Software

Adapt and overcome

Custom software integration for one of the biggest money changers in Malaysia with Biz4x

Biz4x is an FX management software catered to Money Service Businesses and Financial Institutions; managing foreign currency stock, monitor transactions with compliance integration and set currency rates efficiently. The software also provides custom integration services for clients to request for specific features suited to their admin workflow.

The Client

The client for this integration was Suria Muhabat Sdn Bhd, one of the biggest Money Service Businesses companies in Malaysia. With over 17 branches nationwide, the company was recently awarded Best Money Exchange Provider in Malaysia in 2019.

My Role

I was tasked to gather feedback from the client and the sales team; including implementing UI/UX process which consist of user flow planning, content architecture, design and prototype.

Target Users

The target users are primarily Suria money changers consisting of outlet managers and tellers. Secondary users are essentially the Suria team who manages overall regional rates and stock.

User Feedback

We gathered feedback from Suria team sharing internal feedback and requests:

#1

Learning Curve

"New employees and tellers find the software hard to learn and it takes them awhile to understand streps required for a specific action."

#2

Hard to Find Pages

"The categories on the software is confusing. Many pages look exactly the same and I am not sure if I am using the right form or not."

#3

Overwhelming

"I feel very overwhelmed. It is so hard to learn and some pages are so messy I don't know where to start."

Problem statement

The problem is that the software is difficult for new employees and tellers to learn, resulting in a prolonged learning curve and confusion regarding the steps required for specific actions. The software's confusing categories and visually similar pages further compound the difficulty, leaving users uncertain about using the correct forms and feeling overwhelmed by the complexity and lack of clarity in certain pages.

Conclusion

It's a shame that due to Suria Muhabat being in Malaysia, we could not gather qualitative data on our own, resulting in only relying on what Suria has gathered on their end. We also could not do a full software review as they did not give us admin access to their admin software.

Problems faced

#1

Different Technical Terms

Specific terms such as Average Cost Rate (was known in Malaysia as Stock Cost Rate) caused slight confusion amongst the product team, with the Project Manager constantly needing to explain the different terms being used between countries.

#2

Dated Admin System

The admin system Suria was initially using was dated, which caused many roadblocks upon planning of the integration due to unnecessarily cumbersome flows and multiple pages.

#3

No Sitemap Provided

Due to the limitations of the software access, we could not revisit the initial sitemap. We resorted to simply listing the pages and functions required instead.

#4

Limited Access

The Suria team was apprehensive about allowing the product team to have full access to their system, which resulted in multiple recorded demos via Skype, and reviewing the videos later.

Conclusion

This client was unique due to the company having an already extensive admin system, but fortunately the client was very receptive to newly proposed flows and functions; allowing us to clarify any issues with emails and bi-weekly calls.

Software Demos

As mentioned earlier, software demos were done via Skype calls by the Suria team. A couple of moments highlighted the serious need for a UX revamp -with one occasion a Suria employee got flustered in the middle of the demo, with the manager stepping in to take over the demo altogether.

Hypotheses

#1

By establishing universal technical terms for users, we can effectively eliminate confusion and improve clarity in understanding the software.

#2

By enhancing the user flows, we can eliminate long and tedious processes for users, resulting in a smoother and more efficient experience.

#3

By enhancing the content architecture of the software, we can ensure a hassle-free experience for users to easily locate the relevant pages without confusion or difficulty.

#4

By delivering a seamless user experience, we can facilitate an easy transition for both new and existing users, enabling them to adapt to the software effortlessly.

Working with Other MCs

The project manager consulted with a couple of money changers throughout the research and ideation process, ensuring that we propose flows that align with the MCs standards and practices.

Sitemap

We decided to integrate their new pages required into our sitemap instead, carefully organising them into respective sections and creating a new section called Accounting.

User Flows

A number of user flows we restructured helped to cut down unnecessary pages and flows to ensure the most efficient transaction flows.

Stock
Wholesale
Accounting

Mid fidelity prototype

Wireframes were drafted with Balsamiq, at the same time closely reviewed by the Suria team to ensure the structure of the pages suited their workflow and functions requested.

Approaching with wireframes helped us focus and solidify the functional aspect of the pages. Since every flow is new, it allows us to deliver newly proposed flows to clients quickly, with little to no downtime for proposing alternative solutions.

In Summary

This was an extremely challenging stage due to the new pages we had to create from scratch, including Eventually, we managed to draft a number of wireframes that were elaborate enough for clients to approve the new proposed workflow

Design system

We essentially referenced Biz4x existing style guide, at the same time updating the software's icon library with newer and more elaborate designs.

High fidelity prototype

The prototypes were designed on Adobe XD, including an interactive prototype which enables us to do realistic demos to present and share with the client.

Stock Overview

An improved page for users to manage foreign and local currency stock

Try Prototype →

Wholesale Transaction

A refined section for users to create, approve and settle wholesale orders

Try Prototype →

Accounting

A new module addition for users to create, manage and reconcile entries & accounts

Try Prototype →

In Summary

This was our first project working with Adobe XD. It cut down our turnover time tremendously, skipping the time needed for developers to build the initial staging drafts. It helped us share and get approval for pages much quicker, even when minor iterations were requested by clients at the last minute.

Getting Client Feedback

Suria did a series of internal testing on their end with fellow staff and a couple of retail-front employees to gather feedback and requirements to ensure consistent experience for all with the interactive prototypes we had prepared for them.

Project Status

All the modules (and other minor iterations) mentioned above have been released in August and November 2020 respectively. You can read more about Stock Overview & Wholesale Transaction Modules here and the Accounting Module here.

What We Have Learnt

Here's a couple of key takeaways we've learned while working on this project:

#1

Find other ways to get insights

This project has very limited research to work on, especially the lack of access to their initial software. With that said, we tried other alternative methods to gather as much insights as possible such as reaching out to other Money Changers for workflow insights.

#2

Keep the questions coming

Clear communication with clients are extremely important. Without it the project would've essentially fall apart. We probably bombarded the client with 101 questions, but it helped us deliver exactly what they needed at the end.

#3

Sometimes starting over is the best solution

The Project manager and I made a huge decision to simply rework on the new pages after struggling for days trying to merge two platforms that simply won't fit. This move not only improved Suria's workflow, it also enhanced the overall user experience on Biz4x for other clients.

#4

We should have used Adobe XD sooner!

Our initial workflow was simply providing wireframes to developers to reference -- and waiting for initial staging drafts which could take a month later for clients to review. By using Adobe XD we could provide interactive design prototypes within a week!

This project was one of the biggest projects we had to date as a team. Thankfully everyone (including the Suria team) was very receptive to alternative methods and ideas. This project also helped us build a more collaborative relationship within the team and a newly efficient workflow for future projects.

Let's keep in touch!

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© 2023 Alyssa Tawin