The Challenge
Lock the Deal was set up with investment from the SAR group, with a mission to remove the inefficiencies of the traditional distribution model. Lock the deal needed to create a platform which could eliminate the challenges faced by sellers and buyers as in a traditional model of business across the supply chain.
Our intervention needed to primarily make the platform user-friendly to an extent such that it could fit seamlessly into the seller’s way of business and consumers’ way of buying. Driving a shift in this behavior was a challenging idea since it required building user trust in a digital platform and imploring them to invest in understanding to engage with it.
A clear value visible in terms of business leads, insights for growth, ease and convenience of use while providing a complete management service platform was the need of the hour.
Our Methodology
Think design stepped in to address this challenge through a clear and streamlined process starting with a UX design Workshop to understand the business, its key strengths, monetization model and challenges in delivery. Internal User analysis was done encompassing the retailers, wholesalers and distributors and buyers to build personas and understand customer pain points and journeys.
Based on the insights gathered from the workshops, research and analysis the team created detailed task flows to map out the various features and functionalities of the platform. This fed in to create the strategy for design conceptualization and execution.
We arrived at these key design principles through probing, engaging and with consensus.
1. Automated
Streamlined and functionalities structured in a way which make user navigate through the entire platform, making it a system seem seamlessly automated.
2. User-Friendly
Convenient and easy to use, approachable to those with little experience in digital platform engagement.
3. Intuitive
A platform that is engaging enough to make the customer self-service, interact intuitively, easily simulatable to a traditional buying and selling experience.
Key Insights
Our engagement and analysis led us to discover some interesting insights to engage & excite sellers and buyers onboard. Those were:
1. Better information dissemination
This was needed to diversify and expand the reach of the seller and ease their brand representation strategy.
2. Ensure slow moving stock sales
Option to liquidate to a wide base, and listing specifically slow-moving stocks as: old stock could be crucial to business growth.
3. Drive Self Service
Both buyers and sellers are looking for platforms which could smoothen their digital experience while being sourced at the lowest price.
4. Supply chain Visibility
Transparency across the entire supply chain with regular alerts was found needed and essential for sellers to track, monitor and act accordingly.
5. Provision of after-sales service
The availability of services in remote areas along with easy customer engagement features was found desirable among stakeholders.
Key Insights
Post multiple workshops, engagements and design iterations LTD platform was conceptualized with the most customer-relevant and forward-thinking features. Both buyers and sellers were offered a comprehensive and nuanced product, which catered across the full range of their needs.
1. Personalized Offers
Through the platform, retailers have access to credit on easy terms, transparent pricing, and buyers have personalized deals, recommendations on their favorite products with an area-based popularity featured on personal dashboards.
2. Insights to Lead
Timely updates on price changes and schemes in the market and regulars leads (mobile +accessories) are used to keep the customers engaged. A dynamic and intuitive dashboard serves to provide continuous alerts and snapshots of business growth, pending payments and active offers.
3. Discovery and delivery
Products are classified according to categories and brands for easy discovery. Intuitive navigation through the order flow, chat support for RFP’s and best-in-class delivery & after-sales services – can directly be achieved on mobile device.
4. Convenient & robust platform
Features like language selection, self onboarding and assisted onboarding were added to make user-engagement seamless and simple. From creating offers/deals to managing stock inventory to tracking orders a complete solution can be leveraged by brands to develop a teach-enabled, transparent sales & distribution network.
DESIGN ACTIVITIES
User Research, Stakeholder workshop, Brainstorming, User Validation, Wireframes, Visual System, Prototyping, Specs & Dev. Coordination.
CURRENT STATUS
The applications were launched in the last quarter of 2018.
