UX Research 

Interprise Portal Design

IDE is one of the key tool designed to help engineers digitally integrate their process for factory design, in preliminary planning, inspection setup, factory floor design. I was involved in answering the following questions about their IDE software’s role in the factory redesign process.
Siemens China invested in an innovative initiative to transform traditional factories through digital design, working on tools to support traditional factories to take incremental steps torwards more efficient factories.

My Role
Testing Protocal Design, Interview Analysis, Design Suggestion

Outcome
1. 6 User Interview / User Testing
2. Testing and Interview summary for future iteration.

Background

Research Questions
1. What issues prevent participants from going through the process set up case modeling information and configuring KPI?
2. What sources of information do participants currently look for to complete?
3. How efficiently are participants able to successfully find the information they need to complete case modeling and configuring KPI?


Research Process

1. Set up key tasks in exisiting user flow
I talked to desinger and researcher from our project and the design team to understand the existing challenge of the user interaction flow from their perspectives. Then I conducted usability testing with our internal users to learn more about what problems they had when using the IDE tool.

2. Constructing the interview and testing protocol
To learn how people understood the existing flow, I organized the interview session within the testing. I invited them to share the existing practice on factory plan simulation, and then prioritize what information mattered to them.


Usability Test Procedures

Screening
1. Screening questionnaire to recruit representative participants

User Interivew
2. 2 Pilot Interiviews determine participant familiarity with similar tools
3. User Interviews with 10 Participants

Usability Study
4. Four Tasks using Think Aloud Protocol and Post-Task
5. Post-Test Interview 
6. SUS (System Usability Score) Evaluation


Key Tasks

Task 1: Please Set up the basic information for a new production case you are going to work on.
Issue: System presentation does not meet user expectations; System Visibility


Task 2: Please show me how you would use production data, production systems to simulate and generate production model for a factory line.
Issue: Discoverability; Prototype interaction flow mismatch user’s perception



Task 3: Please show me how you would find the KPI formulas for work unit and individual machine level and how they would be used and set up for each level?
Issue: System Discoverability;  Prototype interaction flow mismatch user’s perception



Task 4: Please show me how you would create a new custom KPI from scratch?
Issue:  Prototype interaction flow mismatch user’s perception; Efficiency of Use



Design Suggestions

1.  System Mismatch - Prototype interaction flow mismatch user’s perception
Suggestion: Make information flow clearer with design changes

2. Efficiency of Use - Local Interaction create redundant operations 
Suggestion:  Use user-familiar style of interaction to assist with their tasks

3. Discoverability - The lack of connection between each step makes it unclear to the user where to go next
Suggestion: Changn UI element location and adjust the proximity to each other



Credits
Project Scope
User Interview
User Testing
Research Design Suggestions
Time
June–Aug 2019

Team
UX Researcher (1)
UX Designer (1)

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