Deliverables
Market Analysis Deep Dive + Insights Focus Areas for the Manager Design System + Brand Component Application on Flows Initial Testing Cycle MVP and Hand-off to Development
Index
Overview Research For the Manager For the Employee Proposed Design
Overview Research For the Manager For the Employee Proposed Design
Overview Research For the Manager For the Employee Proposed Design
What
TapTime is a management platform for starter retail and restaurant businesses to schedule employee shifts and manage departments more efficiently than can be done today.
At Racer, a local NYC ghost kitchen delivery service, is centered around prompt (15 min) food delivery. This posed an immediate need for the most efficient kitchen to courier handoff starting with the initial scheduling.
Offering two apps, the management's end and the employee's end, Tap Time aims to streamline tasks more efficiently than the services today. The extensive features of the management/administrator's side brings higher returns in business operations in the long run. Starting from the most important task - the scheduling shifts - managers should quickly assign shifts and tasks with no frills or friction.
Existing Tool Review
Why Tap Time over existing solutions?
The all-in-one management tools for businesses used today (7Shifts, When I Work, Homebase, etc.) may be convenient to track scheduling and miscellaneous items, however, stakeholders have pointed out edge cases and the overall issue of both the admin and the employer feeling stressed about navigating these tools.
To approach tangible existing market feedback, I had interviewed a manager (started first restaurant in 2021, manages 8 staff members) and employee (been in food and hospitality for 4 years, takes on 3/4 shifts a week) under the same company; both have experience with a time clocking and scheduling tool (7Shifts).
Each session, I would present to them targeted focus areas and would document their insights.
Feature comparison
The features displayed are the most relevant and highly utilized for management needs.
High Level Goals
How can TapTime simplify scheduling experience for managers than existing solutions?
Managers should understand scheduling affordances at a glance.
Ease of access for scheduling and adding employees for specific departments.
Weekly overviews on the dashboard displaying employee shifts, tasks, payout, and alerts for any clocking or task errors.
Fine tune tasks for employees in detail with instructions, due date, and image guidance. Operational details can be accessed for the business in view with soon to be added payroll services.
How can TapTime offer an instant clock in and out experience for employees?
Employees should clock in and complete tasks at their true time.
Clocking in and out should reflect their true work hours.
Pause for breaks and accept open shifts, additionally, perfect attendance and on time clocking behavior is documented and incentives are displayed.
These incentives work for positive margins, as chronic late or misaligned attendance affects labor costs and employee turnover.
Targeted tasks to measure efficiency
Manager: Assign Shift
We reviewed top and bottom versions with Racer's internal kitchen staff. The bottom gained far better comprehension in creating, repeating, and tasking shifts.
Creating a shift
Employee: Clocking into Shift
After the manager assigns a shift, the employee is alerted on the TapTime app. The following displays the clock in window for the shift, along with due tasks.
Closing
TapTime's goal was to ultimately reduce overhead in scheduling and tasking, the most important unit of retail operations. Due to prioritization for Racer's logistics, we did not end up launching into production or an internal tool as a beta test. However, the efforts put into assessing and auditing existing tools, our shift and task delegation to employee resulted in more apparent efficiency than was done before.
Next steps, I would continue test cycles closely with different employers. How would TapTime support overlooked domains like brick and mortar retailers, smaller orgs vs. bigger orgs?
Revenue prospects
The product owner and I thought of how we can support small businesses with a highly discounted subscription model but also approach a membership tier that does not leave the customer feeling exploited or frustrated, a common sentiment we came across when monitoring market product reviews.
We thought of the idea of charging for a tip pooling add on for our next iteration. With Shifts Plus, you can use tip pooling to equally divide each credit card tip across all clocked-in tip eligible team members. Tip pooling ensures equitable and timely tip payouts.