Problem Space
With an increase in the number of applications created every day, it’s not uncommon to see users using several applications to complete one process. In a 2017 survey, “The False Promise of the App Economy“, it was highlighted that workers are generally frustrated with having to use many apps, making it harder to focus on important tasks.
This was the case with the FDA’s MQSA certification process. Users were using three different applications (Microsoft Access, Excel, and proprietary software) to complete the process, and if there was an error in the process, it was almost impossible to find it without investing time and capital.
My role on this project was to review the certification process, consolidate it into one application, and make it easier to see and rectify errors.
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Product Designer
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14 weeks
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MQSA Database
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Product Manager, Graphic Designer, Front-end Developer, Full-stack Developer, Primary User
UNDERSTANDING THE USER’S NEEDS
How might we help FDA agents optimize their daily tasks, save time and prevent errors?
Understand the Certification Process
USER INTERVIEWS & SCOPING OUT PROCESS TASKS
To bring me into the problem, I shadowed two different FDA agents as they went through their day, carrying out the various tasks in the certification process.
I took notes and asked clarifying questions about the goals of each tasks, classifying them into four main epics.
Initial Ideation & Flow Exploration
With an in-depth understanding of the problem, I took to good ol’ fashioned pen and paper to let out some ideas starting with the flow that exists today, identifying bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
Before hopping into Figma and making my pen and paper ideas more concrete, I reviewed them with the team and users, answering some of my questions and clarifying my assumptions.
Final Concepts
EPIC 1: CERTIFICATES & LETTERS
Before the consolidation, agents had to take note of which certificates and letters had already been printed by writing it out on a sticky note and saving it somewhere in their work area.
With the design of the print shop experience, agents can now see which items have been printed. Once printed, they are able to batch apply a mailed date, making it easier to keep track of what has been printed and what still needs to be printed.
EPIC 2: BILLING & PAYMENTS
Before the consolidation, agents used to collect the bill amount in one application, and the paid amount in another.
With the design of the new billing and payments experience, agents can now see both the bill and paid amount in one place.
Agents are also able to use the system’s inbuilt reconciliation system to run various reports
EPIC 3: REGULATION/HOTLINE TICKETS
Before the consolidation, agents couldn’t easily search and update tickets, or see in a scannable way which tickets were open or closed.
With the new experience, agents can now easily scan and see which tickets are still open, and even filter by ticket status. Agents are also now able to drill into tickets and make updates.
EPIC 4: FACILITY VIEW
Before the consolidation, agents had an un-sortable table view of facilities, and had to remember an institution’s facility number to be able to see any additional information on that institution.
With the new experience, agents now have a sortable and filterable table which allows for drilling down into information about the institution by clicking the facility number.
Key Results
To validate the designs, we conducted several usability test with twenty agents and was able to get some feedback for iteration.
83%
decrease in time spent shifting from application to application to complete the certification process
94%
increase in reconciliation accuracy in billing and payments experience
89.6%
decrease in the time it takes to complete the overall MQSA certification process
Reflections
COLLABORATION WITH USERS
From the very first day I started on the project, I was able to interact with users and learn first hand from those that were directly affected by the problem we were trying to solve. It was a refreshing experience to work so closely with users, testing flows, and validating ideas. This led to a more seamless workflow of collaboration between the cross-functional team of design, development and product, with users.
FAILING FAST & OFTEN
One of thingsI was encouraged to do early on in this project was to Fail Fast and Often. This allowed me to throw out grand ideas that, even though did not end up making the cut, was able to influence other ideas that did. It also challenged the larger team to strive to create the best possible user experience in spite of the limited time and resources we had at our disposal. I was able to create rapid prototypes and conduct several usability testing sessions to validate my ideas and assumptions. This led to landing on an effective solution quickly, affordably and productively.