In the loop

One place for everything an employee has to do, ask, and celebrate.

Discipline: Product Design
Work: Research · IA · UI
Platform: iOS · Android

Employees were juggling Net-Suite, the IJP portal, HCM, mail threads and a digital bulletin board just to file a timesheet or find out what the company was doing. Every task lived somewhere else, and nothing talked to anything.

"In The Loop" collapses that estate into a single channeling platform for transactions, org news, recognition and people search, all in one app, so the day-to-day admin stops competing with the actual work.

Stakeholder Interviews

I began by engaging with key stakeholders, including HR, IT, Operations, and a few department managers, to understand their expectations, needs, and pain points. The primary objective was to create an app that streamlines communication, enhances employee engagement, and improves administrative efficiency.

Hypotheses

Hypothesis 1

Employees and managers face significant inefficiencies and frustration due to the disjointed and complex nature of current tools (Net-Suite, IJP Portal, etc.) and communication channels, which hampers productivity and engagement. Testing approach: centralising tools, communication, and resources within a single platform will reduce time spent on administrative tasks, improve accessibility to information, and increase overall employee satisfaction.

Hypothesis 2

A lack of a unified communication platform is causing information silos within the organisation, leading to miscommunication and missed opportunities for collaboration. Testing approach: a platform providing real-time updates, easy access to organisational news, and tools for direct communication will bridge the information gap and enhance collaboration across different levels of the organisation.

Defining Goals

Increase Productivity

Streamline workflows for both employees and managers by integrating key transactional tools (timesheet submission, leave application) into one platform. Measured by the reduction in average time taken to complete administrative tasks.

Enhance Employee Engagement

Foster a more connected and engaged workforce with a platform that supports communication, recognition, and access to organisational updates. Measured by engagement scores and feedback on the communication features.

Improve Accessibility of Resources

Ensure that all employees, regardless of their role, can easily access the resources and information they need. Measured by the decrease in support tickets about finding information or accessing tools.

Support Organisational Transparency

Promote transparency by making key updates, like HR notices and CSR activities, easily accessible to all employees. Measured by employee awareness and participation in organisational activities.

Research Board

Value Proposition

The same platform had to pay off differently for four audiences.

Organization

High ROI, a raised Digital Quotient, improved brand, and employees acting as brand ambassadors.

Leadership

Great employee connect and engagement, digital culture, and enhanced business speed.

Corporate Team

Ease of communication, effective compliance and governance, fun at work, and simplified processes.

Employees

Connection with the organization, celebratory moments with peers, and productivity.

The Four Pillars

Everything the platform does had to ladder up to one of four ideas.

Engagement

Promote participation between employee and employer to contribute more. There is more engagement at all levels of employees.

Collaboration

Career development and successful employment proportionate to inter-employee collaboration and intra-company collaboration.

Celebration

Achievements need to be celebrated whether they are big or small. This is a company-level initiative to appreciate people and tasks more.

Transparency

What is happening in the company? There is enough transparency for the employee to be aware and in control of things.

Product Ecosystem

Diagram of the In The Loop platform sitting between Net-Suite, Codex and the ITL database — In The Loop sits between Net-Suite, Codex and the ITL database, channeling transactions one way and org news, recognition and IJP the other.

Personas

User Interview Findings

Card Sorting

Open card sort splitting features into must-haves and nice-to-haves — An open card sort with employees, managers, HR and IT split the feature list into must-haves and nice-to-haves.

Information Architecture

The full map, from splash to chatbot, with employee and manager branches kept parallel.

The Product

Grid of final In The Loop app screens — Landing, tools and utility, timesheets, approvals, dialogues, goals and profile.

In Context

Everything on the palm of your hand.