RealTrack

Overview

The RealTrack app was part of a strategic partnership with Apple focused on accelerating the design of best-in-class industrial applications for iOS.

The problem

Our users work on extremely complicated manufacturing projects with many team members and phases — some projects span up to two years. They needed a more streamlined way to communicate across their teams while on the move.

The solution

Working closely with our users, we designed a mobile application that integrates with their enterprise project management tool. The app gives quick access to all the information they need and enables streamlined communication between multiple project teams.

My role

As lead UX visual designer for GE's Digital Innovation team on this project, I worked closely with our interaction designer to conduct user interviews and understand a day in the life of our users, so we could identify and solve their real pain points.

We spent a week at Apple's Enterprise Design Lab with our users, the GE UX team, and Apple's design and technology experts. It was extremely effective at accelerating the build and strengthened our relationship with users and product teams. By the end we had several fully fleshed-out screens and a functioning Xcode prototype.

Impact and results

• A week of co-design replaced months of handoff. Working alongside our users and Apple's design and technology experts at the Enterprise Design Lab, we left with fully resolved screens and a functioning Xcode prototype.
• Communication moved to where the work happens. Teams running manufacturing programmes that span up to two years could coordinate from the floor instead of from a desk.
• Coordination failures are expensive. On programmes this size, a missed handoff shows up later as waste, churn, and schedule slip — and on site, a plant held up is the costly version of that.
• Users became advocates. Having been in the room for the design process, they had a stake in the outcome — which is what carries an enterprise tool through rollout.