Field Lineman

Field linemen were frustrated with how they entered their time and power restoration time. They were previously having to load up their laptops in their trucks, taking almost 45 minutes everyday just getting the software started that they needed to do their job. We created applications that helped them do their jobs more efficiently and didn't take up so much time entering data. Our goal was to create something that enhanced their tasks, not extended.

Empathize

We went out into the field with the Linemen to see what their day to day tasks were. The tasks themselves were not the problem, but they way they had to enter data into their computer and sometimes copy it to a piece of paper was a big pain point. They also had a lot of trouble connecting their laptops to a reliable connection. The software that they were using had to manually be synced anytime they needed to update information in the system or get new information about orders.

Define & Ideate

We brought the users and the business together in one room to review was we observed and to really get to the core of what the users needed. We had stakeholders, IT, and end users in this group. We really got to know what issue the users were having and how we could improve it. This also gave the stakeholders insight into what the users actually do! These workshops have opened the eyes to many sitting in HQ to what their users in the field really need to complete their jobs efficiently. After defining the problems and the task at hand, we started to ideate. We started with everyone sketching Crazy 8’s individually and sharing with a small group. This allowed people to get small ideas out about different features that the application could use. The small group sharing also allowed for quiet participants to get their voice out confidently. We did the same for screen sketches. After the everyone shared within their small groups, the groups then created sketches together and presented those to the whole group.

Prototype, Test, & Implement

From the group sketches, the UX Architect and I came together to create wireframes that brought together everything.We got a lot of great ideas from each group, but needed to create one cohesive application that would serve the end user.

Once the high resolution prototype was finished, the end users were able to click through it to make sure it met their needs and more. We received great feedback and were able to make changes quickly in this stage. After the prototype went through iterations, we were able to move to development where changes were still able to be made each sprint.

In the end, we were able to create applications that were not intrusive to their day to day tasks so that they could focus more on their job and helping customers.