Advantech
Optimize carbon inventory workflow efficiency by 25%, saving $140K+ energy costs for global clients
Timeline
Jun. 2022 - Sep. 2023
My role
Product designer
Wise-iEMS: Enterprise Carbon Verification Dashboard
0 to 1 Product Design Project
Summary
Advantech is the world's No.1 industrial PC market provider who is developing an integrated solution for energy management across multiple industry domains. Within a 3 month rapid timeline, I joined the Wise-iEMs product team to lead end-to-end research and design of a front and back-end dashboard system. I presented the design to the CEO, which received high praise on feasibility and quality.
My Roles
Product Designer/UX Researcher: I lead the 0 to 1 research and design of the product. Shaping information structure, user flows, and conducted rapid prototyping for key milestones. I lead meetings with international branches to align on product roadmap, while ensuring business goals are met and user needs are fulfilled.
Outcomes
-80%
reduction in labor costs
+25%
increase in operation productivity
$140K /yr
average cost saving projected in energy costs
Key achievements
I worked with global cross-functional teams to develop an enterprise-level energy management dashboard system to help industry leading companies reach their carbon reduction goals
🙌🏻
Collaborated with 5 global cross-functional teams
🚀
Led end-to-end research & design in a 3 month rapid timeline
🔍
Translated data-driven research insights into actionable design directions
The problem in a single sentence
The current process spend more time communicating than collecting data!
30+ scattered excel sheets and reports...
Manual data collection
Complex report criteria
Manual data gathering and calculaion process is time-consuming and labor intensive
"Searching for historical data is like searching for a needle in hay!"
Complex report standards makes the processing time 3x longer
Final Design
Target users
Sustainability Manager
“How do I direct ESG efforts in the company?”
“How do I collect data efficiently and precisely?”
Data Collector
Front-end
Intuitive data visualization for real-time data management
Visualize energy usage and fluctuation trends of operating units, offering critical insights to improve energy data transparency and management.
Back-end
Easy-to-follow calculation forums, simplifying communication
Simplify collection process through standardized user flow and centralized data library, reducing the communication costs between managers and data collectors.
Research
How I tackled an unfamiliar problem space in a 3 month rapid timeline
One of the biggest challenges I faced was my unfamiliarity with the problem space of energy management. I spend the first week of the onboarding process conducting extensive secondary research on government protocols to familiarize myself with the context of carbon management and technical terms being used to communicate with stakeholders later on in the process.
Desktop research
User interviews
Market analysis
Talking with 6 critical target audiences revealed gaps and pain points in user journey.
Peer research with 10+ competitive products revealed market opportunities.
I reviewed ESG protocols to gain professional knowledge and terminology.
The current process is long and cumbersome…
After talking to our key TAs, I understood that the carbon inventory process currently requires excessive communication, which results in the unproductive data collection process.
I SPY! Market opportunities lies within an integrated experience for management and communication
After evaluating the key functionalities of competitive products, I presented to the PM, UX/UI Team Lead, and Engineering Lead the critical components of an integrated solution for energy management.
Design objectives
After evaluating the key functionalities of competitive products, I presented to the PM, UX/UI Team Lead, and Engineering Lead the critical components of an integrated solution for energy management.
Streamline workflow
Centralize data
Auto generation
Support storage and discoverability of data to maximize efficiency
Ready to export report templates
Standardized workflow to reduce communication hurddles
Design statement
Wireframe & A/B testing
So how can "data" make sense to our users?
Throughout the wireframing process, I conducted A/B testing with GHG specialists and the Energy Management team at to refine the dashboard layout, creating multiple design patterns to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of each version.
1
Rapid prototyping with dashboard structure
Version 1
Data presentation that matches directly mirrors ISO-14064 protocol
Version 2
More specific breakdown informations that are essential for actual use cases
✅ Version 3
Further breakdown of data that abstracts vital insights
2
Refining on the details of data visualization
Total emission data observation
Trend overview observation
Detailed data management
Design iterations
3 critical design reviews helped shape a user centric experience
1
Prioritize core metrics on graphs to meet actual use cases
I refined the interface by adding essential components and removing unnecessary features to bridge the gap between the ideal data collection process and practical implementation, ensuring our design meets actual user needs.
Before
Carbon emission intensity broken down by individual operating areas often resulted in irrelevant data
After
Eliminates unnecessary details from areas with incomplete data, offering a more streamlined and relevant overview
2
Addressing edge cases to maximize design functionality
On top of the basic structures, I considered the edge cases that was revealed during the testing, and created new design components to ensure that diverse use cases are fulfilled.
Before
Emission data exceeds the limit of a collapsed list view
After
Added a pop-up forum that can contain more calculation details
What challenges did I encounter as designer 👀?
I was challenged many times with function alignment across multiple stakeholders. To solve this, I visualized data and flows to ensure clear communication, and that every decision is made with a purpose that brings maximized value.
Results
Transforming energy management with efficiency and accuracy
3
major operation steps combined
5+
communication route reduced
Original user flow
User flow with the solution
Impact
Launched globally and impacting thousands of industrial leading companies
Vishay Group
World’s largest manufacturer of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components
We plan to gradually deploy Advantech’s iEMS (Intelligent Energy Management Solution) across 15 factories in the Asia-Pacific region, enabling centralized energy management and accelerating our progress toward peak efficiency and carbon reduction goals.
YC Group
General Coordinator & Project Manager, Energy Conservation & Carbon Reduction Team
We're currently implementing Advantech's WISE-iEMS real-time across factories in Taiwan, China, US, SE Asia. It not only enhances the benefits of energy conservation but also optimizes the operational costs and increases our competitiveness in the global market.
Chuan Kai Electric
President of the Smart Energy Research Institute
Advantech has helped Chuan Kai Electric achieve comprehensive digital transformation, and WISE-iEMS has played an essential part in helping the company manage energy throughout the entire park.
What did I learn?
✨
Ask Questions! Approach Complexity with Clarity
Over the three-month internship, I learned the importance of "asking the right questions", especially when working with a topic as complex as enterprise energy management. In addition to that, me and my partner Tracy mapped out a clear roadmap and database from the start to track our progress and consistently aligned with the project manager.
🍎
Sometimes inspirations come from a chat during lunch!
One of the highlights of this experience was connecting with an amazing group of interns from diverse backgrounds. I especially enjoyed exchanging ideas with my peers and receiving feedback from different perspectives—it was one of my favorite aspects of the internship!
