Carlisle & Etcetera

Carlisle Etcetera LLC engaged DigitSense to undertake a comprehensive digital product transformation, revamping their outdated web-based sales portal (IOP) used by stylists to sell the brand’s products to end consumers, which had been in use for over 40 years. 

The legacy system presented several challenges, including the absence of multiple functionalities, significant breakages when encountering huge traffic, and difficulties in navigation for their primary users—stylists that are over 60 years old with very little technical proficiency.

The project posed several key challenges:

• Modernizing a Legacy System: The existing system had data storage spanning three decades, necessitating careful handling and integration of historical data into the new system.
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• Enhancing Usability for Senior Users: The new web application needed to be designed with readability and ease of use at its core to cater to the senior demographic which users are not tech savvy.
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• Stakeholder Management: Coordinating with stakeholders from over 5 departments to ensure alignment and manage expectations throughout the digital transformation process. This IOP product involves sales, marketing, logistics, finance and warehousing.
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• Addressing User Flow Breakages: Identifying and rectifying issues in the user journey to create a seamless experience.
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To address these challenges, DigitSense implemented the following solutions:

• Agile Development: We adopted an agile development approach, breaking the project into 3 launch phases to ensure iterative progress, flexibility, and continuous stakeholder engagement. This allowed us to adapt to changing requirements and feedback, ensuring a more robust final product.
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• Digital Product Transformation: We embarked on a comprehensive overhaul of the legacy system, introducing modern web functionalities while preserving essential historical data. This transformation was critical in bringing IOP's digital presence up to current standards.
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• Frontend Development and Backend Integration: Our team developed a new, user-friendly frontend designed specifically for senior users. We integrated this with a robust backend order management system to ensure smooth operation and data management.
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• User-Centric Design: The new design prioritized readability and ease of navigation, with larger fonts, intuitive interfaces, and clear instructions tailored to the target audience's needs.
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• Stakeholder Coordination: Effective communication and coordination with stakeholders ensured that all aspects of the business requirements were met, and expectations were managed throughout the development process.
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Results

The result of this digital product transformation was a modern, efficient, and accessible web application that significantly enhanced the user experience for IOP’s senior users. The new system not only facilitated order placement and creation but also ensured a seamless user journey, enabling them to navigate and use the platform with ease.

IOP now enjoys a revamped digital presence that aligns with their brand values and meets the needs of their target audience, positioning them for continued success in the fashion industry.