Managing field service operations requires seamless coordination between customer data, work orders, scheduling, and technician assignments.
For Umbrella, I designed an iOS mobile application to help service workers efficiently manage their daily tasks.
The goal was to create a flexible and scalable system that mapped work orders to customers, locations, and service regions while integrating with mapping tools and automated notifications.
Umbrella faced several challenges in optimizing field service operations:
-Data Mapping: Service requests needed to be linked to customer locations, assigned technicians, and specific service regions.
-Scheduling and Route Optimization: Automating technician assignments based on availability, expertise, and proximity.
-Real-Time Notifications: Keeping customers informed with status updates, such as technician arrival times and delays.
-Technician Management: A back-end system to track skillsets, part lookup, and estimated labor duration for each job.
The objective was to design a mobile application that streamlined field service operations, improved technician productivity, and enhanced customer satisfaction.
To design a solution, I applied a user centered research approach.
-Stakeholder and User Interviews
--Conducted interviews with stakeholders, field technicians, and service managers to understand challenges and opportunities for improvement.
--Identified key pain points, workflow inefficiencies, and critical user needs.
-Architecture Modeling
--Worked closely with engineers to understand the relationship between customers, work orders, service regions, and technician roles.
--Evaluated how different contextual inputs (job type, location, technician availability, etc) could influence automated scheduling decisions.
-Wireframing and Prototyping
--Designed wireframes and clickable prototypes in Figma.
--Iterated based on stakeholder feedback to streamline workflow steps, minimize redundant inputs, and enhance usability.
-Usability Testing and Iteration
--Conducted usability tests to validate ease of navigation and efficiency of scheduling features.
--Incorporated feedback to refine interactions and reduce unnecessary complexity in the appointment booking process.
-Dynamic Work Order Mapping: Designed a system to flexibly assign work orders to customer locations, service regions, and specific technician owners.
-Automated Scheduling & Routing: Implemented logic that auto-assigned technicians based on skill set, availability, and location.
-Real-Time Customer Notifications: Designed a system to send alerts for technician en route, delays, or job completion.
Following the design phase, I collaborated closely with developers and stakeholders to ensure successful implementation.
-Developer Handoff: Met with developers, wrote design documentation, highlighted component specifications, and provided interactive prototypes via Figma to support development.
-Pilot Testing: Launched a beta version to a select user group, collected feedback, and made necessary adjustments.
-Performance Analysis: Tracked post-launch metrics to evaluate improvements in task completion time and user satisfaction.
The redesigned Umbrella maintenance application significantly improved:
-Technician Efficiency: 40% faster job assignment and optimized scheduling.
-Customer Communication: Reduced missed appointments with real-time status updates.
-Data Clarity: Simplified access to work orders and customer details.
-Administrative Oversight: Enhanced technician tracking and workload distribution.
I successfully transformed Umbrella's service management platform into a more efficient and user-friendly system. The redesigned mobile application streamlined work order assignment, automated scheduling, and improved technician workflows. This project reinforced the importance of aligning design decisions with real-world user needs and business objectives, ultimately enhancing productivity and customer satisfaction in a high-demand service environment.
