Ace Retail
Mobile Point of Sale Application
Project Summary
ACE Retail, a leading provider of enterprise POS solutions, needed to modernize their offering to meet the evolving demands of mid to large-scale retail operations. The challenge was to develop a mobile POS solution that would help businesses increase operational efficiency, reduce costs, and scale their retail operations effectively.
Design Lead
B2B Product Strategy
UX Designer
UI Designer
UI/UX Design
Graphic Design
High-Fidelity Prototypes
Design System
Client
Ace Retail
2017
My Role
As Enterprise Solution Design Lead, I focused on reducing the complexity that was driving 70% of support calls. Through user research and workflow analysis, I identified that most support inquiries stemmed from unclear navigation and complex inventory management processes. My role encompassed:
Redesigning complex workflows into intuitive processes
Developing an in-app guidance system
Creating contextual help documentation
Implementing user behavior analytics
Streamlining onboarding experiences
Challenge
Beyond the obvious strain on support resources, these usability issues were impacting business operations. Each support call averaged 64 minutes, resulting in significant productivity losses. Store managers reported spending up to 15 hours per week helping staff navigate the system instead of focusing on core business activities. This translated to approximately $3,000 in lost productivity per location monthly.
Key Research Insights
Our analysis of support tickets and user feedback revealed critical pain points:
45% - Payment Processing Issues
40% - Navigation and Usability Problems
15% - Other Technical Issues
Solution
Make It Simple
We redesigned everything with one rule: if your mom can't use it, it's too complex. Eight steps became three. Technical terms disappeared. Complex menus turned into clear buttons. Now users can handle payments, inventory, and reports without thinking twice.
Help At Your Fingertips
Quick video tutorials and visual guides are built right into the app. Every screen has a help button that links to a 2-minute video showing exactly what to do. No more calling support or digging through manuals – answers are one tap away.
Easy Start
One click email login gets you started. No complicated setup or long training sessions. The system shows basic features first and introduces advanced ones later. New staff can now learn the system in a day instead of a week.
The Process
Discovery Phase
We began by understanding our users, mapping their daily struggles, and analyzing support call patterns to identify the biggest pain points. This research phase laid the foundation for our entire transformation strategy.
Simplification Phase
Every screen was redesigned to remove clutter and unnecessary steps. The payment process was streamlined to just three steps: enter items, choose payment method, and complete. We moved the most-used features to the main screen and added clear visual guides to help users navigate.
Help System Development
We produced short, focused tutorial videos that could be watched in under two minutes. Every screen got its own help button linking to specific guides, and we built a searchable help center filled with visual instructions for common tasks.
Onboarding Redesign
We introduced one-click email login and created a guided experience that introduces features gradually as users need them. This replaced the overwhelming traditional training approach with a natural learning curve.
Testing and Deployment
Store managers tested the system first, giving us crucial feedback for final adjustments. After training our support team on the new system, we rolled it out to all stores. The results were immediate: support calls dropped by 90%, and 98% of new users could start working without assistance. The entire transformation, from research to full deployment, took just five weeks through focused, user-centered design.
Conclusion
The transformation of ACE Retail's POS system demonstrates how thoughtful design and user-centered solutions can revolutionize business operations. By prioritizing simplicity, accessibility, and user empowerment, we created more than just a point-of-sale system – we built a tool that actually helps businesses thrive.
This project proves that complex business solutions don't need to be complicated. When we put users first and strip away unnecessary complexity, we can create powerful tools that are both sophisticated and simple to use. The ACE Retail POS transformation has set a new benchmark for what businesses should expect from their technology partners: solutions that work for people, not against them.
90%
Reduction in support calls
78%
Self-onboarding success rate
75%
Reduce Support Calls