Project Summary:
During my cooperative internship at Crown Equipment Corporation, I participated in a usability study of Crown 360, a tool designed for service technicians to locate OEM Crown-certified forklift parts. This study aimed to identify and categorize user pain points following the tool’s introduction, which replaced the traditional parts request portal. Through interviews with 76 employees across various departments, we documented key issues and presented findings to stakeholders, emphasizing the value of addressing these concerns. The study included a mockup presentation to ensure effective communication of the results.
Background:
Crown Equipment Corporation is a leading material handling company specializing in warehouse solutions, including pallet movers, forklifts, tow tractors, and stackers. The company designs and manufactures 85 percent of its products’ components in-house and operates an authorized network of service providers responsible for troubleshooting and maintaining Crown products. Previously, service technicians relied on a website portal to find and request parts, often requiring calls to nearby service centers to check availability. To make the process more seamless, a native application was developed that allows technicians to track and search for parts. The application was named Crown 360.
Adapted from Crown Equipment Corporation website (https://www.crown.com)
During the 2021 pandemic, the transition to Crown 360 led to numerous user complaints. This usability test aimed to thoroughly investigate the pain points experienced by users and provide a detailed report to Crown Corporate stakeholders.
Study Methodology:
- We conducted semi-structured interviews with 76 Crown employees from various departments via Zoom.
- The audio from these meetings was recorded and transcribed to identify individual pain points.
- These pain points were categorized by department and into key categories (Reporting, Support, Data Synchronization, and User Experience).
- Responses were organized in Airtable, and a value bucket chart was created to present findings to stakeholders.
Users:
Users were grouped based on their job roles such as New Equipment Sales, Service, Parts, Rental & Used Equipment, Customer Care, Warehouse Solutions, and Branch Managers. All the included job roles are listed under each category as shown below:
Categorization of users based on their roles and departments
Value Buckets:
Individual value buckets were developed, with the benefit of resolving specific issues highlighted to stakeholders using a ‘Value if Fixed’ card next to them.
Categorization of pain points and value of fixes
Related pain points that could be addressed by a single fix were visually connected using threads.
Value Bucket Chart
Presentation Mockup for Stakeholders:
Before presenting the findings to the stakeholders, a detailed mockup was conducted to simulate the actual presentation scenario, allowing the team to identify potential issues in conveying the information clearly and persuasively. A small board and LEGO mini figurines were used to emulate the scenario.
