IFS Cloud: ‘Saved search’ feature improvement
SaaS
B2B
User Testing
Feature Improvement
Discoverability
Interactive Design
User Satisfaction
User Retention
Final results from Sana Commerce Cloud first release
IFS Cloud is an enterprise software platform that helps organizations manage core processes like ERP, EAM, FSM, and HCM. It integrates various operations, emphasizing agility and scalability, and offers customizable, industry-specific solutions for sectors such as manufacturing, energy, and service.
Timeline
February 2022 - April 2022
(~9 weeks)
Problem
Although the 'Saved Search' feature existed in IFS Cloud, many users were unaware of its presence. Support received numerous requests for this functionality, and it was highly ranked on the IFS Community wishlist, highlighting a significant discoverability issue. Lack of visibility resulted in wasted time, redundant actions, and frustration among users in various roles.
Goals & Objectives
Our goal was to redesign the experience, making the 'Saved Search' feature intuitively discoverable and easy to use within both the basic and advanced search interfaces.
Research & Discovery
Low feature adoption rate
*To comply with the NDA, I have modified, excluded, and obscured certain data above.
Almost half of the monthly active users use the ‘search functionality. Product analytics showed a very low feature adoption rate for ‘Save search’ functionality.
53% of MAUs used Basic or Advanced search functionality
Out of that 53%, only 8% of users saved a search.
‘Saved search’ feature adoption rate was 4.23%.
User interviews
We interviewed 12 users who had been using Aurena in IFS Cloud for at least 3-4 months. The participants came from diverse roles, each with different search requirements.
The goal was to;
Understand how they interact with the search functionality in IFS Cloud.
Identify their feedback and pain points around the functionality.
Pioneer customer interviews
User testing
Given tasks:
Task 1: Perform a search and try to save this search to use later.
Task 2: Try to access the search you previously saved.
Task 3: Differentiate between a bookmark and a saved search.
Task 4: Organize and edit saved searches in the new interface.
Find the results at the bottom.
The interface is outdated and cluttered. Navigating through redundant menus to perform simple tasks is frustrating. We need a more intuitive user experience.
Ecommerce Manager
Manufacturing and Distribution
11-50 employees
I never looked what’s there inside this menu. Good to know I can save my searches with the filters. Now I keep a document with all the search queries saved.
Production Scheduler
Uses IFS around 5 hrs/day
EU.7, (21-30 years)
Setting up the system is a nightmare. It's so easy to accidentally delete important configurations. We need a more straightforward setup process.
Customer Experience
Electronics and Machinery
11-50 employees
A few interesting feedback from the participants...
How the old UI looked like
‘Save search’ inside the option menu, along with other options unrelated to search.
Insights explained...
Repeated tasks: Some users repeatedly performed manual, redundant searches due to lack of awareness of the ‘Save Search’ functionality (e.g. adding filters again and again.)
Confusion with favorites: Most users thought they had saved a search when they actually created a bookmark. They could not differentiate between the two features.
Hidden Saved Searches: Several users did not know that a saved search function existed, as it was buried in the advanced search panel or kebab menu (3 dot icon).
Some find the value: Once discovered, it was immediately identified as a valuable productivity enhancer ("time saver"), confirming the user value of improving its visibility.
I found a direction to start the redesign
Enhance discoverability: Surface the 'Saved Search' option in more intuitive UI locations and align with user expectations (e.g., repositioning from the kebab menu, clarifying labels).
Clarify affordances and labels: Avoid confusion by differentiating saved searches from bookmarks through clearer naming, icons, and user flows.
Minimize friction: Reduce cognitive load and repetitive tasks by simplifying the save, retrieve, and edit interactions within the search flow.
Ideation & Concept Exploration
User flow
User flow of ‘Saved Searches’ - with saved searches and without
Inspiration
I began exploring ideas from similar products for shared interaction patterns and designs…
Some inspiration from other product UIs
Design iterations
Then I worked on initial concepts, focusing on discoverability and intuitiveness.
Ideas tested with existing components
User flow improvements and de-cluttering
Prototype testing
I then created interactive prototypes on Figma for all 4 tasks and tested them with the help of a researcher.
Got a little help from my UXR friend...
What did we measure?
Measured Time on Task (Sec), Task Completion Rate(Yes/No), and Discoverability Rate (Likert).
Also, asked for general feedback on the new design and the flow.
Find the results at the bottom.
Interactive Figma prototypes used for testing
Design Iterations, Final Design, & Handoff
How my Figma file was organized with detailed annotations, guidelines, or interaction flows for engineering.
Annotated design specifications provided to developers during the first iteration, detailing UI adjustments and clarifying interactions for the enhanced ‘Saved Search’ feature.
End-to-end interaction flow for the redesigned ‘Saved Search’ feature, illustrating key user actions such as saving, retrieving, and managing searches in the new design.
Design Iteration #1: Detailed UI refinements and interaction enhancements across web and mobile views.
Design Iteration #2: Mobile-specific refinements
Beta Rollout & Results
We launched the updated 'Saved Search' feature to a select group of pioneer users in a controlled beta. This approach allowed us to monitor adoption, collect feedback, and iterate quickly to ensure the final solution met user needs.
Post-Launch metrics comparison
Impact at a glance
Increase in Save Search task completion
Reduction in time to retrieve a saved search
Improvement in discoverability
Success, in their own words
The interface is outdated and cluttered. Navigating through redundant menus to perform simple tasks is frustrating. We need a more intuitive user experience.
Ecommerce Manager
Manufacturing and Distribution
11-50 employees
Yes, no more guessing what does what. Everything makes sense now. It’s a small change, but it’s made a big difference.
Production Planner
EU.1, (41–50 years)
Setting up the system is a nightmare. It's so easy to accidentally delete important configurations. We need a more straightforward setup process.
Customer Experience
Electronics and Machinery
11-50 employees
Post-launch feedback from participants
Key Learnings & Next Steps
Lessons learned
Iterative testing challenged assumptions and improved outcomes
Initially, I assumed users struggled mainly due to labeling clarity. However, through iterative usability testing, I discovered the primary issue was the feature's discoverability. Frequent, targeted feedback loops and user testing allowed us to pivot early, even before development, and directly addressed core usability challenges, ultimately boosting task completion rates from 60% to 92%.
Understanding context is key to inclusive design
We observed that Production Planners interacted with the search functionality differently than Project Coordinators and Inventory Administrators. Recognizing these role-based differences highlights the need for flexible solutions. Moving forward, we will focus on persona-specific research to ensure features are intuitive and valuable for all user groups.
Next steps
Phase 2
Monitor long-term adoption and engagement - continuously track feature adoption over the coming months to verify sustained improvement.
Phase 3
Extend improvements to the Bookmark feature - use the successful pattern from this redesign to improve the discoverability and usability of the Bookmark feature.
