The ideal web service for finding the right HR software
LaSoft successfully developed and delivered a fully functional product that optimizes costs by $450,000 annually and reduces users' time searching for the best HR vendor by an astounding 52%.
- Industry:
- HR Tech
- Country:
- USA
- Company:
React 
Ruby 
AWS 
Figma 
Miro
The team's work ethic and communication are of the highest quality. LaSoft has created a user-friendly web experience that has resulted in increased customers and more efficient purchases. The team meets the project's deadlines and offers high-quality communication through email and biweekly virtual meetings. LaSoft responds promptly to the client's requests.
Brett Ungashick
Founder of OutSail
Client
OutSail is a web platform dedicated to helping businesses find the right HR software solution to address their specific challenges.
Discovery and Design
Our natural first step was discovering the existing solutions and preparing system design and architecture. We went through a series of workshops with clients that included Scoping and Descoping, Prioritization, Estimation, and Planning workshops. This took us 12 working days, but as a result, the client had a very clear vision of what our team was offering to build, how long it would take, and how much it would cost to implement the system.
Challenge 1
Our main objective was to develop a minimum viable product (MVP) that kick-starts the digitalization process for agencies, and to see the reaction of real users.
MVP
Our MVP focused on assisting users in finding the ideal HR tool to address their specific tasks. We achieved this by creating a user-friendly web platform that simplifies onboarding. Users are guided to select essential categories relevant to their tool requirements and answer questions based on their responses. The platform then identifies the best HR tool that matches their needs.
Challenge 2
Our next challenge was scaling the agency's business model. We accomplished this by leveraging a digital product to expedite decision-making and purchasing through the digitalization of business processes.
Audit
Our initial goal was to audit the minimum viable product (MVP), which helped us identify the necessary changes to ensure the product's scalability.
Our primary goal was to scale the MVP and expand the platform's functionality. Through the MVP audit, we were able to understand the key areas of platform development needed to achieve our goals.
The analysis revealed blocking factors that make it impossible to scale the business model. Our goal is to make the platform more autonomous and self-sufficient.
The first market testing of the MVP allowed us to determine the level of user conversion. The analysis helped us identify gaps and opportunities to improve the user experience and the platform interface.
After conducting the audit, we pinpointed specific obstacles hindering the platform's scalability and impeding a shorter user purchase decision path. Consequently, we concluded that in order to achieve scalability and streamline user flows, it is crucial to enhance and develop a comprehensive next version of the product.
Business Analysis
We updated the product vision and company vision, which improved the understanding of our direction, what we wanted to achieve, and the desired value that the product should deliver.
After that, we created a step-by-step development plan to define the steps to achieve the goal and set success criteria. We make new critical processes and conduct additional research, such as competitor analysis and user and product research. This work helps us find new insights that we test regularly. In addition to this, we develop a customer lifecycle plan and set short and long-term key performance indicators (KPIs) that will serve as benchmarks to measure our progress.
Product Design
At the implementation stage of the step-by-step roadmap, we started working on product design, dividing it into several phases: identification, creativity, and innovation.
The ideation phase focused on researching and developing artifacts like information architecture. At the end of this phase, we had ready-made artifacts to create our look and feel, i.e., the product's appearance. We implemented the validated features and capabilities we gained from the research.
Subsequently, we conducted A/B testing of the platform's features on real users to further enhance its convenience and user-friendliness.
We also developed user journey mapping, which was a breakthrough moment where our product transformed entirely. This tool helped us finalize the design and change the business model as a whole.
As a result, we developed a visual component and improved the user experience, which was included in the new version of the product. The central importance of product design is that the latest version of the product not only scales the business model but also expands the functionality to meet users' needs.
Incremental Development Approach
To ensure a seamless user experience and frequent updates to the platform, we have divided the necessary functionality into incremental releases. This approach allows us to deliver new features step-by-step, ensuring users don't have to wait months to benefit from enhancements.
Real-time Teamwork
We have implemented WebSockets, enabling real-time collaboration on the same project. This feature is precious on the team's progress page, where each team member can instantly see the latest estimates and updates.
Chart
We have introduced a new chart functionality that allows users to add and subtract columns. This feature provides enhanced flexibility and improved data visualization options.
Convenient Team Communication
To facilitate effective team communication, we have added a team chat window equipped with features such as likes and repins. Additionally, we have incorporated the ability to modify the weight of a character during vendor calls, ensuring that the entire team stays informed about any changes made.
Autosave
Our platform includes an autosave feature that alerts users when there is no internet access. This ensures that team members cannot edit areas with hints on different devices, preserving the integrity of the data and preventing conflicts.
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Outcomes
We have been consistently enhancing OutSail by introducing new features through regular releases. Our clients have been progressively incorporating new functionalities into their business model. This digital solution, at the MVP stage, has reduced users' time searching for the best HR vendor by 52%.
Our product has already yielded significant cost savings, amounting to an impressive $450,000 of annual fixed expenses.
