Context
Team Leader
Meet Sandeep, a seasoned farming and harvesting expert who leads a dedicated team of 12 to 14 individuals on their daily grape harvests. Despite their proficiency in agriculture, Sandeep and his team aren't exactly tech-savvy. They prefer simple, reliable local phones, even though their batteries often struggle to last the entire day, especially if they indulge in some music during their journeys. Each evening, Sandeep finds himself waiting until around 10:00 PM at the security checkpoint, collecting the necessary gate pass and seal to kickstart their next day's trip. It's a tedious delay, considering their early morning start time of 4:00 AM and the need to conclude harvesting by 11:00 AM to minimise grape loss, a financial burden that falls squarely on the farmers. Sandeep's team members, rooted in tradition, are understandably skeptical about introducing new technology into their routine. They question what benefits they'll gain from installing an application on their phones. Moreover, there's a lingering concern about their privacy and whether adopting this technology would mean sacrificing their freedom. Despite these reservations, Sandeep knows there's potential for improvement. He envisions a solution that not only simplifies there administrative tasks but also enhances their efficiency and ultimately benefits the entire farming community.
Logistic Officer
Sahyadri Farm, established in 2010 near Dindori Village in Nashik, follows the ToGo Model, where FPOs arrange vehicle procurement for crops on contract basis. Logistics officers lack tracking devices for vehicle movement, hindering efficiency. They aim to enhance grape shelf life for increased profits. Long queues of vehicles at the grape dockyard prompt the need for cooling down vehicles during summer to prevent grape damage. Relying on drivers for vehicle watering is unreliable, leading to time wastage. Additionally, re-routing vehicles over calls due to crate shortages from farmers further burdens logistic officers.
Shadowing
Stakeholder Mapping
Design Brief
Develop an end-to-end digital platform in the logistic module, it can be monitored, it can be controlled, and increase the efficiency of the involved player.
Key Deliverables
1). Time stamping during trip
This platform simplifies tracking vehicle movement during crop procurement, requiring minimal input even for those not tech-savvy. It records key timestamps at each significant stage of the journey, ensuring ease of use and efficiency for all users.
2). Tracking & Re-routing
This platform help to logistic officer to see the movement of vehicle on his desktop and re-route the vehicle nearby the farmer plot if required.
Roles & Responsibility
I contributed to an ambitious project from January to December 2019, focusing on features such as time stamping, tracking, re-routing, and on-trip functionalities in collaboration with my team. Additionally, I engaged in shadowing, interviewing, researching, prototyping, and content creation under the mentorship of my team and mentor. My involvement ceased during the detailed visual design phase as development of the app commenced. The app underwent testing in the same season.
Design Process
Contextual Enquiry
It is an ethnographic research method that helps to understand people do and what they do it. It captures the work's complexities; information flow, the cultural qualities of a working environment, and the sequence of routine tasks.
1. Flow Model(Team Leader)
2). Sequence Model (Team Leader-expert in harvesting)
3). Artefact Model (Team Leader-expert in harvesting)
4). Physical Model (Team Leader-expert in harvesting spot at farmer plot)
1. Flow Model(Logistic Officer)
2). Sequence Model (Logistic Officer-Scheduling Vehicles
3). Artefact Model (Logistic Officer-Scheduling Vehicles
4). Physical Model(Logistic Officer-Scheduling Vehicles)
Persona (Team Leader)
User Journey Map (Team Leader)
Persona (Logistic Officer)
User Journey Map (Logistic Officer)
Observations and Analysis
Competitor Mapping(Em3/ Blackbuck/Tringo/Porter)
Analysis
Grape Harvesting Trip Timeline
Scope
To understand and address the inefficiencies (like time management, fleet management etc) inside FPOs, hence passing on the benefits to farmers & service providers of the same ecosystem. This in turn assures optimal utilisation of resources by the corresponding stakeholders.
To monitor the transportation system and logistic between FPO’s and farmer and exchange of the commodity between them in rural setup.
They are using Cropin software to do entire process but its more manual input. There is no transparency of vehicle delay, watering of vehicle.
Saving 1 hours can add 1 extra shelf life of grapes although it is high value crop. Reduce attending call & manual task
Information Architecture(Mobile)
Information Architecture(Desktop)
Paper Wireframe
Visual Design
Initial Prototype(Mobile)
Initial Prototype(Desktop)
Training & Testing
We learned from our mistake during a training session with team leaders. Initially, we approached them informally, right after lunch, which proved ineffective. Realizing the need for a more structured approach, we organized proper training sessions in a designated hall with permission from the FPO. In the following week, we divided the team into smaller groups and assigned one instructor for every five members. Starting with the basics, we provided a comprehensive walkthrough of the navigation flow using a projector and then asked each participant to complete tasks on their mobile devices. Eight out of the twenty team leaders successfully completed their tasks, while others required more focused training.
Findings
Feedback & Suggestion
Feedback
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Application was made in Marathi and English language. For the time being it was ok but not feasible
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Colour combination was not much pleasing.
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It was difficult to access the call and navigation icon while using the app.
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There should be a pop-up message where the system will ask if your crates number is ok or do you want to make a correction after the pressing submit button when feeding the crates number.
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Show a pop-up message to indicate to the user, if the vehicle is moving in poor connectivity network zone.
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Synchronisation was not well associated with this application
Suggestion
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Make applications in one language.
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Place the call and navigation icon at the centre of the screen to access it easily.
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It will be good if the application has an onboarding screen that speaks about its important features.
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Make the signing application with OTP rather than DOB.
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Accommodate two harvesting slots in trip tracking, because most of the time there will be a probability team leader may be assigned two plots for grape harvesting & accordingly gate pass will be visible.
Iteration (Mobile Wireframe)
Prototype After Testing
Prototype Desktop
Prototype Mobile Gif
Prototype Desktop Gif
Learning
In this project, we encountered a significant hurdle rooted in human behaviour and mindset. Some team leaders expressed concerns about potential infringements on their freedom through monitoring if they were to install an application on their phones. This apprehension underscores the importance of empathising with their perspective and addressing their needs.
Rather than solely relying on digitalisation to shift mindsets, we recognized the necessity of a more holistic approach. By empathising with team leaders' concerns and apprehensions, we sought to foster a culture of trust and collaboration. We acknowledged their fears regarding privacy and freedom and made concerted efforts to assure them of our commitment to respect their privacy and autonomy.
In addition, we introduced incentives and recognition mechanisms to motivate and encourage participation. By offering rewards and recognition for task completion, we aimed to create a positive reinforcement loop, where team leaders felt valued and appreciated for their contributions. This approach not only incentivised participation but also fostered a sense of ownership and engagement with the project.
Through open communication, transparency, and a focus on empathy and recognition, we were able to gradually overcome the initial resistance and build a more supportive and collaborative environment. This shift in mindset laid the foundation for successful adoption of the new system and ultimately contributed to the project's success.