Actrol

A game changer in the Australian HVAC-R industry

Category: B2BDesign SprintTechnology
Scope of work: Design Strategy & ConsultationUser ResearchUX DesignUI DesignPrototypingTesting & Validation
Product: Flexitrak Mobile & Web Applications
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Phone showing flexitrak app dashboard
Flexitrak is an asset management tool for refrigerants and gas cylinders within the Actrol and Reece Group network.

As Design partners, Relab was responsible for the user experience strategy and front end redesign of the two Flexitrak applications; the web and mobile apps, each to serve specific user needs. The aim is to help Flexitrak become a simple and convenient tool that helps customers’ save operational costs, while improving efficiency in their daily practices.

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The user needs

There are two target audiences in this project. First, the Business Owners or Administrators who manages their activities in the office and have difficulty locating their refrigerant & gas cylinder assets. They are looking for an easy solution that can be used by their staff, saves time and ultimately saves them money at the long tail. This group are typically male, 30-40 years of age with medium-high tech literacy.

The next group are the Technicians, who are going to be critical for this solution to work. They are on site daily holding the assets, that were often times misplaced. This group are lookign for a tool that is extremely easy to use, intuite and quickly accessible on the go. They want to spend less time fiddling with tech and more time getting work completed. Generally male, 17-30 years of age, with medium-high tech literacy.

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The business needs

There are many players in the refrigerant retail space, however when it comes to cylinder management services, there is not many competitors. Being the largest supplier in the industry, Reece Group saw a huge opportunity in this space, by providing a great asset management tool to their trade customers, hence the Flexitrak applications.

The key purpose is to provide traceability to customer accounts. Evolving Flexitrak this way will strategically help Reece and its network become digital leaders in the HVAC-R industry and increase the gap further with their competitors. In doing so, the business will be able to own the space, while continuing to improve their customers lives through meaningful tools that help them become more succesful.

our approach
In order to design a better future solution, we needed to understand what was wrong at the first place. And it all starts with building empathy towards the end user.

Upon analysis and discovery of the business brief, we commenced with a user flow design that led us to a visual hypothesis. The idea was presented and tested on the users, which brought invaluable feedback early in the cycle of the project. This allowed us to move forward with confidence in further refining the design concepts.

Collaboration with tech teams were essential throughout the cycle, where web and app development experts were invited to criticise and validate feasibility as well as to contribute creatively. Towards the end of the design cycle, we once again invited the group of customers to provide feedback on the redesign of Flexitrak. Positive responses were received and it gave the business a clear signal to proceed in technical development stage.

Series of app screens showing a users journey
User flows
Blueprint of the user story

Unique user flows were designed to support and clarify each customer journey.

People in a room brainstorming, two speech bubbles with user input: "I want to see all the cylinders assigned to me" and "I need to view my company fleet"
Inclusive design
Everyone’s voice gets heard

Invaluable involvement of users, customers and business stakeholders throughout the design process.

Optimised Product page

Complex made simple

Combining user input, technical smarts and design intellect - it is possible to make the complex feel simple to use.

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Activity 280% up in 10 days

Successful launch with a staggering increase in user activity by 280% only in the first 10 days

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Market share dominance

Reece Group on track to have the biggest market share for refrigerants in HVAC-R industry

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100% satisfaction

MVP requirements delivered on time, on budget, just under 9 weeks - exceeding management expectation

I reached out to Relab to assist with a common business problem - how to make something complex feel simple? They were amazing to work with, often going out of their way to ensure they understood all elements of the app.
Luisa Bradshaw-Wiley
Luisa BradshawProduct Manager (Flexitrak), Actrol & Reece Group

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