Contact Collaboration

Background

Role Product Designer

As our business began migrating users from our successful desktop product to new cloud solutions, we needed to focus on client collaboration. Improving collaborative efforts between client and account was a key differentiator between the desktop and cloud product.

I was the lead designer for several enhancements to our client collaboration offerings over a 5 month period. Working with the product and development teams, my contributions included research, prioritization, journey mapping, producing mockups, and delivering the UI assets.

The release of the various value-added solutions led to a 35% increase in accounting firms using cloud platform solutions*. Additionally, contact collaboration - introduced through our “Query” system - was featured in AccountingToday and CIOdive.

*Based on total firm adoption after the following selling season.

Discover

QUERIES

The primary issue facing accountants in small-to-medium-sized firms is client collaboration. Time-consuming back-and-forths are usually required to retrieve documents. Because many documents are required to start or move forward with an engagement, accountants waste time waiting for client responses. Every hour is valuable since accountants bill clients for the time spent.

CaseWare’s Query feature helps accountants perform client requests through a secure portal.

A version of the feature was already implemented, but was lacking features and functionality.

RESEARCH

I performed some usability tests on the Query feature, which took accountants through typical use cases. Some typical use cases required a client interaction. Mocking a realistic environment, I set up colleagues with a research script and had them log in to play the role of a client.

Synthesizing the findings revealed several problems. I summarized the findings with a presentation to the product and development teams.

Define

Through our research, we noticed that many accountants were using email as the primary channel for client collaboration. To gain a competitive advantage in the market, we would have to address the pain points that come along with email.

Goals

• Enable users to track all requests and their progress from one location

• Give users the ability to organize their queries and find specific information quickly

• Provide a method of file transfer that was more secure than email while limiting additional effort.

Prioritization

Problems were prioritized by estimating the impact to the user and comparing the estimate to the perceived effort. Prioritization allowed us to effectively scope and communicate the upcoming design efforts.

Develop

Wireframing and ideation

I worked with internal and external stakeholders to design and refine solutions. Low fidelity early solutions allowed us to move quickly and explore multiple possibilities.

Deliver

Query dashboard

The first feature we delivered addressed one of our original goals: giving accountants a way to organize and track their queries. The feature was released to our markets prior to any other new Query functionality.

The product feature was showcased as part of the RCT product demo.

For more on this feature, please see the Query Dashboard case study.

Version 1

While assessing the impact of the Query Dashboard, we started designing and developing new Query features based on the priorities identified through our research. Our next release introduced improvements to the clarity, usability and performance of the Query document. 

New features were planned and introduced to address other goals. Grouping and filtering functionality allowed accountants to better organize their queries better. For instance, allowing the accountant to see all overdue requests, or filter out completed requests targeted specific low points in their workflow.

If you’re interested in learning more about this project, feel free to reach out.