The client needed a centralized platform that would streamline software management for their consulting teams. This platform would allow teams to easily add and remove software from projects, calculate costs associated with each software, and manage different access types.
MY ROLE
- Product design
- Prototyping
- User research & testing
THE PROCESS
User-centered design with developers being the core users
- User Research and Software Inventory: Interviewed consulting teams to understand their software requirements, preferences, pain points, and budget management practices. Created a comprehensive inventory of software commonly used across projects, including licenses, pricing models, usage metrics, and vendor information.
- Software Integration: Implemented APIs and integration frameworks to facilitate seamless data exchange, authentication, and authorization between the OSS platform and external software providers.
- User Experience: Designed a user-friendly interface for consulting teams to browse, search, compare, and select software based on their project requirements and budget constraints. Implemented user permissions and role-based access control to ensure data security, privacy, and compliance with organizational policies. Designed approval workflows for adding new software, upgrading licenses, renewing subscriptions, and requesting budget adjustments.
THE OUTCOME
A One-Stop Shop for teams
The platform simplified software management for consulting teams, allowing them to easily add, remove, and manage software applications within their projects. It also automated cost calculations for software usage, licenses, and subscriptions, providing real-time cost estimates and insights into project expenses. Consulting teams could effectively manage project budgets, track spending, and make informed decisions to optimize resource allocation and control costs. Fostered collaboration among team members, vendors, and stakeholders, facilitating transparent communication, budget approvals, and software selections based on data-driven insights.