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OTA Portal

An enterprise UX redesign transforming fragmented Over-The-Air (OTA) software update metrics into a unified, high-level dashboard in Qlik Sense. I led the end-to-end design process, synthesizing complex data requirements from cross-border engineering teams, navigating BI tool constraints, and consolidating multi-page reports into an intuitive 1-page executive view. NDA - The following references use non-revealing, consented, or obfuscated data in compliance with enterprise confidentiality agreements.

Year

2022

Client

Ford Motor Company

The Challenge

The OTA Portal was a Qlik Sense dashboard created to consolidate fragmented data across regional Over-The-Air teams for executive reporting. As a solo designer, the challenge was overcoming user resistance, conflicting stakeholder opinions, inconsistent terminology, and severe BI aesthetic limits to transform a chaotic prototype into a widely adopted tool.

The Solution

Following a lean Design Thinking process, the portal was redesigned into a consolidated 1-page high-level overview focused on three core graph pillars (Timing, Deployment, Content) with custom filters. The solution incorporated supplementary glossary pages, links to complementary tools, and subscription concepts to streamline cross-team communication and executive decision-making.

3 Big Takeaways

Massive Compilation Efficiency: The initial prototype and subsequent redesign reduced data collection and organization time for department meetings from an entire week (5 days) down to a single day.
1-Page Architecture & Educational Layer: Replaced confusing multi-page navigation with a single-page overview for executive presentations, adding supplementary pages for OTA terms, region updates, and complementary tool links to bridge team knowledge gaps.
Design Adaptation Within BI Limits: Overcame Qlik Sense's rigid visual customization limits by iteratively testing wireframes from Figma directly into Qlik Sense alongside the developer and project lead to maximize native tool capabilities.

Key Research Insights

Information Overload vs. Executive Needs: Research (5 interviews, 5 usability tests, surveys, and heuristic evaluations) showed users struggled with excessive pages and confusing navigation; directors and managers needed a rapid, high-level snapshot.
Terminology Inconsistency: Regional OTA teams used inconsistent naming conventions and codes that neither researchers nor participants fully understood, requiring refined data labeling across the platform.
Resistance to Workflow Disruption: Teams questioned the portal's necessity due to existing tools, showing reluctance toward any platform with a steep learning curve or disruptive onboarding.

Trade-offs & System Prioritization

1-Pager Overview: Focused on three core data pillars: Timing, Deployment status, and Content graphs.

Advanced & Custom Filters: Standardized key metadata (vehicle lines, features, regions, hotfixes) to allow precise data slicing without leaving the main view.
Educational Onboarding: Created supplementary pages for OTA terminology, glossaries, and links to complementary internal tools to resolve cross-team communication gaps.

Aesthetic Expectation vs. BI Reality: Because Qlik Sense lacked the customization needed for a traditional web-app aesthetic, Figma wireframes were continually compromised and adapted to fit native Qlik Sense limits without custom code overhead.
Informal Outreach for Hard-to-Reach Stakeholders: Faced with tight timelines and reluctant managers, formal scheduling was supplemented with friendly informal chats to gather critical feedback without overburdening participants.

Business Impact & Operational ROI

The redesign transformed the OTA reporting process from a manual bottleneck into an enterprise self-service tool:

Reporting Efficiency: Reduced data compilation time for the core Brazilian team from 5 days (40h) to 1 day (8h) per reporting cycle—reclaiming ~96 working hours/month for strategic analysis.
Network Effect: Driven by utility, the platform scaled from a single core team to multiple OTA teams and executive levels across Brazil and the US.
Financial Impact (Potential Cost Avoidance): Unlocked an estimated ~$50k–$80k+ USD in annual potential cost avoidance by converting recovered analyst hours into operational efficiency, calculated against conservative industry labor averages.
Long-Term Scalability: Methodologies and UI frameworks established in this project served as the structural foundation for subsequent executive dashboards and internal wiki redesigns.

Results & Deliverables

Cross-Regional Adoption: Expanded tool usage beyond the initial Brazilian unit to embrace North American teams, managers, and the general director.
Methodological Foundation: When key features were eventually integrated into a broader enterprise platform, the portal's design frameworks directly informed new manager dashboards and wiki redesigns.
Long-Term Engagement Features: Delivered a refined final portal presentation to the OTA Director, supported by proposed subscription models and active user feedback forms to sustain long-term utility.

Collaborative Team Role Summary

Solo Product Designer: Managed the end-to-end design lifecycle single-handedly—from desk research, surveys, and WebEx usability testing to Figma UI wireframing and Qlik Sense implementation.
Cross-Team Facilitator: Reconciled conflicting department interests, standardized complex technical terminology, and pitched strategic extra features to area leadership.

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