Optimize your processes... your customers will thank you

My belief is that every Web app out there should always optimize their customer processes. This does not mean just looking at it before launch, but rather looking at the processes over time. What works great today might be just "basic" in 6 months. There may be new ways to optimize how a user interacts with your Web app. Whether it be a quicker login system, a better way to handle contact inquiries, or just removing a step in an ordering chain, there is usually at least 1-2 things that can really increase the process optimization and therefore increase the usability of the Web application.

I thought we could take a look at two (non-Web) systems that I use on a regular basis and look at how the systems could be optimized to save me time and frustration. They are: the bank ATM and the voicemail system for Vonage.

Bank ATM

Bank first... yesterday I went to the ATM to get some cash. And this is my bank, meaning I am using the ATM for the bank to which I bank at, not a cash point. Here are the steps that I have to go through to get the cash to come out of the machine:

• Insert ATM card
• Click English or Spanish
• Enter PIN
• Decide if I want a receipt
• Click Withdrawl
• Select Checking or Savings
• Enter Amount
• Cash out
• Receipt out
• Card out

Now let's look at what my suggestions are for optimizing the process. First, why does it ask me English or Spanish? The bank could easily note on my record which language I want and present me that language and move on to the next step. If you want Spanish, you do not want English and vice-versa. Add a button on the next screen that says "change your language" which I can click if I desire. It's not forced. Next point... receipt.. YES I want a receipt. I always ask for a receipt. Why can't this be a default as well? Or even better, when I hit the cash button, make 2 buttons... one "cash with receipt" or "cash without receipt". Next point, checking or savings. I don't have a savings account. Why ask me this then? I can't get cash from savings so remove this question for users who have one or the other. Heck even if I have both - put it on the same screen as amount requested.

So here is how I see the optimized process:

• Insert ATM card
• Enter PIN
• Click Withdrawl, with amount
• Cash out
• Receipt out
• Card out

Process down from 10 steps to 6 steps and we could really optimize this even further. I won't discuss the deposit process (which is worse) but there is a lot we can do there as well.

Vonage

When you call Vonage voicemail, there should be an option to just play the new messages. Instead this is what you need to do to get to your voice mail messages:

• Enter PIN
• Listen to woman tell you how many voicemails you have
• Push 1 to get to voice mail menu
• Push 1 again to get to new voice mails
• Listen to voice mails

Here are the changes I would suggest. First, why do I need to enter my PIN when I am calling from my Vonage line. Remove that. Second, let me push a button that will immediately start my new voicemails. No woman, no words, just play the damn messages.

Summary

Create your processes, then optimize them. And come back after launch and ask customers what can be done to optimize. The optimized processes will save customers time, effort and reduce frustration levels. Optimized processes can be a competitive advantage.