Case Studies

The Challenge

Harborline Equipment operates a network of regional industrial equipment dealers across the Midwest. Service technicians, parts coordinators, and logistics teams coordinated repairs and replacements through fragmented systems: email threads, phone calls, spreadsheets, and post-it notes. Service requests got lost. Priority levels were unclear. Parts shipments were delayed because status visibility was limited. The support team couldn't tell a customer when a machine would be back in operation.

Our Approach

We spent two weeks interviewing technicians, parts coordinators, dispatchers, and branch managers. We mapped their workflows in detail, identifying where communication breaks and handoffs created delays. We discovered that the biggest bottleneck wasn't a lack of tools—it was unclear triage: service requests came in with mixed priority levels and unclear expectations about what they needed.

We designed a portal around a clear triage workflow. Requests flow through a logical sequence: intake → priority assessment → parts check → scheduling → customer communication. Each step is transparent. Parts availability feeds automatically from inventory. Technicians can see the full history of a piece of equipment without hunting through emails.

What We Delivered

• Streamlined service request intake with clear priority triage
• Real-time parts availability and order integration
• Automated status updates to customers via email and SMS
• Comprehensive service history and equipment tracking
• Mobile-friendly interface for technicians in the field
• Role-based access for technicians, coordinators, managers, and customers

Outcomes

Client-reported after launch:

• •40% reduction in time to assign priority to incoming requests
• •28% fewer request handoffs between teams
• •35% faster parts order fulfillment
• •Customer satisfaction scores increased 18 points

The Challenge

Cedarwell Benefits is a mid-sized benefits administrator serving 40+ employer clients. Their support teams fielded employee questions about eligibility, deductibles, coverage exceptions, and claims status. The core problem: benefits rules are complex and exceptions are common. Support staff answered the same questions repeatedly, lost context between conversations, and couldn't document decisions for audit compliance.

Our Approach

We interviewed support specialists, compliance officers, and a handful of employees to understand the types of questions they fielded. We discovered that most conversations followed predictable patterns, but the current system—a collection of spreadsheets and word documents—made it impossible to track decisions or check whether guidance was consistent.

We designed a workspace that guides support specialists through common scenarios while allowing for documented exceptions. Guided workflows ask clarifying questions, surface relevant policy rules, and help specialists draft clear responses. Every interaction is logged and tagged for audit purposes. The system learns from patterns, suggesting responses for similar questions in the future.

What We Delivered

• Guided workflow system for common support questions
• Integrated policy database with rule-based recommendations
• Documented exception handling with audit trails
• Response templates and knowledge base
• Search and filtering for historical inquiries
• Compliance reporting and audit-ready export

Outcomes

Client-reported after launch:

• •45% reduction in average time per support interaction
• •92% consistency in responses across the team
• •Zero compliance audit findings related to documentation
• •30% fewer escalations due to clearer guidance