Bief Lences
Designer
Feature Scoping
Research
Prototyping
The development of a B2B product for a manufacturer of custom eyeglass lenses in Russia requires transitioning from the outdated process of ordering based on printed catalogs to a digitized system. This will optimize the ordering process and position company at the forefront of the industry.
Goals
Digitize offline processes for lenses ordering
For the back office and administrator, design a UI/UX of order management system. Current off-the-shelf solutions (ERP) do not meet the business requirements
Market Research
Before starting design, i conducted a market analysis. Since the internal systems of major lens manufacturers are located in authorized zones, decided to discover solutions in related fields.
The interface for ordering optics — a configurator. Configurators are often used in the automobile industry, online stores selling PC components, and the construction industry. Paid attention to technical solutions and tablet adaptivity.
Break down user path into small steps and group logically
Contextual hints in the interface
Easy comparison (tables)
Adaptation for tablets is necessary (used iPads in stores)
Describe technical terms (where simplification is not possible)
Design
There are two main scenarios: a lens ordering form for customers and an internal order management system for businesses. Both scenarios aim to streamline the lens ordering process and enhance the overall experience.
Scenario 1: Lens Ordering process for Optics Salons
Interface accessible on both tablets and PCs
Order processing in multiple stages with the salon's client
Ability to disable automatic lens selection and manually adjust parameters, especially for non-standard orders
Scenario 2: Order Management System for Businesses
Allows customization of salons/employees/devices online for each business, providing flexibility and personalization
Real-time estimate updates improve the speed and efficiency of order management
Can be used by consultants to demonstrate the interface to customers, enhancing understanding of the services offered
Scenario 1: Lens Ordering process for Optics Salons (ipad first + web)
The main scenario is the lens ordering form. It's important to create an intuitive interface that can be used on both tablets and PCs. Clarity of information is also crucial. Sometimes, a consultant may show the interface to the customer to clearly demonstrate what they are offering. (the consultant has knowledge of ALL the terms)
Order processing occurs in multiple stages, and suitable lenses are selected based on the entered data. For non-standard lenses, automatic selection can be disabled, allowing all settings to be manually adjusted.
More about creating form
Before proceeding to order formation, it was necessary to gather data from the user. This included the prescription for glasses, inquiries about coatings, frame type, and lens type.
Previously, all these processes were divided into several stages, involving interaction with offline catalogs. An optical salon employee would bring several catalogs. Paper catalogs quickly became outdated.
Catalogs example
Catalogs v 0.0.1 (prescription data and selecting frames)
The new web interface was aimed at consolidating all the main stages of lens ordering in a simple scenario, providing both the buyer and the salon employee with complete information about features of the lenses. Additionally, we eliminate the possibility of human error (for some types of lenses, a specific frame type is required, and the lens type depends on the prescription and customer requests).
The role-based model allows a salon employee to also view the status of orders at their point of sale without interacting with a manager.
Also, specific types of lenses were not always available in stock, and each time an employee had to double-check the availability information in different OMS systems. This resulted in customers having to wait.
Scenario 2: Order Management System for Businesses
In addition to the main scenario, an order management system has been developed with customization options for each business. Now, the price list is updated in real-time.
More about OMS
The office interface is divided into 2 main parts:
Salon and order management
Price list
Salon management
The back-office employee has information on all salons connected to the OMS. This includes lists of employees, orders, device quantities, and lens production statuses.
Orders and Statistics
Partner stores can track the lens manufacturing status and receive delivery dates to their store. Based on various order conditions, it either goes into production immediately or undergoes office verification within the same system.
Authentication
Optical salon employees access the interface using a username and password or device PIN code. The list of devices for login also has a salon binding due to security requirements.
Price List
The functionality allows setting custom prices for lenses in the interface based on the prices for offices from the manufacturer.
All lenses are subject to a common markup coefficient. Prices are automatically calculated taking this coefficient into account (the user needs to enter the purchase price).
An office employee can set an individual coefficient for a specific lens. In this case, the item will be highlighted with an individual indicator.
To prevent accidental errors in the price list (such as excessively high coefficients), the interface will guide the user on the limitations of each input field.
Guides
A well-described design system has helped make future support possible with minimal involvement from designers.
Result
Salons said goodbye to bulky and quickly outdated catalogs. They have optimized the order processing workflows.
Increased order conversion rates (it's easy to understand immediately which lenses can be manufactured in the shortest time). Digitizing the process has improved brand perception among customers. Real-time viewing and management of orders.
Lens manufacturers have real-time price list updates. Analytics on workload and orders.