Supporting Support: An Internal Tool
TLDR: Designed a tool that turned a 25 minute process into a 2 minute process, saving $165K annually, increasing employee satisfaction, and enabling the company to scale
Teams
Product, Support, Development, Implementation
Role
Product Designer
Year
2023
BACKGROUND
In response to operational challenges faced by our Support Team, I spearheaded the design of an internal tool aimed at optimizing the process of checking client data. The existing manual process required Support Team members to spend 20 minutes each morning navigating through automated Outlook emails, ensuring the proper import of client data. This inefficiency was not only time-consuming but also incurred a significant cost to the company, estimated at $165K annually.
“Checking emails takes about 20-ish, maybe 25 minutes, just to click through all those emails every day…I can’t imagine having to do this for all of our Support+ clients. I do not want to spend an hour looking through the mailbox.”
— Senior Client Support Rep
PROBLEM STATEMENT
The manual email-checking process was a bottleneck for the Support Team, consuming valuable time and resources. The need for a more streamlined approach was evident, prompting the development of a solution that could not only reduce the time spent on this task but also enhance accuracy, efficiency, and allow the company to scale.
SOLUTION
The proposed solution involved the creation of an internal tool within an existing page in our software that provided Support Team members with a comprehensive overview of all data imports. The tool enabled users to quickly identify successful imports and, more crucially, filter and address unsuccessful ones.The key features of the internal tool included:
The Key Features
The final design deliverable included the following.
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A centralized table displaying all recent data imports, allowing Support Team members to have an instant overview.
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The ability to filter and sort imports based on success or failure, enabling quick identification and resolution of any issues.
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A modal with specific, centralized import information needed by Support to troubleshoot issues
DEVELOPMENT
The implementation of the internal tool involved collaboration between the Support and Development Teams. Regular feedback sessions and iterative testing ensured that the tool met the specific needs of the Support Team. The tool was seamlessly integrated into the existing workflow, minimizing disruption and facilitating a smooth transition.
Senior Client Support Rep
“This is 10 times easier. It makes everything so much easier just scrolling through instead of clicking through emails.”
RESULTS
The implementation of the internal tool yielded significant improvements in efficiency and cost savings:
Time Saving
The manual process that previously took 25 minutes each morning was reduced to a mere 2 minutes. This represented an impressive time saving of over 90%.
Cost Reduction
With the substantial time savings, the company's annual cost associated with this process was reduced by an estimated $165,000.
Employee Satisfaction
Support Team members reported higher job satisfaction, as the tool alleviated the burden of a tedious and time-consuming task, allowing them to focus on more value-added activities.
CONCLUSION