
Add Labor Instructions
Schedule Labor
Submit Work Order
Y
Accept
Details?
Y
Create Work Order with Recommended Parts & Address
Review Service Contacts
Need
Labor?
N
N
Click on the WO tab:
Disconnected Model
2
Add Parts
Y
Review WO Service Type + Address + Entitlements
Create Work Order
Review Service Contacts
Need
Parts?
N
Need
Labor?
Y
N
Submit Work Order
Schedule Labor
Add Labor Instructions
Connected Model
1
2
3
1. Next Best Action (NBA) recommends steps based on the case and customer details.
2. NBA enables Work Order Creation with preview Work Order data before creating.
3. Agent lands on the simplified Work Order page after creation.
Disconnected Model
1
2
1. The disconnected model allows agents to choose a service type on the case page Work Order tab and preview data before creating the WO.​
2. Agent lands on simplified Work Order page after creation.
Simple Work Order Creation Page
1
3
2
4
5
1. The Simplified Work Order page boosts efficiency by removing unused workflows and prepopulating data for agents.
3. The UI displays essential data on the primary level, moving non-essential data to secondary tabs for faster page load times.​
2. Agents can save Work Order drafts to prevent information loss.
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4. Prioritizes productivity and customer satisfaction by streamlining Work Order creation and reducing support call times.​
5. Instructions panel embedded in Work Order page to avoid page swivel and performance issues.
Prototype
Test
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After seven months of work, a pilot for IGS-Enterprise Agents creating Parts Only Work Orders began on March 13th with 35+ users.
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A week later, the pilot was expanded to include CSG-Consumer Agents creating Parts Only, Labor Only, and Parts+Labor Work Orders with an additional 10+ users.
Feedback & Savings
Critical Work Order process improvements from 50 Beta user feedback include:
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Work Order time was reduced by half, accelerating the process and receiving praise for the UI redesign and performance.
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Improved page load times and streamlined Work Order creation.
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Automation with Next Best Action was added, enabling a two-click experience to create and submit a Work Order.
Metrics
Parts Only Work Orders: reduced time, clicks, and callouts
Implement
Watch a demo of the final product:
Final
Reflections
For me, this project's success depended on user feedback and collaboration between the team. I was initially unsure if the survey results would be enough to drive the necessary changes, but they were. We worked as a dedicated product team, a welcome change from previous siloed work.
Reading harsh comments about the user flow in the survey results was a challenge, but it provided significant proof of user discontent and motivated us to address the issues and develop a new design that cuts user time in half. Strong relationships were formed among team members, proving valuable in current projects. This project showed the importance of prioritizing user experience and collaboration in a product-driven environment.