Global Integrated Planning
Lead UI/UX Designer (Solo Contributor)
UX Researcher
Usability Tester
Development Liason
ROLE
1 Project Manager
2 Product Owners (Client Reps)
1 Business Analyst
5 PowerApps + Power BI Developers
COLLABORATORS
Figma
Microsoft PowerApps
Microsoft Power BI
Google Suite
TOOLS
Everyday, EY teams rely on fragmented spreadsheets for critical planning, leading to inefficiencies and errors. The Global Integrated Planning (GIP) application was designed to centralize data, automate reporting, and enhance collaboration. Through user research and iterative design, the tool streamlined complex workflows, improving accuracy and decision-making efficiency.
Overview
Smarter Planning, Stronger Decisions
Effortless Data Management – Eliminates manual inefficiencies and reduces errors.
Real-Time Insights – Provides advanced analytics for informed strategic decisions.
Context
Understanding The Product Lifecycle
Who are the users?
Why Does EY Need A Solution?
Benefits of Automation
Automating the data consolidation and reporting processes can reduce time spent on manual tasks by 30-50%.
Problem
What Does The Current Platform Look Like?
Spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel)
Used to collect, consolidate, and analyze data from different regions and teams.
Manage templates for data input and tracks updates manually.
Limitations
High risk of errors due to manual data entry.
Time-consuming and inefficient for large-scale operations.
Difficult to ensure consistency across regions and templates.
Solution
The Global Integrated Planning application is a tool designed to automate planning processes for global operations. It collects data from different regions, combines it into one system, and generates reports for analysis. Key offerings include bulk data processing, customized reporting, and real-time alignment of investment priorities to organizational goals.
Core Offerings
Design Challenges And Tech Constraints
Limited Design Customization - Limited design customization in PowerApps restricted the ability to implement dropdown functionality, which is standard to EY websites. As a result, an alternative solution using a hamburger menu navigation style was implemented.
Component Counterpart - Every component required a counterpart for the feature to function effectively. For example, the search bar required a “search” button and the filters required an “apply filters” button to implement the action. Buttons like “Save and Exit”, as well as “Save and Continue”, were also added to the data input screens to update and save the data entered on the screen.
Complex Data Representation - Complex content hierearchy in the website was represented through intuitive layouts, using interactive elements like tabs. Component state changes for action-triggered buttons and editable cells, were visually distinguished through color variations and clear visual cues, enhancing user understanding and interaction.
Reference Data Files Upload Flow - Managing reference data on the website required uploading large files, which often took considerable time to complete. Due to limitations in providing users with real-time updates on the upload progress, an email notification system was implemented. This ensured that users were promptly informed about file upload status, saving them time and enhancing the overall user experience.
How Does It Work?
The visual language adhered to the EY Tax Design System, ensuring consistency and alignment with EY's branding. All components, including typography, color palettes, and UI elements, were utilized directly from the design system to maintain a cohesive user experience.
Design System
Typography
Primary Colour Palette
Iconography
Status Indicator Colour Palette
Disabled
Components - Buttons
Enabled
Hover
Onboarding and Adoption Straregy
Result
Heuristic evaluation was key to spotting usability issues early from a technical UX standpoint, especially with PowerApps' limitations. It helped refine the design by tackling challenges like limited customization and complex data-heavy interfaces, ensuring a seamless experience for users.
Heuristic Evaluation
Moderated usability testing helped identify and resolve key usability challenges, task efficiency and ensuring the solution met user expectations.
Observing users perform tasks like bulk data uploads and navigating through the interface, not only uncovered pain points related to technical constraints and task flows but also uncovered additional requirements.
Usability Testing
Outcome
Results measured through 20 rounds of usability testing with standard and admin user archetypes.
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