Start, Don’t Stop
Re-engaging legacy systems for enhanced user experience and workflow efficiency
Client: OneStop
Challenge
Forge was engaged by OneStop business registry team to revise their website, aiming to enhance user experience and streamline workflow efficiency for registration of single-owner companies. This project encompassed a range of objectives, including addressing design issues, updating visual styles, and aligning the site with the Corporate Online platform.
Intricate business rules and regulations that had to be mastered. The success of the OneStop project hinged on creating a user interface capable of seamlessly translating these intricate rules into an intuitive user experience. Adding to the challenge, there were budgetary constraints, and the initial grasp of the project's full scope was limited. Initially, the budget did not allocate resources for both design and research components, forcing the team to make difficult decisions between the two.
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​Forge was the ideal partner for this challenging contract, primarily due to their extensive experience leveraging user research to assess needs and define solution requirements and specifications.
Approach
To tackle these challenges, our approach was to first conduct a heuristic review of the existing OneStop solution. Forge’s depth of experience allowed for an efficient systematic review of the OneStop service against a set of guidelines to determine where the existing solution failed to meet basic usability and experience expectations. This review set the scope for a focused, yet modest end-user research phase that would inform a digital transformation of BC Registries.
Forge interviewed all user types of OneStop which helped to validate the current understanding of design issues, identified new/unknown issues, acted as background and a framework for prioritizing user stories. The research uncovered a multitude of issues, many of which extended beyond the confines of OneStop's specific challenges. These findings paved the way for a full-scale modernization project, with the issues encountered at OneStop serving as a beachhead for a new registry.
Throughout the project, Forge collaborated closely with internal Business Analysts, delving deep into the nuances of business rules and terminology. Learning about the BC Business Registry was crucial, as it entailed comprehending the multitude of intricacies within the realm of business rules and regulations. The OneStop user interface needed to encompass a comprehensive understanding of these rules, making the project inherently complex.
Forge's extensive experience in competitive environments proved invaluable. It enabled us to swiftly gather requirements, make informed decisions, and iterate on both the product and development processes while they were "in-flight." This agile approach ensured that we could adapt rapidly to evolving project needs and stakeholder requirements.
Impact
The impact of our collective efforts with OneStop and Forge on the BC Business Registry transformation reverberated across multiple touchpoints:
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Streamlined Process: Through our work, we successfully streamlined and modernized the process for sole proprietorships. This achievement translated into a clear, user-friendly system that significantly benefited BC entrepreneurs.
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Reduced Support Burden: The transformation led to a substantial reduction in support calls and interactions for internal staff. The improved user interface minimized confusion and queries, enhancing operational efficiency.
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Research Summary Report: As part of our deliverables, we provided a comprehensive research summary report. This document served as a valuable resource, consolidating insights and findings that not only guided the OneStop project but also laid the groundwork for future initiatives.
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Comprehensive Registration: Our project extended to cover a range of "Firm Registration" types, addressing the diverse needs of single-owner businesses. This expansion encompassed a spectrum of businesses, from small mom-and-pop shops to sole proprietorships and partnership registration.
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Our collaboration with OneStop set a new benchmark for modernizing BC Registries. It not only provided a clear direction but also established a high standard for future endeavours in this domain, aligning with the goal of simplifying processes, reducing support overhead, and delivering impactful, user-centric solutions.
