Aspirion
As a part of an ambitious project redesigning the distribution and sharing of analyst work queues. We addressed the confusion caused by complex filtering, abundant sorting options, and an unintuitive grid dashboard. Through user-centric design and stakeholder collaboration, we successfully improved the workflow, reducing the need for manual processes.
We phased out Polaris in late 2019 in the past four years, Compass has transformed and grown to have more than 700 analysts in seven different service lines. Originally Compass was developed entirely based on Polaris rather than how the analyst used the software to do their jobs. In comparison, the company started using the software predecessor with about 350 analysts servicing four service lines.
Our goal for the project was to make Compass mindful of the user and help solve real problems. Originally Compass was a copy of Poloresee. However, we are trying to
bring the organization into the future and focus on the user’s needs. Our ambition was to create a strong base that embraces the analyst process and the rapidly
evolving business with a more diverse service line reach.
Our high-level goals were to:
- Make it fast and easy to use for everyone.
- Give analysts more control over their workload and process.
- Create a platform for innovation and deeper engagement.
Research & Discovery
Ideation & Collaboration
Prototype
Test
Product Design
End-to-end Visual Design
Timeline: on going
Research
We shadowed over 30 users working in the existing Compass app, conducted interviews, and administered surveys to gather valuable insights. Our primary objectives were to gain insights into the specific challenges encountered by analysts and managers and identify the workarounds they employed to overcome those challenges.
Excessive contact for workload coordination.
Managers constantly contacted analysts outside of Compass, sending Excel sheets daily. Analysts want to see their full workload on all the accounts and sort and filter depending on need.
Suboptimal sorting and filtering options
Analysts expressed frustration with the multitude of sorting and filtering options available. Users needed help figuring out what accounts they needed to focus on. Analyst expected to start working accounts faster.
Analists workload comprehension
Managers spend a lot of time understanding each user’s work bucket to know if they have the available capacity to help a colleague or not.
Double touching an account
Users encountered challenges when multiple people worked on the same account.
Tracking progress
The ability to track progress individually and as a team is crucial for analysts. Users hold a strong expectation of experiencing a sense of accomplishment by the end of each day, reflecting the completed work.
Unreliable facilities
Hospitals occasionally send lists of accounts that need to be touched, and the list appears to be chosen randomly.
Discovery
Determining and configuring what accounts the analyst needs to focus on proved time-consuming and challenging due to the complex grid-like dashboard view and numerous options.
Analysts expected immediate access to accounts upon login, but this was not met. Even experienced power users faced difficulties managing their work queues, leading to an
opportunity to improve workflow organization and progression for all users. This began a commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in workload and account management.
Before diving into the design process, assessing the success and effectiveness of creating and distributing the work queues process on a larger scale was crucial.
This involved establishing reliable metrics to measure quality and success. To achieve this, I delved into the concept of an ideal work queue experience and
developed a framework that encompassed vital dimensions such as time, ease, and accuracy.
Goal
Analyst continuously working in Compass
Increased worked accounts per day
Analyst perfomance satisfaction
Time from login to work machine to start work on accounts.
Alert
Uninterrupted time
Number of accounts
Stress, satisfaction
Time frame
Metric
Estimated time
Accounts/day
Analyst satisfaction
Estimated time from login to account open
The Problem
In Compas, analysts need help in identifying the accounts requiring immediate attention due to a complex grid dashboard with numerous columns that are difficult to navigate and sort. Unreliable filters and system glitches further add to the confusion. As a result, analysts rely on additional support from managers and team leads to create work queues.
“...how might we streamline account management in Compas to increase analysts’ and managers’ focus on working accounts by minimizing time spent on organizing and prioritizing?”
We aim to help analysts and managers save time on organizing and prioritizing accounts, allowing them to focus more on actively working with them.
The Redesign
The home page
Introducing an enhanced home page in Compass, we have made the process of finding your expected work accounts faster, effortless, and devoid of confusion. Rather than encountering an empty dashboard upon login, users now have direct access to work queues on the home page. These queues can be created by the analysts themselves, shared by managers, or assigned based on the specific service line they are working on.
Work queues
On the left-hand side of the homepage, users can find the work queues (referred to as views) that require their attention. These views are categorized into three types.
Analysts can create their views, managers can create and share views, and users may have views assigned based on their service line.
Work progress
The homepage provides users with two graphs to analyze their daily work progress while also presenting an overview of the revenue generated by the
service line the analyst is associated with. Moreover, managers can track their team's progression through a dropdown menu on their homepage.
From grid to cards
We have modernized and transformed the widely disliked horizontal scrolling grid into a more user-friendly format by converting the grid rows into cards. These cards contain
concise yet crucial information that helps analysts grasp the nature of each account more effectively.
Creating work queues
To enhance the work queue management experience, we have implemented an intuitive query builder that allows users to effortlessly configure filter and rule setups. This feature enables
analysts to easily select the desired filters and rules to create customized work queue queries. With this powerful tool at their disposal, users can quickly and efficiently define the
criteria for populating their work queues, ensuring they have the most relevant and actionable accounts at their fingertips. The query builder empowers analysts to streamline their workflow,
prioritize tasks effectively, and maximize their productivity.
In-app sharing enabled
Upon creating a work queue, users have the option to share it with one or multiple individuals. To ensure effective collaboration, if an analyst has accessed a specific account, the
record is automatically locked, and a visual notice indicates that it is currently being viewed. This feature helps maintain data integrity and fosters efficient teamwork within the system.
Working on accounts
We have crafted an intuitive interface that optimizes the work queue experience for analysts. Analysts are presented with a clear and organized view of the accounts when a
work queue is opened. These accounts are displayed as individual cards on the left side of the page, allowing for easy inspection and navigation. The main space of the page
shows the account that demands immediate action and should be prioritized.
How we got here
Three primary questions informed my design strategy:
- Who is everyone, and how to design for them?
- What scenarios and cases need to be considered?
- What is the optimal workflow?
I conducted an in-depth analysis to ensure a comprehensive understanding of our users and the factors influencing their experience. I translated the findings into a framework of spectrums and situations. This framework, supplemented with a user persona, was a valuable guide throughout the design process.
It was essential for the team to have a shared understanding. To achieve this, we analyzed various spectrums and took into account the corresponding situations. By doing so, we were able to customize the design to accommodate the diverse needs and preferences of users, resulting in a more inclusive and user-centered experience.
After thoroughly understanding the perfect process, we proceeded to reverse-engineer it to identify the essential steps and components. This analysis revealed four key design challenges that must be addressed.
- How can we optimize the user's workflow to expedite working on an account?
- How can we design a streamlined work queue process that minimizes effort and saves time?
- How can we eliminate the reliance on a grid dashboard for improved usability?
- How can we effectively adapt to the dynamic nature of workload expectations from the facility?
Testing
We were initially concerned that the new homepage experience, with its fundamentally different flow, might introduce issues. To mitigate these concerns, we conducted on-site testing using an early prototype of the designs.
The results were positive, with users readily adapting to the design and affirming its user-friendly nature. It resonated well with them, confirming our intuition about designing for ease of use. The testing successfully achieved its objective of assessing the ease of finding and starting work, navigating through the homepage, and identifying any issues with the "Work Queues" section.
Valuable insights were gained, indicating occasional difficulty with specific section titles, but users could still understand the functionality. They clearly understood shared buckets, comprehended graphs, and effectively executed actions. Based on these findings, we recommend removing the "share more" button and renaming the section to enhance clarity and improve user understanding.
