Software redesign
DocBoss
Document Control Software
Summary
End-to-end redesign of Document Control Software to deliver perfect documentation for large engineering projects.
Example of end result: Document editing interface to match incoming documents to existing document cards.
Key results
60% reduction in onboarding time for new users to learn the software and become effective document controllers
Introduction of role-specific dashboards to visualize complicated workflows across multiple projects.
Development of new features that dramatically accelerated efficiency, reduced errors, and fostered collaboration.
About the client
DocBoss is document control software focused on minimizing the manual work required to deliver project documentation by managing end-to-end processes to execute the documentation submittals required on large projects.
Learn more about DocBoss
About the users
The company surveyed 106 respondents (45 from supplier organizations and 61 from EPCs) about the difficulties, challenges, and frustrations they encountered while executing project document control.
The respondents included 19 current DocBoss customers and ranged in size from fewer than 50 employees to more than 500 employees. The study aims to evaluate the difficulty of information handover, share resolution methods, create mutual understanding, and provide information for use in project document management systems.
Learn more about User reports
Methodology
Design Thinking, Product Strategy & User Experience Design.
Strategy
Rapid iteration of solutions validated by stakeholder interviews and prototypes
Role
As design lead, I primarily worked with the product owner, development team, and customer support.
Project Length
14 months
Tools
Illustrator
Adobe XD
Reducing onboarding time
Making information intuitive
Over time, it is easy to add new features that make sense from the systemic point of view. The software expands organically without prioritizing the user's perspective, leading to unintuitive software.
The earliest steps towards reducing onboarding time were analyzing how information is found, distributed and transformed based on the user's needs and proposing a simplified information architecture.
Old information architecture diagram
New information architecture diagram
Navigation that makes sense
This new organization allowed us to propose a new navigation focused on user goals and allowed flexibility to add customized modules based on the subscription plan and integrations.
Home button
This first navigation item allowed the user to go to three different dashboards.
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Actions Dashboard: Tracks tasks required by collaborators.
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Projects Dashboard: Provides project statuses.
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Project list: General project management area.
Project selector
This secondary item allowed the user to switch projects or quickly start a new one quickly.
Project area
This secondary item allowed the user to switch projects or quickly start a new one.
User Account, Admin, and Settings
A super menu showing displaying less frequently used project options.
Results
Previously new users would need approximately one year to learn and fully understand this software. With the information architecture, navigation and simplified thematic group, the time was reduced to three months. The client also saves considerable effort on training new users and support calls.
All these improvements lead to faster and more efficient sale cycles, increasing opportunities for new business development.
Role-base dashboard
Making information visible
Document control is critical. Large engineering projects need staff dedicated to ensuring that all documentation is current and accurate. Document controllers manage the flow of information between multiple collaborators and ensure hundreds of documents arrive to the right person on time.
Dashboards provide confidence to the users by allowing them to visualize every aspect of the project. Document controllers needed to understand the status of each document, where it is and where it should go. At the same time, project managers focus on the overall health of multiple projects.
Project Dashboard showing individual project statuses allows project managers to
Actions dashboard
Dashboards provide confidence to the users by allowing them to visualize every aspect of the project. Document controllers needed to understand the status of each document, where it is and where it should go. At the same time, project managers focus on the overall health of multiple projects.
The actions dashboard lets document controllers understand coming due, due and overdue documents.
This is an operational dashboard mainly focused on helping the user to understand the priorities of the tasks at hand, by sorting documents by criticality.
Project dashboard
This data visualization focuses on the needs of the Project Manager in charge of multiple projects and is responsible for tracking the progress of everyone involved.
Each card represents a project, displaying two levels of information.
Basic view
Show the state of completion of the project and the due date.
Expanded view
Displays a sophisticated set of metrics showing a breakdown of the progress of the project and allowing the user to navigate different sets of information based on the due date and document location.
Document location tracks who is currently working on that file, involving 3rd parties, suppliers and in-house staff.
This view also helps target documents that are off-track, overdue, not submitted or status unknown (null)—helping the user to start a further investigation.
Results
Previously new users would need approximately one year to learn and fully understand this software. With the information architecture, navigation and simplified thematic group, the time was reduced to three months. The client also saves considerable effort on training new users and support calls.
All these improvements lead to faster and more efficient sale cycles, increasing opportunities for new business development.
New feature development
Innovation driven by Users' Needs
Document control is critical. Large engineering projects need staff dedicated to ensuring that all documentation is current and accurate. Document controllers manage the flow of information between multiple collaborators and ensure hundreds of documents arrive to the right person on time.
Dashboards provide confidence to the users by allowing them to visualize every aspect of the project. Document controllers needed to understand the status of each document, where it is and where it should go. At the same time, project managers focus on the overall health of multiple projects.
Supplier challenges
48%
Mapping EPC document codes to actual of documents to be provided
48%
Taking exception to irrelevant or
unavailable document requirements
48%
Negotiating document requirements
after receipt of the purchase order
33%
Creating project databooks and cover
sheets
EPC challenges
48%
Mapping EPC document codes to actual of documents to be provided
48%
Taking exception to irrelevant or
unavailable document requirements
48%
Negotiating document requirements
after receipt of the purchase order
33%
Creating project databooks and cover
sheets