Defining The Vision and Guiding Light
The primary goal was to create a platform that enables FPLES to expand and monetize its services beyond its traditional market with a scalable and adaptable HVAC purchasing and servicing platform.
Driving Innovation Through User Research
To ensure the platform aligned with stakeholder needs, we developed detailed personas for homeowners and contractors. The homeowner persona prioritized ease of use, transparency, and trust, while the contractor persona focused on streamlined workflows, clear communication, and efficient job tracking.
We conducted interviews with both groups to uncover their pain points and expectations. These insights were pivotal in shaping the platform's features, ensuring it effectively met user needs. The research identified several critical use cases, including:
- Homeowners shop and compare HVAC systems.
- Homeowners request price estimates and qualify for loans.
- Contractors receive job bookings and manage projects.
- Contractors manage the installation process and ongoing maintenance.
Furthermore, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of contractors and service vendors, ultimately selecting a vendor with whom they had an existing relationship. The vendor was chosen for their proven ability to deliver the required hardware and installation services. The selection process considered the vendor's capabilities, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with FPLES’s strategic objectives, ensuring a well-rounded and strategic choice.
Transforming Insights into Intuitive Designs
Building on our user research, we translated key insights into detailed wireframes that mapped out the platform's structure and user journeys. By prioritizing these wireframes according to user needs and business objectives, we ensured a solid foundation for the platform's success.
During the design phase, we refined these wireframes into cohesive design tiles that faithfully adhered to FPLES’ branding guidelines. We crafted desktop and mobile versions to guarantee a seamless and consistent user experience across all devices, enhancing accessibility and engagement.
The final creative designs delivered a clean, visually appealing, and user-friendly interface. With an emphasis on simplicity and usability, the platform allows homeowners to navigate effortlessly while empowering contractors to manage their projects efficiently. This intuitive design approach meets the diverse needs of users and aligns with FPLES’ goals of expanding services and effectively capturing new markets.
Creating the Architecture and Technology Blueprint
FPLES required a standalone system that operated independently, without an immediate integration into their existing ERP and CRM systems, and as such, sought a workaround to achieve this. MojoTech recommended a progressive web app tech stack emphasizing speed, scalability, and minimal maintenance.
We proposed a combination of custom software development and third-party financial solutions to build a robust, scalable platform. We recommended against FPLES developing their own fintech and loan origination technology in-house, as building and maintaining such systems would demand substantial resources, diverting focus from their core strategic priorities. Instead, we suggested leveraging a white-label third-party solution, ensuring FPLES could offer these services under its own brand without the burden of in-house development.
The platform's information architecture was designed to support the user journey, from selecting HVAC systems to long-term loan servicing and maintenance. Given the need for data integrations with OEM equipment ordering and shipping platforms, plus contractors' work order management systems, we developed a comprehensive approach to connect these components seamlessly, ensuring a smooth user experience and efficient operational workflows.
