Before this project release, users navigated through an outdated one-page flow to create work orders in our system. After that, vendors engaged in the process of submitting bids and negotiating schedules with clients and administrators. However, this proved to be a time-consuming process, and in many cases jobs were already agreed upon and scheduled.
In response, I designed an entirely new solution that allows users to retroactively create those jobs. This innovative approach marked the initial step in addressing gaps within our system and implementing improved scheduling workflows.
Scheduled Work Order
Scheduling demanded many different options and patterns. Recognizing the significance of sequencing, I realized that specific fields must precede others in the process. A crucial aspect was identifying areas that required customization, emphasizing the importance of mapping out the variations of the user journey.
Considering the diverse technical backgrounds of our vendor and client users, I implemented visual aids such as a side bar summary and tooltips. To streamline the workflow, I divided it into four stages, complemented by a progress bar along the top for clear tracking.
The complexity of pricing in this workflow arose from the integration of vendor rate cards uploaded into our system. This aspect demanded extensive research and collaboration with the vendor success team.
The introduction of this new workflow in the mobile app yielded immediate positive outcomes for every team involved. Both the engineering and product teams experienced significant advantages, enabling swift work order creation for QA testing. Then, I extended this functionality to the vendor portal, empowering vendors to integrate it into their business operations. This strategic move not only enhanced operational efficiency, but also contributed to an additional revenue stream for Worksmith. I played a pivotal role in designing and implementing the scheduled work order feature for the vendor app, addressing crucial missing elements such as client management, location tracking, technician assignment, and the creation of recurring job pages.
Work orders in the mobile app
The managers of vendors needed a streamlined solution for efficiently assigning multiple technicians to various segments of recurring schedules. This process often involved assigning different technicians to specific days of the service. Additionally, managers required the flexibility to create custom schedules during iterations of the scheduling process. Refocusing our efforts on the existing automated system for email and text notifications was a crucial aspect of this project, resulting in thorough research before finalizing the updates to those.