Poolware is a cloud-based application used by pool and water treatment stores to manage inventory, customer communications, logistics, and work orders. When you have a piece of software that handles everything from chemical balances to despatching technicians, things can get complicated quickly.
We partnered with Waterco to improve the usability of this powerful tool. Our goal was to streamline efficiencies for stores, pool technicians, and dispatchers - all without losing the robust functionality that made Poolware great in the first place.
Challenge
It was clear that Poolware was a complex, powerful piece of software with years of development, time, and money invested. But it was suffering from a classic case of 'featuritis' - packed with features and functions that users either didn't understand or simply didn't need.
Our mission was to dive into user research to uncover how people were actually using the platform, prioritise the features they truly wanted, and develop designs to meet those needs. The catch? We had to accomplish all of this without breaking the existing legacy development framework.
Solution
We devised an end-to-end digital transformation strategy, centered on a robust, unified platform and data-driven marketing.
Solution
We devised an end-to-end digital transformation strategy, centered on a robust, unified platform and data-driven marketing.
Usability testing
We tested the platform with technicians and dispatchers to see how, where, and why they were using either Poolware or third-party platforms. This taught us exactly which features were important and why.
SME interviews
We sat down with advanced users to discuss what the software does - and doesn't do. This helped us understand its significance to operational flows and pinpoint areas for improvement.
Feature prioritisation
Once we synthesised our research data, we created a clear outline of the 'musts, shoulds, woulds, and wonts'. This focused our design and development efforts and provided the perfect cure for featuritis.
Service blueprint mapping
Working alongside cross-functional team members, store managers, and technical experts, we mapped out improved platform journeys for dispatchers and technicians. We ensured these could be delivered within the existing development framework and store operational flows.
Wireframing
All those rich research insights were turned into wireframed dashboards that met user needs while being entirely feasible to develop.
Prototyping
We built prototypes for complex workflows - like customer profile creation, work order templates, calendar conflict resolution, and system reporting - to ensure our designs hit the mark before development began.
Moodboards and design direction
A strong visual foundation for the software's user interface was explored, ensuring it had enough flexibility to be re-skinned to suit other brands.
Visual design
We produced polished static mock-ups, leveraging the wireframes and prototypes already proven in testing.
Design system
We built a comprehensive guide to component libraries, typography, and colour styles. This system was designed to be flexible enough to be re-skinned without ever compromising on usability and functionality.
Results
The impact of this digital transformation has been nothing short of spectacular, propelling Johnco and Good to Play to new heights.
Logical, efficient workflows are tailored to specific users - optimising the desktop experience for despatchers and the mobile experience for technicians on the go.
A thoughtful interface design makes urgent alerts instantly recognisable, simplifies user note and image uploading, and brings new efficiencies to creating, delegating and completing tasks.
The new design's versatility can be successfully applied to an expanding and transitioning business, perfectly timed for Waterco's acquisition of a major competitor.
The development team were equipped with comprehensive prototypes, designs, and design libraries to immediately get to work improving the Poolware experience.
It might feel like conducting user research after you've built a product is taking a step backwards, but our clients at Poolware and Waterco understood the value of reliable user data to inform a meaningful solution. It’s never too late for user research in product development.
The webqem team are top-class professional designers who took the task seriously and went beyond our expectations. It genuinely felt like working with people who care about their craft.
Eugene Vostrikov, Managing Director | Ezera Systems | Waterco Group
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