Reimagining Dental Lab Software
for Arklign Dental

Arklign is a dental technology company integrating software, lab fabrication, logistics, and data to transform the dental service experience. Their user-centric Case Relationship Management platform enhances the relationship between dental practices and laboratories, centralizes case management, organizes communication and provides powerful analytics.

COMPANY
ARKLIGN
Aug 2015 - Oct 2015
MY ROLE
UX Consultant
Ethnographic research, Contextual interviews, Design workshops, Sketching, Interaction design, Visual art direction
TOOLS
Sketch, Enthnography, Contextual Interviews

THE PROBLEM

Arklign dental lab was experiencing a high number of case issues, with the percentage requiring remakes (RMAs) much higher than the industry standard of 3%. I was asked to uncover and resolve the underlying issues.

RESEARCH Kick-OFF

Client workshop

To start, I worked with the client to understand the issues they were experiencing and create an appropriate research plan. The most urgent issue being a problem with the percentage of modifications and remakes that requested.

The first step was to take a closer look at the current case management process from order to delivery, examining who is actually using the software (dentist, assistants, etc.), and identify where issues arise.

Then, for a complete understanding of the full service experience, I walked through a dental lab case from submission to fulfillment, interviewing lab techs, customer service, and shipping clerks each step of the way.

The research plan

We separated the research into two parts:

‍1) Front-end order submission and modification

2) Back-end processing, support, and delivery

PART 1 | DENTISTS
(Front-end)

Generative research

Interviews with dental office staff to understand their existing case management process from order to happy patient.

Participants

Individual or group sessions conducted on-site with 5 dental offices.

  • Dentist (solo/small office)
  • Dental office staff (group/large office)
  • Business manager

Research Topics

  • Placing a lab order for a tooth restoration
  • Tracking of an order
  • Handling modifications and RMAs
  • Case resolution
  • Business intelligence needs
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PART 2 | LAB STAFF
(Back-end)

Field Study / Ethnographic Research

Interviews on-site at the dental lab using contextual inquiry techniques (observation & open-ended questions).

Participants

One representative from each area of production, support, and delivery.

  • Lab technician
  • Customer service representative
  • Shipping clerk

Research Topics

  • Receipt of dental lab order
  • Production process
  • Handling corrections and modifications
  • Fielding customer questions
  • Shipping and delivery logistics

PERSONAS

It's not just dentists...

We realized from our research that it's not just dentists who handle lab orders. Based on the qualitative data from my interviews, I developed personas for each of the 5 main target users.

1. Solo Dentists in private practice are the primary users
2. Dentists in a group practice are often secondary users
3. Dental assistants often enter orders for the dentist
4. Business managers review cases in larger practices
5. Lab Technicians are the main point of contact during production
Solo dentist personaGroup practice personaDental assistant personaBusiness manager personaBusiness manager persona

I wanted to understand how tech savvy customers are and their comfort level working on mobile so that we could design appropriate solutions.
‍For this research, I extrapolated the technology ratings based on only 5 subjects.

I would have liked more quantitative data for this, but without access to this information, we decided to move forward with the assumption that while doctors are highly educated, they may not be completely comfortable moving to online prescriptions.

Results

We learned that...

Once the interviews were concluded, I analyzed the information for cause and effect and then summarized my findings in a powerpoint deck, outlining proposed solutions for each issue. I presented these to the client's leadership team.

issue #1

Doctors are hyper-focused on the cost of delays

This is money lost due to the time for the staff or doctor to address the issue, talking to the lab, waiting for the remake, etc.

issue #2

Rx forms are often submitted with incomplete or incorrect product configuration

Dentists forget to enter vital information like tooth number or shade on the form or select the wrong configuration for the product. Extra time is required for the lab to contact the dentist and resolve these issues.

issue #3

Problem resolution is time and effort-intensive

Each case issue requires elaborate back and forth clarification between the lab technician, customer service, and the dental office. This communication is done by sending marked up images through a separate email system and the case is put on hold until the issue is resolved. Additional delays are caused by missed communication.

issue #4

Case status is not clearly communicated

The current states are lab-focused and do not communicate the information dentists really want to know (e.g. when materials were received, when product will be ready, and when they can expect to receive it).

Looking back on this project, I believe it would have benefited from a full customer service journey map to document the submission process between the dentist and the lab technician.

DesigN

Design Goals

Based on my research, I went into the design phase with the following set of goals.

1 Reduce errors during online Rx order entry

The simplest solution is to not allow online prescriptions to be submitted if missing required information. Limiting the configuration options to only those relevant to the selected product will reduce cognitive load and the potential for user error.

To reduce selection errors during Rx input, I focused on simplifying the entry screen and providing a visual selection method and clear summary of each tooth configuration.

Onboarding journey map

2 Align customer expectations with realistic delivery dates

Previously, when dentists submitted prescriptions (Rx), the form allowed for them to request specific delivery dates - however these dates were typically not feasible.

To address this, I implemented a new approach: defaulting to an estimated delivery date based on the actual turnaround time. Additionally, I introduced the option for dentists to request expedited delivery when needed.

Onboarding journey map

3 Provide clear status updates to support the dental office

‍I focused on revamping the case status to reflect the customer POV rather than the dental office.

New: Confirm that materials were received by the lab.
In Progress: Includes an estimated delivery date so the dental office can properly schedule a follow-up appointment for their patient.
‍Shipped: Product is  its way.
Action Required‍Direct action required.

Onboarding journey map

4 Streamline issue handling between the doctor and the lab

Doctors want to include marked up images to illustrate issues that are difficult to describe in writing.

The lab tech and customer service rep both needed access to the case notes and call history while addressing RMA issues. Important memos/tasks needed to be communicated between lab members while handling cases. There were often delays caused by back and forth email communication between the lab and customer while trying to locate and clarify the case.

To address this, I worked closely with the framework team to 1) tie the lab staff directly into the case management system so that they can quickly locate existing cases, and 2) allow customers to include marked up images that illustrate difficult to describe issues.
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Once the lab and customers were directly connected, we added case issue alerts on the dashboard.

Onboarding journey map

SKETCHES

Early design sketches

IA diagram

wireframes

Mid-fidelity Wireframes

IA diagramOnboarding journey mapOnboarding journey map

ART DIRECTION

Mockups & Visual Assets

The client requested a new look and feel to go with the updated platform design. I brought in a visual designer who created a mood board with three color and style variations. These are the final mockups based on the selected style.

DashboardCase card view

BUSINESS IMPACT

Support calls reduced by 30%

With the new order workflow, customers were aware of the processing and delivery timeframes at the time of order, and kept aware of the status in the new dashboard.

Improved NPS due to less errors

Two-way communication between the dentist and the lab enabled corrections and modifications to be verified quickly.

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