Siemens | Post-Purchase Experience
TIMELINE
Q4 2021 - Q1 2022
ROLE
Researcher & Designer
RESPONSIBILITIES
User Interview Analysis
Heuristic Evaluation
Competitive Analysis
Interface Design
Faced with multiple sites through which to manage subscriptions and accounts, Siemens’ customers were increasingly frustrated with lackluster admin tools for their supposedly high-end software.
After working to optimize the consumer post-purchase experience, the Siemens Digital Industries division saw a +16% profit increase.
Context
In early 2022, Siemens publicly announced that they were transforming into a “tech company.”
In advance of this statement, Siemens Digital Industries hired Particle Design to evaluate their SaaS user experiences and propose improvements.
The Problem
Siemens has many software products (Polarion, Solid Edge, NX, etc.) but they lacked a seamless, universal way for users to administer and manage their products and associated licenses.
The Objective
Help Siemens increase customer retention by improving the post-purchase experience.
They knew they were losing customers to their outdated websites and license management systems, so our first job was to find out why. Our second job was to propose design updates.
My Role
As a designer and researcher on this project, I lead the analysis of user interviews, executed heuristic evaluations, and designed improved screens.
Research
Interviews
9+ User Interviews
60 minutes, 1-on-1.
5 active Siemen’s users, 4 competitor users (SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Ansys).
User is responsible for administering/managing CAD/design software at their organization.
Mix of Small and Medium-Sized Business (SMB) in variety of industries/verticals
Demographic mix of people.
Heuristic Evaluation
Using Nielsen Norman’s usability heuristics, I evaluated the post-purchase experience across Siemen’s Account Center, Software Center, and Support Center.
Competitive Analysis
Analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the subscription and license management functions for a variety of enterprise software tools, such as NVIDIA, Google Admin, and AssetSonar to name a few.
Session Design
Interviews Covered:
Company software needs and post-purchase tasks
Likes, dislikes, general feedback
Task walkthroughs for
License management
User management
Downloading and installation
Accessing support
Interview Quotes
“Here’s a rendering add-in that’s included with a certain level of subscription. It took a long time to even hear about it, and then they provided me with instructions that were really cumbersome.”
-SolidWorks User
“It ends up being 2-3 months of my year just dealing with these licenses”
-Siemens User
“I’m trying to figure out the process if I were to go through and switch a package from one person to another”
-SolidWorks User
“How am I supposed to use these products if I have no idea what they are or what they do?”
-Siemens User
Heuristic Evaluation
Conducting a systemic Heuristic Evaluation of Siemens’ current products validated many of the issues users mentioned during interviews.
Visibility of system status was an issue, as the interface made it difficult for Admins to find and manage subscriptions and associated licenses.
Useful functions, such as Add-Ons, were also hidden, thus impeding user control and freedom.
Flexibility and efficiency of use also came up in user interviews as well as in examining the websites.
Information about users and licenses, a primary concern for admins, was often hidden beneath many “clicks” / layers of information.
While accessing general help and documentation sections was easy, it was difficult to find specific help relevant to a user’s issue at hand. The live support chat was also only available during limited hours.
Armed with data, we established design goals
01
Give users confidence that they’re using licenses efficiently
Both user groups identified opportunities to improve the transfer, removal, monitoring, and renewal of licenses. Provide them easily accessible insights into how their licenses are being used and empower them to take action as needed.
02
Help users get the most from their purchases
Keep users up-to-date with relevant support, information, and opportunities to extend the functionality of their software.
03
Empower self-service
Users want to keep their teams functioning smoothly. Enabling users to solve problems efficiently on their own, without the need for intermediation, will help them feel understood and empowered by the tools they use.
Proposed Design Changes
As with any research-heavy project, we handed off edited interview recordings, our analysis, and summary decks.
The final design deliverable were wireframes with suggested changes to improve the post-purchase experienced. The few high-fidelity screens were only meant to show what it could look like to actually build out these designs.
At the end of 2021, Particle Design was acquired by Wind River, so we had to wrap up this project by January 2022. Unfortunately, this meant we were not involved with the implementation of our work.
However, our team was thrilled to see a +16% profit increase mentioned in the Siemens 2022 Fiscal Year Financial Report for the division with whom we worked.