Informed 365

In an era where corporate social responsibility is at the forefront of consumer minds, the partnership between Informed 365 and UTS Rapido sets a new standard in utilising user experience (UX) capability to identify and communicate risks and streamline annual modern slavery processes.

This collaboration demonstrates how thoughtfully designed digital tools can make significant strides in both compliance and advocacy. 

A comprehensive UX research initiative was spearheaded by the joint team to assess the current state of the Informed 365 tool from the perspective of its end-users. 

Through usability sessions, feedback and in-depth interviews, the team engaged Informed 365 customers and customer experience staff to identify core areas for enhancement.

This process aimed to improve the immediate workflow and to positively influence future R&D initiatives, customer experience and professional development.

It also encourages internal team growth by providing better resource utilisation for internal staff members.

Streamlining modern slavery reporting – UX research collaboration

Client Need

To enhance the usability and efficiency of the Informed 365 supply management tool to streamline supplier audits and risk identification processes. 

Innovation

The project yielded innovative design concepts for Informed 365’s online tool, prioritising simplicity, efficiency, and user empowerment. 

The concepts received unanimous approval by participants, indicating a strong inclination toward adoption. This approach underscored the importance of three main factors for future initiatives:

• Collaboration: ensuring effective coordination across all levels of the platform.
• Trust: building a robust relationship through active engagement and transparency.
• Control: granting users the ability to manage their engagement and reporting more autonomously. 

Outcome 

The project's success was palpable, with design concepts not only aligning perfectly with organisational goals and workflows, but also heralding a notable shift in how clients valued and interacted with the platform. 

Substantial time savings, enhanced ability for teams to focus on strategic use of the tool, and the relief of operational burdens on addressing basic usability concerns were among the celebrated outcomes. 

This research demonstrates unanimous support for the design concepts, indicating a direct alignment with both adoption rates and efficiency improvements:

• Adoption rate: 100% of participants intend to adopt the concepts.
• Goal alignment: Perfect fit with Informed 365 ESG platform objectives, specifically in enhancing modern slavery reporting.
• Efficiency gains: Universal expectation of improved outcomes for Informed 365 staff and customers.

Benefits to Informed 365

• Customer satisfaction: enhanced platform intuitiveness leading to reduced client-reported problems.
• Improved user experience: clearer workflows and simplified navigation across the platform.
• Resource optimisation: ability to shift focus towards performance enhancements and future upgrades.
• Time efficiency: streamlined processes could save support staff up to 60 hours weekly.
• Social impact: increased capability to detect and mitigate modern slavery risks.
• Professional development: improved staff experience and new opportunities to build additional skills.

UX methodologies and frameworks used:

• Domain discovery workshops
• Semi-structured interviews
• Insight prioritisation
• Process and task models
• Concept development through to detailed design
• Usability testing

Future outlook

The collaboration between Informed 365 and UTS Rapido has not only served its immediate goal but has also offered invaluable insights for enhancing future UX-focused R&D initiatives.

Engaging collaborations, fostering trust, and promoting user autonomy have emerged as key pillars for future development. Unanticipated findings, such as the need for supplier involvement and clearer communication regarding compliance concerns, have paved the way for a deeper understanding and approach toward advanced platform development.

The project's impact extends beyond operational efficiencies, touching on the heart of community engagement and ethical responsibility. By prioritising usability and the user experience, Informed 365 and UTS Rapido have demonstrated how purpose-driven design can lead to meaningful change in the fight against modern slavery.