Redesigning HP FIJI CRM: Streamlining Configuration Services

Introduction

HP FIJI CRM is a configuration services portal designed to help enterprises get their PCs expertly configured and ready for employees straight out of the box. As the user base evolved, the platform struggled to meet new use cases and failed to scale across diverse industry verticals. The outdated interface resulted in usability issues, ultimately impacting business outcomes.

Our team embarked on a comprehensive redesign to deliver a modern, intuitive, and scalable experience that caters to all users, regardless of industry or use case.

My Role

I was involved in the project from end to end, contributing to:

• Research & Analysis: Conducting heuristic evaluations and identifying usability pain points.
• Product Design: Developing solutions for complex user flows and ensuring alignment with HP’s design system.
• Design Systems: Migrating from the Veneer design system to HP’s Brand Central guidelines for a consistent and modern look.
• Quality Assurance: Ensuring pixel-perfect implementation and error-free functionality during development.

The Team

The project was a collaborative effort between:

• 3 Designers
• 2 Product Managers
• 15+ Engineers

Problem Statement

Configuration services often involve complex processes. The legacy HP FIJI CRM portal presented multiple challenges:

• An outdated design that didn’t meet current user expectations.
• Lack of clarity in workflows, making the experience confusing.
• Poor visual hierarchy and interaction design led to errors in data entry.
• Complaints from users increased, causing strain on customer support and loss of business.

These issues were compounded by constraints such as limited access to users, no allocated budget for usability testing, and a tight timeline for redesign.

Challenges

• Limited Timeline: We had to redesign the platform within a short timeframe.
• No Direct User Access: Without real user feedback, we relied on heuristic evaluations and stakeholder inputs.
• No Usability Testing: The lack of a testing phase meant designing solutions based on industry best practices and assumptions.

Research Approach

Given the constraints, we performed a Heuristic Evaluation on 25 services offered by the portal. This allowed us to identify critical usability issues and recommend actionable solutions.

Key Findings

1. Visibility of System Status
   Problem: Users had no indication of their progress in the configuration process, leading to confusion about mandatory steps.
   Solution: Introduced a chronological step-by-step guide to ensure users understood the process and requirements clearly.
2. Match Between System and Real World
   Problem: Users could input values exceeding partition limits, creating errors during service configuration.
   Solution: Added input validation to dynamically restrict values based on the remaining partition percentage.

These insights formed the foundation for redesigning the user experience.

Redesigned Experience

The revamped HP FIJI CRM portal was designed to address both usability and scalability challenges. Key updates included:

Core Features

• HP PC Applications Load: Streamlined workflows for selecting and installing applications.
• HP OS Version Control: Simplified version management to reduce errors.
• HP PC Image Load: Enhanced image loading processes with clear input validation.

Improved User Flows

• Sequential Navigation: Reorganized questions into a clear, step-by-step flow, prioritizing mandatory inputs.
• Pop-Ups for Focused Tasks: Introduced modal dialogs to isolate critical inputs and prevent distractions.
• Modern Visual Design: Leveraged HP Brand Central guidelines for a contemporary, cohesive look.
• Mobile-Ready Layouts: Designed grid systems for easy adaptability to mobile devices.

Design Process

1. Heuristic Evaluation
   Analyzed 25 services to identify usability problems and prioritized solutions based on severity.
2. Collaborative Stakeholder Sessions
   Worked closely with stakeholders to align business goals and define user requirements.
3. Adopting HP Brand Guidelines
   Migrated from the Veneer design system to HP’s Brand Central guidelines, ensuring a unified design language.
4. Responsive Design Considerations
   Developed a 4-column grid system to facilitate seamless adaptation across desktop and mobile platforms.

Results

• Streamlined Processes: Simplified complex workflows, reducing the time required to complete tasks.
• Enhanced Usability: Improved clarity and navigation led to fewer user errors and support requests.
• Consistent Design Language: Adherence to HP’s guidelines ensured a professional and cohesive user interface.

Lessons Learned

This project highlighted the importance of adaptability and leveraging design best practices in the absence of direct user feedback. The heuristic evaluation proved invaluable in identifying and addressing key usability challenges under tight constraints.

Conclusion

Redesigning the HP FIJI CRM portal was a challenging yet rewarding journey that showcased the importance of collaboration, design systems, and meticulous attention to detail in delivering a modern and user-friendly product. Despite significant constraints such as a short timeline, limited access to users, and the absence of usability testing, we successfully transformed a complex and outdated portal into a streamlined, visually appealing, and efficient configuration services platform.

By leveraging heuristic evaluations and working closely with stakeholders, we identified critical usability issues and implemented design solutions that not only addressed the immediate problems but also future-proofed the product for scalability across diverse industry verticals. Adopting HP’s brand guidelines and optimizing for responsiveness across devices further enhanced the user experience, ensuring a consistent and contemporary feel.

Our efforts led to measurable improvements in user satisfaction, reduced errors during configuration, and greater efficiency for enterprises using the portal. This project reinforced the importance of adaptive problem-solving, clear communication with cross-functional teams, and the role of design in driving business value.

Ultimately, the redesigned HP FIJI CRM portal exemplifies how thoughtful design, even under constraints, can make complex tasks simpler and more delightful for users while aligning with business goals.