User Experience impact in Industrial world
Intuitiveness and simplicity for easy and fast adoption of digital tools
Manufacturing companies are now able to manage all their critical processes on a one integrated digital platform. Typically, companies rely on the use of multiple digital tools, impacting their productivity. Integration is crucial in digital transformation. More and more professionals (in Operations, Sales, Finance and IT) are recognizing its benefits in their daily activities
But what about the design and the ‘look & feel’ of such tools? The importance of intuitiveness and simplicity are two factors that providers can longer ignore, and User Experience (UX) matters now more than ever. UX is at the heart of delivering ‘capability’ versus ‘functionality’, and companies should not compromise on this when evaluating new digital tools.
This is the mantra of Digitalsoft, a software products company specialized in supply chain management. Take Digitalsoft’s d-one product, it’s a end-to-end natively integrated platform, that combines UX with ‘Made in Italy’. A great combo that makes d-one a platform that is easy to use and customizable, down to the individual user. When you want to create tools that solve problems, flexibility in adapting to the user and process needs matters.
Italy is well known for design. It comes as no surprise that Digitalsoft’s design team is based in Italy. It’s design team’s expertise revolve around merging simplicity with user attractiveness. “Our goal is to bring Italian excellence in the world of digital innovation and software, betting on the best talents Italy provides! No one can deny the value that Italian taste for creativity and expertise in design, brings”, states Emiliano Zappacosta, Chief Design Officer, who has made of this goal his key mission.
Simplicity in industrial UX design to increase productivity
Let’s take a step back to better understand the importance of UX design. To provide an easy and fast adoption, a software tool needs to be designed according to the experience and the use that a user can make of it. “Intuitiveness and simplicity are crucial. Still, many industrial softwares are built with an inherent complexity caused by the processes they manage” highlights Mr. Zappacosta. “We believe that pursuing a user experience based on easiness will bring such platforms to reach the next level”.
The market is made of digital tools that are still too complex and are not user-centred when it comes to design. Instead, Digitalsoft decided to introduce this user centricity in the industrial world, a sector where this factor was secondary. “The dedication of our UX designers is what enable us to create tools that simplify users job and processes, helping them to take the right decision at the right time. All resulting in productivity increase” says the CDO.
UX design and productivity are interrelated: by removing repetitive and low-value added activities (like manual updates and analysis of Excel spreadsheets) productivity is lightened and professionals can focus on what matters, speeding up processes.
To take care of these factors the design has to grant clarity and transparency on activities trends, enabling user to be proactive.
It is no coincidence that d-one’s design is differentiated from others in terms of : attractiveness, easiness of use, focus on visual and speed.
The visual management capabilities it presents show data, info, and trends in a clear way, easy to understand.
This will enable all the users, from directors to operators, to be constantly aware of the situation and to have the right information to take the right decisions.
Pleasing the eye is not a baseless cliché: by working in a comfortable environment, you generate serenity and stimulate efficiency. Same as for digital environments, with the tools we use daily. Digitalsoft focuses on 360° user experience.
As stated by Zappacosta: “Users have to be always at the center of the product. Only by looking at the use they make of it and the various actions she/he takes while using it you will be able to create an efficient product that they will appreciate. Always ask yourself the questions a user would ask”.
Software usability is far from being simply an IT responsibility. Design often covers the most strategic and important company flows: short, medium and long term planning, daily activities management, operational management of company’s productivity, shipments planning…no matter the process, this Made in Italy design will adapt.
Our products are designed to represent our commitment to providing ‘the right data at the right time to the right device, so the right people can make the right decision’, ends the leader.
“We provide our customers with a platform so easy to use, that it promotes a rapid increase in efficiency. A consumer-centric tool guiding companies in the digitalization through a modular and gradual approach, taking care of specific needs and maturity”.
