Kupfer Software

A field force management app for heating installation companies

* I am currently revising the content of the case study

Check out my other projects in the meantime — TolaData and Walhall.

What is Kupfer software?

This was an app commissioned by Viessmann. https://www.kupfer-software.de/

Features:

• Time management
• CRM
• Document management

Team:

Collaborated and co-designed with other UX team members. We also worked with the client’s external research consultants.

Problem addressed

Heavily paper-based

Most companies are owned by old-schoolers who relied on paper for record-keeping. One project carries extremely thick files that must be archived for years.

Time wasted

Scheduling installers manually leaves room for lots of lost time when appointments are cancelled or the days tasks are finished ahead of estimated time.

Loss of revenue

Because of the dire inefficiencies in scheduling and operations, companies are know to reject clients.

Poor customer service

Equipment that require periodic maintenance are hard to keep track of leading to lower equipment life cycle which means to cost transfer to customers.

Design brief

To design a web app that can work for both office users and installers who are usually mobile and possibly without good internet connection.

Installers should be able to access relevant project documents on site, take notes of what he sees and does on the site and share it with the office staff. They should be able to easily log time worked.

The office staff should be able to receive appointment notes as soon as the appointment is completed. They should be able to know when an installer is available to be assigned to another project.

Approach

The features agreed on for this project were determined by the client’s external research consultants. I began by mapping a flow chart of my understanding of the user journey noting areas pr pains and opportunities. This was discussed with all stakeholders to make sure were were all on the same page before starting to sketch ideas.

There was a constraint in the beginning. Kupfer app was meant to utilize the existing Toladata API model and user interface as much as possible. This meant that we had to reuse the components already implemented in TolaData. This approach, soon, was not optimal. The navigation flow designed for TolaData was not congruent with that of installers processes.

Following rounds of testing with real users, the feedback led us to change the interface design. The reception of this new design was much more positive.

In addition, we were assigned a dedicated UI designer who started creating pixel perfect components and a coherent design system.

Lessons learnt

When working with an external research consultant, the designer received third party information. We missed on the micro-cues that you can get when directly interviewing your users. Though we had research reports, we also tried to use our own contacts to get independent feedback. Afterall, we all have access to installers to fix our internet or plumbing.

It is important to have a dedicated UI designer in a team to focus effort on interface specific needs. This leaves room for the UX designer to focus on balancing real user and business values. If a research or a UI designer are assumed to be one and the same, a part or the project will suffer neglect.

It is important to define robust target users and understand the full user journey. This is a team effort that involves the client, product team, sales and marketing team. Otherwise, we find ourselves designing features but in the grand scheme of things they are not addressing a lucrative market or real pains.