About Dell Technologies
Dell Technologies is one of the largest tech companies in the world who develops, sells, repairs, and supports computers and related products and services.
The Problem
Dell’s field services dispatch app is a field scheduling native iOS and Android application that allows computer repair technicians to create, request, and complete dispatches for Dell customers. The current application is a legacy product that causes frequent user errors, a high volume of support staff calls, and provides a poor customer and user experience, due to the lack of critical functionality for efficient repairs.
The Solution
An updated experience following the current native design guideline’s best practices with a heavy focus on decreasing user errors, improving overall usability, decreasing burden on support staff, and ensuring legal compliance.
Role: Product Designer | Timeline: 4 months | Team: Design Manager, Product Owner, 6 Developers
Process and Learnings
Research
Our design research team visited DFSM users on-site in Bangladesh and in the USA. They employed various research methods including ride-alongs with dispatchers, generative user interviews, reviewing support calls, and drawing insights from app usage analytics. I was provided with the synthesis of the user research to inform my design decisions. Based on the results of this research, I designed user flow diagrams and other UX artifacts to assess the viability of the new experience, and gain alignment with the development team.
Dell: User flow for ordering a repeat dispatch
Challenge - Part Selection
Redesign the part selection flow to deliver greater user value and minimize support calls.
Problem
When a user is unable to complete a dispatch and must create a repeat dispatch to solve the issue, they are first required to select a reason for repeating the dispatch. Based on their selection, a specific list of available parts is shown. This causes frequent errors when the list does not include a needed part (either because the wrong list was shown, the database was incomplete, or there were multiple reasons for repeating the dispatch)
Solution
Users are initially shown a sortable list divided into three collapsable sections to improve performance speed: “Previous dispatch parts,” “All parts,” and “Request a part.” Based on the parts selected, the system automatically assigns a reason to the dispatch. If a part is unlisted, users can file a request for the missing part using the part category and part name or description, eliminating the need to have client tech lead agents select for them over the phone.
Challenge - Field Scheduling
Improve customer field scheduling ease and efficiency for follow up appointments.
Problem
Repeat dispatches are automatically scheduled for the next business day. If the customer is unavailable, technicians must call client technical lead agents who reschedule the dispatch through Delta Network Services. The dispatch assignments are listed on the Assignments screen without scheduling details, automatically updated daily, and are prioritized based on Service Level Agreement.
Solution
Field techs will be able to schedule a repeat dispatch while on site with the customer. They will be provided with a list of dates up to 5 business days from the current date. The available time-slots are dependent on the customer’s service level agreement. They will also be able to reschedule a dispatch from the Dispatch details screen. They will see the timestamps on the Assignments screen allowing them to better plan their day.
Challenge - Dispatch History
Provide dispatch history to improve on-site parts troubleshooting and book repeat dispatches with higher accuracy.
Problem
Users are not provided with a way to view previous dispatches or issues with assignments. If a repeat dispatch has been scheduled, the new dispatcher does not have context for the reason the dispatch was repeated. This leads to a heavily burdened customer support team as notes are only recorded in salesforce.
Solution
When users land on the Dispatch Details screen, they have the ability to view the dispatch history for each assignment completed in the past 60 days. Dispatch history is sorted underneath each service tag (unique identifier for Dell hardware. Each entry displays dispatch number, service type, instructions, service completion date, and parts selected.
