TTS (Time to Serve)
Background
This design challenge was presented during my interview at Paycom, where I was tasked with creating a user-centered solution for the hospitality industry.
Note to Hiring managers
“The following user interviews and usability test plans were developed as part of the design challenge but were not conducted due to time constraints. They illustrate my approach to understanding user needs and testing the design.”
1. Problem Statement & Solution
Problem Statement
Louise, a waitress at the All-American Diner, needs an intuitive app to easily view her work schedule and log her work hours, ensuring she can clock in and out quickly and start her shifts on time.
Jim, her supervisor, requires a desktop interface to efficiently view and manage the work schedules of all ten employees for the upcoming week.
Solution
To address Louise and Jim's needs at the All-American Diner, we will develop a comprehensive scheduling and time-tracking solution consisting of a mobile app for employees and a desktop interface for supervisors.
This integrated solution will streamline the scheduling and time-tracking process, enhancing productivity and operational efficiency at the All-American Diner.
Target Audience
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Waiters and Waitresses
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Restaurant Supervisors & Managers
II. User Research & Requirements
User Interview questions (Waiters & Waitresses)
1. Introduction and Context:
Can you tell me a bit about your typical workday at the All American Diner?
How do you currently check your work schedule?
4. User Experience:
Can you describe any past experiences with scheduling or time-tracking apps? What did you like or dislike about them?
How would you like the app to look and feel? (e.g., simple and clean, colorful and engaging)
How quickly do you need to be able to clock in or out once you arrive at work?
2. Current Challenges:
What difficulties do you face when trying to view your schedule?
How do you currently log your work hours?
Are there any issues you encounter when clocking in or out?
5. Additional Insights:
•Are there any other features you think would be beneficial for you in the app?
•How often do you check your schedule, and when do you usually log your hours?
3. Needs and Preferences:
What features would you find most helpful in an app to check your schedule?
How would you prefer to receive notifications about your shifts (e.g., push notifications, email, SMS)?
How important is it for you to have a summary of your logged hours at the end of the week or month?
User Interview questions (Supervisors)
1. Introduction and Context:
Can you describe your role and responsibilities at the All-American Diner?
How do you currently manage and view the work schedules for your employees?
4. User Experience:
Can you describe any past experiences with scheduling or employee management software? What worked well, and what didn't?
How would you like the desktop interface to look and feel? (e.g., detailed and comprehensive, simple and streamlined)
How frequently do you need to update or adjust the schedules for your employees?
2. Current Challenges:
What challenges do you face when organizing and viewing schedules?
How do you track if employees have clocked in and out on time?
5. Additional Insights:
Are there any specific metrics or reports you would like to see in the desktop interface?
What other features or functionalities do you think would improve your ability to manage the team's schedule effectively?
3. Needs and Preferences:
What features would be most helpful in a desktop interface to view and manage schedules?
How would you prefer to be alerted about any scheduling conflicts or missed clock-ins/outs?
How important is it for you to have access to historical data about employees' hours worked?
III. Ideation
User Stories
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Waiters and Waitresses
View Work Schedule: As a waiter/waitress, I want to see my work schedule so that I know when my shifts are.
Clock in/Clock Out: As a waiter/waitress I want to clock in at the start of my shift and clock out at the end of my shift So that I can record my working hours
Log Hour: As an Employee, I want to log my work hours to keep track of my earnings.
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Restaurant Supervisors & Managers
View Employee Schedule: As a Restaurant Supervisor, I want to view all employees' schedules so that I can manage shifts effectively.
Assign shifts: As a restaurant Supervisor, I want to assign shifts to employees so that the schedule is clear and organized.
Employee attendance: As a Supervisor, I want to track employee attendance so that I can monitor punctuality and hours worked.
User Flows
User flows were created to demonstrate the interactions based on both the Waiting staff and Supervisors
Sitemaps
Sitemaps were created to map out the structure for the Application
IV. Design
Styleguide
Web Mockups
Mobile Mockups
V. Usability Testing
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Objective
To evaluate the usability, effectiveness, and user satisfaction of the app designed for Louise (waitress) and the desktop application for Jim (supervisor).
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Methodology:
Type of testing: Moderated usability testing
Format: Remote or in-person
Duration: 15-20 minutes per session
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Materials:
Prototype of the app and desktop solution Task scenarios based on the problem statement
Recording equipment (screen recording software for remote tests, video recording for in-person tests)
Pre-test and post-test questionnaires
Script
“Hello, my name is Adi Akkapeddi, and we are conducting a usability test to evaluate the app that is designed to track hours and view work schedules. We want to understand how easy and intuitive the design is to use. We assure you that we are testing the design, not you. There are no right or wrong answers, so please feel free to share your honest thoughts. Do you consent to this session being recorded for analysis purposes?"
Task Scenarios Employees (15-20 minutes)
Scenario 1: Viewing Work Schedule
Instructions: "Please open the app and find out your work schedule for this week."
Follow-up questions:
•"Was it easy to find your schedule?"
•"What do you think of the way the schedule is displayed?"
•Scenario 2: Clocking In/Clock out
Instructions: "Please clock in for your shift using the app and clock out at the end of your shift."
Follow-up questions:
•"How easy or difficult was it to clock in and clock out?"
•"Did you encounter any issues?"
Task Scenarios Managers (15-20 minutes)
Scenario 1: Viewing Employee Schedules
•Instructions: "Please open the app and find out your work schedule for this week."
Follow-up questions:
•"Was it easy to find your schedule?"
•"What do you think of the way the schedule is displayed?"
•Scenario 2: Assign Shift
Instructions: "Please assign a shift to your employee based on the date & time."
Follow-up questions:
•"How easy or difficult was it to assign shifts to your employees?
•"Did you encounter any issues?"
Final Prototype Link (Mobile
Conclusion & Takeaways
•Working on this project taught me the importance of thinking intentionally about every element for employees who need to track their work hours and improve their KPIs, as well as every aspect from a manager’s perspective who wants smooth and efficient operations in their business.