Subex | Madhuri Satish

Network Asset Management

Streamlining asset lifecycle management for global telecom providers to optimize their network infrastructure

WEB APP

TELECOM

DATA VISUALISATION

DESIGN SYSTEM

SAAS PRODUCT

Role

UX Designer

Timeline

3 months | Nov'21 to Feb'22

Responsibilities

UX Research, Workshop Facilitation, Client Engagement, Effort Estimation, Visual Design, Design Presentations & documentation

Status

Available globally through Subex

NAM helps telecom operators manage their network assets effectively. through inventory management and optimising network infrastructure.

Problem Statement

Addressing Scalability Issues and Outdated Design

The current NAM product lacks scalability for evolving telecom needs, leading to increased business costs. Its outdated design falls short of modern usability standards. This project aims to revitalize NAM by enhancing scalability, addressing asset management challenges, and redefining the overall user experience.

High cognitive load due to data-intensive UI
Outdated UI design
Excessive clicks required to complete tasks
Complexity of the platform leading to steep learning curve
Inconsistencies in visual language

Screenshots of the NAM platform prior to the redesign

Stakeholder Alignment Workshop

We conducted an Alignment Workshop with stakeholders from the Sales, Network, Marketing and Product teams. This workshop delved into the current product's challenges extracting insights to formulate recommendations to enhance the product experience.

Tool: Miro Whiteboarding Tool

Mode: Virtual

No.of participants: 12

Time: 2hrs

1.Product USP

In this section, participants were asked 3 questions which revolved around:

1. Challenges in Network Asset Management (NAM)

We explored customers' common difficulties when managing their network assets effectively.

3. Value Proposition and USP

We delved into the existing value propositions of the product and helped identify its unique selling proposition (USP) that sets it apart from competitors.

2. Competitive Edge in NAM

Participants discussed features that could give a Network Asset Management (NAM) a significant advantage in the market.

2.Identifying Product Challenges

In this section, participants listed product challenges, anonymously voted on them, and plotted high-vote items on an impact scale.

3.Two Year Goals

Participants now listed down some of the super optimistic 2 year goals for the business and the key metrics to define their success. Through anonymous team voting, one 2 year measurable goal was identified by the team.

Business Challenges

Optimise the product to efficiently manage the customer's Capex & Opex
Bridge the gap between Network & Finance departments
Lack of presence in industry forums & aim to become an industry agnostic product
The product's technical complexity extends decision-making timelines for CXOs and business owners
Lack of a multi-dimensional view of all network assets reducing the efficiency of asset management

Design Challenges

Low GUI performance due to data intensive screens
Tracking an asset's lifecycle, is currently a tedious & disjointed process
Lack of visual representation of data has hampered the platform's interactivity & usability
Reports & dashboards- key influencers in decision-making, need to be improved
The current design deviates from the established standards of UX best practices

Key Takeaways

Alignment Workshop

We conducted an Alignment Workshop with 12 stakeholders from the Sales, Network, Marketing and Product teams.This workshop delves into current product's diverse challenges extracting insights to formulate recommendations to enhance the product experience.

No.of participants: 12

Time: 2hrs

Tool: Miro Whiteboarding Tool

Mode: Virtual

I.Product USP

In this section, participants were asked 3 questions which revolved around:

Challenges in Network Asset Management (NAM): We explored customers' common difficulties when managing their network assets effectively.

Competitive Edge in NAM: Participants discussed features that could give a Network Asset Management (NAM) solution a significant advantage in the market.

Value Proposition and USP: We delved into the existing value propositions of the product and helped identify its unique selling proposition (USP) that sets it apart from competitors.

Dell Support

" To contact tech support, I logged into my Dell account through the website or occasionally called the customer support number. I also watched a YouTube tutorial for a problem I encountered with my Dell laptop."

In the 1.0 version of the app, users were provided with setup guides and device setup videos, which, while helpful, did not address all potential issues.

I proposed a solution to introduce a Support Tab dedicated to addressing all device and app-related issues. This included app FAQs, Chat Support & Device specific support articles.

Dell Customers who purchase devices online or offline

Small Businesses whose employees use Dell devices

Target User Groups

Sub text

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Write a Title Here

Use this space to promote the business, its products or its services. Help people become familiar with the business and its offerings, creating a sense of connection and trust. Focus on what makes the business unique and how users can benefit from choosing it.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Improved Order Tracking

"Order History was difficult to find. My laptop order has been stuck in the confirmed stage for 10 days now"

In the 1.0 version of the app, the Order History feature was solely accessible under the profile section, requiring additional navigation.

I proposed and designed a solution where users could access 'Order History' from two touchpoints - the Home screen and the profile screen. Since customers frequently check their order status while awaiting delivery, adding a 'Track your order' link on the homepage improved the experience.

Order Tracking Timeline - To keep the customer informed about their order status, I proposed a detailed timeline including all internal stages in the order delivery process.

Trends in Digital Finance

Customer experience is the defining competitive differentiator in the finance industry today. Here are the important trends to watch out.

01

Integrated Holistic User Experience

Users now expect a unified platform for all their financial needs, from budgeting to saving goals to investments. This holistic approach fosters user satisfaction and loyalty.

03

Incentivizing Prompt Payments

By recognizing the value of on-time payments, banks are now, leveraging gamification, loyalty programs, and cashback rewards to incentivize on-time payments, thereby improving cash flow.

View Trend Report

02

Deeper Engagement with Existing Customers

Financial institutions are increasingly focusing on existing customer relationships by offering personalized products and services, encouraging upselling and cross-selling opportunities.

04

Data Visualization for Simplified Understanding

Data visualization tools such as charts, graphs, and progress bars are increasingly being used for simplifying complex financial information and empowering users to make informed decisions.

User Research Insights

Below are some of the common challenges that Telecom Service Providers(TSPs) face, with managing their network infrastructure.

01

Asset Tracking and Visibility

Telecom networks involve a massive amount of physical and virtual assets like routers, switches, servers, and software licenses spread across different locations. Keeping track of every asset's location, status, and usage can be challenging, leading to underutilized or lost assets along with higher operational costs.

03

Compliance and Risk Management

TSPs need to ensure that their network assets comply with various regional regulations, including data protection, security standards, and environmental regulations related to asset disposal. Non-compliance can result in fines, legal challenges, and reputational damage.

02

Asset Depreciation and Replacement

Telecom assets have a limited lifespan, and understanding when they need to be replaced or upgraded is crucial.

Improper lifecycle management can result in using outdated technology that hampers network performance & higher risk of network failures.

04

Capacity Planning and Scalability

Accurately predicting future network demand and ensuring that the asset infrastructure can scale accordingly is vital for maintaining performance during peak times and avoiding service disruptions. Poor capacity planning can lead to network congestion and lost revenue opportunities.

05

High OPEX and CAPEX

Telecom providers have high operational and capital expenditure due to the continuous need for infrastructure upgrades and maintenance. Proper lifecycle management can help reduce these costs, but ineffective management leads to wastage and budget overruns.

06

Vendor Management

Telecom service providers deal with multiple vendors for equipment, software & services. Each vendor’s equipment or software may have features or standards that complicate integration with products from other vendors. Ensuring compatibility across different vendors' products can be complex.

Network Team

Oversees asset management, monitors performance & asset health, plans capacity utilisation & manages asset licenses/contracts.

Finance Team

Responsible for budget allocation for asset purchases, invoice management, tax compliance & financial reporting.

Target User Groups

ANALYST

ENGINEER

ADMIN

ANALYST

MANAGER

ACCOUNTANT

Mini Dashboard providing an overview of Asset health

The dashboard incorporated here, simplifies the overwhelming task of manually analyzing millions of assets by offering quick insights into key metrics like asset count, status, vendor and location. Visual representation of data help in prioritising critical assets or assets with violations, thereby aiding the user to take immediate attention.

Tailored View Modes for Diverse Needs

Recognizing that different users have varied tasks when managing individual or multiple assets, I developed a flexible View Mode that includes four distinct options: Card, List, Map, and Hierarchy. Each view is tailored to support commonly performed tasks such as

Asset Inventory - Initial Wireframes

Tackling Data Complexity

The existing design lacked adherence to modern usability standards, resulting in a cluttered and overwhelming user experience, particularly on the Asset Inventory screen, which presented assets in cumbersome rows and columns.

To tackle the issue of data overload, I introduced three distinct viewing options: List View, Map View, and Hierarchy View.

List View

Centralized Asset Insights

Key metrics, such as location, asset type, events, etc are presented in a comprehensive and easily digestible format, enabling network analysts to make well-informed decisions regarding asset related actions.

Expandable Section for Detailed Asset Information

Each asset is initially displayed with a summary of key details. Users can expand these rows to access more detailed information, such as a graph of all associated events, licenses and contracts, asset utilization, and more.

Map View

Geo-visualisation of Assets

The Map View provides a spatial overview of the asset inventory, allowing for quick localization and identification. This interactive map helps users spot clusters of violations & events aiding in informed decisions for asset allocation, relocation & capacity management.

Hierarchy View

Hierarchical Asset Breakdown

The Hierarchy View provides a structured overview of asset relationships, allowing users to drill down from parent to child assets. This visual representation facilitates understanding of asset dependencies and ownership.

Effortless Filtering and Search

To facilitate precise asset identification, the Hierarchy view includes dynamic search and filter options for site, technology, and vendor, streamlining the process of finding related child assets.

NAM's Capacity Management Tool

Why is Capacity Management important for Telecom Companies?

In a multi-vendor and multi-technology network, stakeholders need to take action to augment the capacity and improve the quality
of the network. That's where NAM's Capacity Management comes into play.

Traditionally, network capacity management relied solely on technical KPIs, which only suggested upgrades without prioritizing investment for quick revenue and customer experience. Subex uses advanced AI and ML-driven analytics to bridge this gap by offering insights from both technical and customer metrics, ensuring more informed decision-making.

Wireframes

Userflow

Condition Builder

Stakeholder Alignment Workshop

We conducted an Alignment Workshop with stakeholders from the Sales, Network, Marketing and Product teams. This workshop delved into the current product's challenges extracting insights to formulate recommendations to enhance the product experience.

Tool: Miro Whiteboarding Tool

Mode: Virtual

No.of participants: 12

Time: 2hrs

1.Product USP

In this section, participants were asked 3 questions which revolved around:

1. Challenges in Network Asset Management (NAM):

We explored customers' common difficulties when managing their network assets effectively.

3. Value Proposition and USP:

We delved into the existing value propositions of the product and helped identify its unique selling proposition (USP) that sets it apart from competitors.

2. Competitive Edge in NAM:

Participants discussed features that could give a Network Asset Management (NAM) a significant advantage in the market.

2.Identifying Product Challenges

In this section, participants listed product challenges, anonymously voted on them, and plotted high-vote items on an impact scale.

3.Two Year Goals

Participants now listed down some of the super optimistic 2 year goals for the business and the key metrics to define their success. Through anonymous team voting, one 2 year measurable goal was identified by the team.

Post-Discovery Brainstorming Session

Addressing the Fundamental Questions