How might we empower users to search internal platform with more confidence?
ROLE
Product Designer
PLATFORM
Web App
YEAR
2024
MVP
To improve the inventory search experience to support a more efficient sales workflow, reduce reliance on third-party tools like MachineryTrader.com.
As Cloudstore scales, the company aims to reduce friction in the sales process by empowering users to discover inventory independently. A more intuitive and efficient search experience was a key step in enabling that shift.
01/
My experience at CloudStore
Bridging the gap between sales enablement and usability
Cloudstore is an online marketplace for heavy machinery, enabling users to buy, sell, and trade equipment on a single platform. Currently, the purchasing process is facilitated primarily by the sales team, who act as intermediaries between dealers and customers.
02/
Why wasn’t it working?
Although the dashboard is powerful, users struggled to find what they’re looking for.
The problem was two-fold, affecting both users and the business. Users got overwhelmed by the number of search results and could not find what they were looking for. This led them to rely on third-party search queries, missing out on exploring more advanced features. At the same time, without an accurate inventory search, the sales team lost out on sales opportunities with clients.
User frustrations
“I search for exact manufacture and model from machinery traders, then plug in serial number for availability.”
The search experience is “... unusable. I get overwhelmed by the results, and most of the time they’re not even relevant.“
03/
Impact & Value Proposition
How did this project help the business and users?
Guided users to search inventory with confidence
Restructuring the hierarchy of search results enabled the sales team to confidently explore the platform and focus on what matters most – matching the right tools with the right client.
Supported sales rep to understand ROI of the platform and cross-selling
Implementing an advanced search filter helped users find accurate results faster and understand how this dashboard could enhance their workflows, which also opened up opportunities for cross-selling and increased customer retention.
01/
User goal
“As a sales rep, I need to efficiently find specific equipment within the Cloudstore inventory that matches my client’s needs to avoid time-consuming manual browsing.
05/
Key Takeaway
The sales reps’ workflow is efficiency-driven and spec-heavy. By prioritizing search usability, intelligent filtering, and minimizing irrelevant data clutter, we can create a streamlined experience that helps users focus on what matters most — matching inventory to client needs quickly.