Setting a New Standard in Procurement Through Experience Design  

Background

Symphony Solutions and Virtualstock have been long-standing partners, and our latest collaboration has been the development of Framespan, a cutting-edge procurement solution tailored for Virtualstock. Framespan revolutionizes the procurement process by consolidating all essential government frameworks into a single, user-friendly platform, specifically designed to streamline operations for procurement teams. The focus on UI UX design and development services has been central to the project, ensuring that every element of Framespan is crafted to meet the users’ needs effectively. 

Client

Virtualstock, a leader in e-commerce, supply chain, and procurement technology, has been delivering innovative solutions since 2010. The company offers cutting-edge solutions to major retailers, hospitals, and building merchants throughout the United Kingdom. They are known for their client-focused approach, ensuring effective implementation by providing the best support for their products. Some of Virtualstock’s notable clients include John Lewis, Screwfix, Aldi, and NHS Shared Business Services.

Challenge

For Virtualstock, introducing Framespan meant tackling two major challenges. Firstly, there was a need to develop a distinct brand identity for this new product with the help of brand experience design experts. This would require a unique branding strategy and style guide. Secondly, it was crucial to understand the user’s needs. This also required comprehensive digital experience design services for an in-depth analysis of user requirements. This would help identify and prioritize key features as well as streamline other design processes. 

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Solution

With plenty of UI UX design resources and design experience spanning decades, Symphony Solutions approached the project with a user-centered design (UCD) strategy. Our seasoned UI UX design consultants, backed by extensive research and best practices, worked to ensure the product perfectly met user needs and expectations. The key components of this strategy included: 

• User Interviews: In collaboration with Virtualstock, Symphony Solutions conducted extensive interviews with potential users. These interviews were instrumental in gathering crucial insights about user preferences, pain points, and expectations, forming the foundation for a user centric UX design strategy. 

• Journey Mapping: The team mapped the user journey, visualizing the complete experience of users interacting with Framespan. This exercise was pivotal in identifying critical touchpoints and pain points and enhancing the user experience. 

• UX Practices: A range of UX design practices were employed, including usability testing, prototyping, and iterative design. These practices ensured that the design and functionality of Framespan were in perfect harmony with user expectations, facilitating an ongoing process of refinement and improvement. 

• Wireframes: The experience design experts at Symphony Solutions created detailed wireframes to visualize the product’s structure and layout. This step was crucial in validating design decisions and ensuring a seamless transition from concept to practical implementation of the modern UI design. 

• UI/UX Design: Building on the foundation laid by wireframes, an engaging and intuitive user interface design was developed for Framespan. This design focused on enhancing usability and efficiency, significantly boosting overall user satisfaction. Furthermore, the user experience design team extended their expertise to support Framespan’s marketing initiatives, which included creating marketing collaterals and printing materials for events. This comprehensive support ensured that Framespan was effectively communicated and marketed to the target audience. 

Result

The strategic customer experience design measures implemented by Virtualstock and Symphony Solutions brought about remarkable achievements for Framespan in a short time frame: 

• User Adoption: Within just six months following its UX UI design process, Framespan saw over 1,000 active users on its platform. This swift rate of adoption is a testament to the product’s compelling value proposition and its effectiveness in meeting the specific needs of procurement teams. 

• Expansion of Frameworks: The success of Framespan’s UX design drew in users and led to an increase in the number of government frameworks utilizing the platform. This growth served to further establish Framespan as a preferred solution for procurement teams looking for efficient and easy access to vital frameworks.