Case Studies
Self Check-in Station
PROBLEM STATEMENT
This custom system ensures the safety of hundreds of employees entering our facilities every day. Since we require screening and tracking of each individual entering any of our various locations, we wanted a system that would automate the process and reduce resources.
Similar to how we develop products for our clients, we assembled a team of adept professionals to create a custom solution to fit our needs. The system simplifies and automates the screening process, which was previously administered by personnel.
SOLUTION
Here's How We Did It
- What are the main pain points?
- What is the desired schedule and budget for the solution?
- What constraints or concerns do we need to consider?
Requirements
Next, we began to evaluate the requirements:
- The team refined the requirements according to our needs. We had an understanding from doing some initial research that there was not a system we could purchase that would be a perfect fit, so we developed requirements which included:
- Writing use cases to represent the desired usability and functions
- Reviewing the requirements with our stakeholders and selected users
- And requirements that addressed the testability of the product.
User Interface
We also talked a lot about the User Interface:
- For any system with a User Interface, involving a design expert is essential. Our industrial designers used Adobe XD to develop simple wireframe mockups that progressed into the fully developed interactive UI design.
- Since many of us are currently working remotely, we reviewed the UI design in virtual meetings. Design revisions happened quickly. We had multiple sessions of updating, and re-evaluating the UI until we were happy with the final approved design. Using Adobe XD made the transition from UI design to development seamless.
User Experience
During the development of the User Interface, our designers thought a lot about the entire User Experience.
- What would the station itself look like?
- How could branding and iconic supportive GUI elements help the user understand what is being asked of them?
- What ADA considerations could make this station universally accessible?
- And finally, what design and arrangements would make the system ergonomic and easy to use and interact with?
A lot of thought was put in to each step to make the entire user experience as simple and efficient as possible. The colors, fonts, and graphics for the screen were carefully chosen to match both branding needs and visual accessibility for all types of users.
Evaluation, Integration
Now let’s take a moment to understand how we evaluate hardware, perform integration and bring it all together.
Evaluating off-the-shelf hardware required understanding the system architecture needs. We knew we wanted an Android tablet for this system. Therefore, we needed a badge reader and thermometer that allowed for communication with Android, as well as integration with our application and database.
The integration process required research, down-selection and experimentation. The team researched the hardware options and then down-selected to a few options that would work best according to the requirements. More specifically, the hardware needed to accommodate our needs:
- The thermometer has a USB connection which is more secure and viable in data transfer.
- The badge scanner we selected can communicate with the Android tablet via wired or wireless communication.
- We also found a USB C hub with power delivery so we are able to maintain 2 USB connections (both the thermometer and the scanner) while providing enough power for the tablet and the thermometer.
Mobile App Design
Mobile app design is an area of expertise for our software engineers, who built the app and database to support the solution. The app enables the following:
- Scan employee badge and get employee data from the server
- Capture employee temperature via the thermometer
- Present users with COVID-19 screening questions
- Gather all user input data and send it to a managed secure server database.
Testing & Validation
After bringing everything together, we needed to do Testing and Validation to ensure that everything was working as intended, so we:
- Tested against test cases and validated experiences against requirements and use cases
- Used a limited release to gather user feedback, then put the check-in system into use and observed and learned
- Adapted and iterated to increase usability and overall system performance
- And finally, at the product release, we monitored and responded to confirm system stability and meet expectations in real-world use.
Prior to multiple installations at all of our locations, we also created an instructional video to demonstrate how to properly use the self-check in station.
We’re happy with the ease of use this system offers. It has greatly improved the efficiency with which we are able to track and monitor the safety of hundreds of our employees.
Mobile App Design
- Scan Employee Badge and get employee data from the server
- Capture Employee temperature via the thermometer
- Present users with COVID-19 screening questions
- Gather all user input data and send it to our managed secure server database.
Testing & Validation
- Test against test cases and validate experiences against requirements and use cases.
- Use a limited release to gather user feedback, then put the check-in system into use and observe and learn
- Adapt and iterate to increase usability and overall system performance
- At the product release, monitor and respond to confirm system stability and meet expectations in real-world use.