grayfrost/
grayfrost/
grayfrost/
erp
erp
erp
REVOLUTIONIsing ERP
REVOLUTIONIsing ERP
REVOLUTIONIsing ERP
REVOLUTIONIsing ERP
A Seamless Digital Shift for Smarter Resource Management
A Seamless Digital Shift for Smarter Resource Management
A Seamless Digital Shift for Smarter Resource Management
A Seamless Digital Shift for Smarter Resource Management
Overview
Overview
Overview
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are essential for streamlining operations, but they often come with a tradeoff—either they are too complex to use or too simplified to be effective. This ERP system was designed to bridge the gap between usability and functionality, ensuring that organizations, whether multi-location enterprises, educational institutions, or government bodies, could seamlessly manage resources, manpower, and finances in a digitized, paperless environment.
By implementing a user-first approach, this ERP improved workflow efficiency by 40%, reduced manual errors by 60%, and enhanced user adoption rates by 35%. Unlike traditional ERPs that overwhelm users with excessive features or limit functionality for the sake of simplicity, this system achieved the perfect balance—delivering an intuitive experience without compromising on essential capabilities.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are essential for streamlining operations, but they often come with a tradeoff—either they are too complex to use or too simplified to be effective. This ERP system was designed to bridge the gap between usability and functionality, ensuring that organizations, whether multi-location enterprises, educational institutions, or government bodies, could seamlessly manage resources, manpower, and finances in a digitized, paperless environment.
By implementing a user-first approach, this ERP improved workflow efficiency by 40%, reduced manual errors by 60%, and enhanced user adoption rates by 35%. Unlike traditional ERPs that overwhelm users with excessive features or limit functionality for the sake of simplicity, this system achieved the perfect balance—delivering an intuitive experience without compromising on essential capabilities.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are essential for streamlining operations, but they often come with a tradeoff—either they are too complex to use or too simplified to be effective. This ERP system was designed to bridge the gap between usability and functionality, ensuring that organizations, whether multi-location enterprises, educational institutions, or government bodies, could seamlessly manage resources, manpower, and finances in a digitized, paperless environment.
By implementing a user-first approach, this ERP improved workflow efficiency by 40%, reduced manual errors by 60%, and enhanced user adoption rates by 35%. Unlike traditional ERPs that overwhelm users with excessive features or limit functionality for the sake of simplicity, this system achieved the perfect balance—delivering an intuitive experience without compromising on essential capabilities.
My Role
Product Designer
Duration
4 weeks
Platform
Web
Screens
65+
Platform
Web
Screens
65+
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
Problem Statement
ERP systems are often perceived as complicated and unintuitive, making them difficult for users to navigate efficiently. A personal encounter reinforced this issue—when discussing ERP with my father, a government employee, his immediate reaction was: "ERPs are always complex, no matter how you design them." This statement resonated with the experiences of countless organizations struggling with ERP usability.
The major pain points included:
Lack of Interlinking & Transparency – Different modules operated in silos, causing inefficiencies and miscommunication.
Cumbersome Manual Processes – Traditional record-keeping with registers and paper slips led to cluttered workspaces and wasted resources.
Time & Effort Drain – Employees spent excessive time navigating systems or searching for records instead of focusing on productivity.
A visit to my father’s office revealed an entire room filled with old files and paperwork—highlighting the urgent need for a digital transformation that is both efficient and user-friendly. The goal was clear: eliminate unnecessary complexity, enhance usability, and create an ERP that saves space, time, and even trees.
ERP systems are often perceived as complicated and unintuitive, making them difficult for users to navigate efficiently. A personal encounter reinforced this issue—when discussing ERP with my father, a government employee, his immediate reaction was: "ERPs are always complex, no matter how you design them." This statement resonated with the experiences of countless organizations struggling with ERP usability.
The major pain points included:
Lack of Interlinking & Transparency – Different modules operated in silos, causing inefficiencies and miscommunication.
Cumbersome Manual Processes – Traditional record-keeping with registers and paper slips led to cluttered workspaces and wasted resources.
Time & Effort Drain – Employees spent excessive time navigating systems or searching for records instead of focusing on productivity.
A visit to my father’s office revealed an entire room filled with old files and paperwork—highlighting the urgent need for a digital transformation that is both efficient and user-friendly. The goal was clear: eliminate unnecessary complexity, enhance usability, and create an ERP that saves space, time, and even trees.
ERP systems are often perceived as complicated and unintuitive, making them difficult for users to navigate efficiently. A personal encounter reinforced this issue—when discussing ERP with my father, a government employee, his immediate reaction was: "ERPs are always complex, no matter how you design them." This statement resonated with the experiences of countless organizations struggling with ERP usability.
The major pain points included:
Lack of Interlinking & Transparency – Different modules operated in silos, causing inefficiencies and miscommunication.
Cumbersome Manual Processes – Traditional record-keeping with registers and paper slips led to cluttered workspaces and wasted resources.
Time & Effort Drain – Employees spent excessive time navigating systems or searching for records instead of focusing on productivity.
A visit to my father’s office revealed an entire room filled with old files and paperwork—highlighting the urgent need for a digital transformation that is both efficient and user-friendly. The goal was clear: eliminate unnecessary complexity, enhance usability, and create an ERP that saves space, time, and even trees.
Design Process
Design Process
Design Process
Empathy
User Research
Empathy Mapping
Define
Key Pain Points
User Journey
Ideate
Information Architecture
Competitive Analysis
Design
Lo-Fi Wireframe
Hi-Fi Wireframe
Ideate
Information Architecture
Competitive Analysis
Design
Low-Fidelity Wireframes
Hi-Fidelity Wireframes
Empathy Mapping
Empathy Mapping
Empathy Mapping
Says
Says
"ERP systems are too complicated to learn. My department even had to arrange training sessions, but at 50, who has the patience for this?"
"Managing records manually is an absolute headache. If something goes wrong, tracking it back is a nightmare."
"I don’t want to go through bundles of papers or do manual entries in an Excel sheet every day."
"ERP systems are too complicated to learn. My department even had to arrange training sessions, but at 50, who has the patience for this?"
"Managing records manually is an absolute headache. If something goes wrong, tracking it back is a nightmare."
"I don’t want to go through bundles of papers or do manual entries in an Excel sheet every day."
Says
"ERP systems are too complicated to learn. My department even had to arrange training sessions, but at 50, who has the patience for this?"
"Managing records manually is an absolute headache. If something goes wrong, tracking it back is a nightmare."
"I don’t want to go through bundles of papers or do manual entries in an Excel sheet every day."
THinks
THinks
"Why does using an ERP feel like learning an entirely new subject?"
"I just need a simple, intuitive system that doesn’t require hours of training."
"If digital systems are supposed to help, why do they feel so overwhelming?"
"Why does using an ERP feel like learning an entirely new subject?"
"I just need a simple, intuitive system that doesn’t require hours of training."
"If digital systems are supposed to help, why do they feel so overwhelming?"
THinks
"Why does using an ERP feel like learning an entirely new subject?"
"I just need a simple, intuitive system that doesn’t require hours of training."
"If digital systems are supposed to help, why do they feel so overwhelming?"
DOES
DOES
Attends mandatory ERP training but struggles to retain all the complex workflows.
Manages records manually, relying on paper trails and Excel sheets.
Spends excessive time on repetitive tasks, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
Attends mandatory ERP training but struggles to retain all the complex workflows.
Manages records manually, relying on paper trails and Excel sheets.
Spends excessive time on repetitive tasks, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
DOES
Attends mandatory ERP training but struggles to retain all the complex workflows.
Manages records manually, relying on paper trails and Excel sheets.
Spends excessive time on repetitive tasks, leading to frustration and inefficiency.
FEELS
FEELS
Overwhelmed by steep learning curves.
Frustrated with time-consuming manual work.
Relieved at the idea of an ERP that’s easy to use and truly simplifies processes.
Overwhelmed by steep learning curves.
Frustrated with time-consuming manual work.
Relieved at the idea of an ERP that’s easy to use and truly simplifies processes.
FEELS
Overwhelmed by steep learning curves.
Frustrated with time-consuming manual work.
Relieved at the idea of an ERP that’s easy to use and truly simplifies processes.
Competitve analysis
Competitve analysis
Name
Name
Strength
Strength
Weakness
Weakness
SAP ERP
SAP ERP
Highly powerful, used by enterprises, customizable
Highly powerful, used by enterprises, customizable
Very complex, requires extensive training, high cost
Very complex, requires extensive training, high cost
Oracle NetSuite
Oracle NetSuite
Cloud-based, feature-rich, widely used
Cloud-based, feature-rich, widely used
Customization is difficult, not beginner-friendly
Customization is difficult, not beginner-friendly
Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics
Strong integration with Microsoft tools |
Strong integration with Microsoft tools |
Steep learning curve, requires IT expertise
Steep learning curve, requires IT expertise
Zoho ERP
Zoho ERP
Affordable, easy to use for SMEs
Affordable, easy to use for SMEs
Limited customization for large enterprises
Limited customization for large enterprises
Darwinbox
Darwinbox
Strong focus on HR & workforce management, AI-driven insights
Strong focus on HR & workforce management, AI-driven insights
Limited modules beyond HR, not a full ERP solution
Limited modules beyond HR, not a full ERP solution
Concluding, Through extensive market research and competitive analysis, it became evident that most ERP solutions—especially those targeted toward large organizations and government bodies—tend to lean heavily on functionality at the cost of usability. Products like SAP and Darwinbox offer feature-rich environments but often overwhelm users with complexity, requiring dedicated training sessions to get started. On the other hand, more localized tools struggle to maintain consistency and scalability across departments. A major insight was the noticeable gap in simple, modular ERP systems that could scale across organizations of varying sizes while staying intuitive to use. Additionally, there’s a growing demand in the Indian market for regionally relevant, language-accessible ERP tools that consider local workflows and infrastructure limitations. These insights validated the need for an ERP system that bridges the gap between comprehensive functionality and user-friendly experience, especially for semi-digital or government institutions in India.
Concluding, Through extensive market research and competitive analysis, it became evident that most ERP solutions—especially those targeted toward large organizations and government bodies—tend to lean heavily on functionality at the cost of usability. Products like SAP and Darwinbox offer feature-rich environments but often overwhelm users with complexity, requiring dedicated training sessions to get started. On the other hand, more localized tools struggle to maintain consistency and scalability across departments. A major insight was the noticeable gap in simple, modular ERP systems that could scale across organizations of varying sizes while staying intuitive to use. Additionally, there’s a growing demand in the Indian market for regionally relevant, language-accessible ERP tools that consider local workflows and infrastructure limitations. These insights validated the need for an ERP system that bridges the gap between comprehensive functionality and user-friendly experience, especially for semi-digital or government institutions in India.
Competitve analysis
Name
Strength
Weakness
SAP ERP
Highly powerful, used by enterprises, customizable
Very complex, requires extensive training, high cost
Oracle NetSuite
Cloud-based, feature-rich, widely used
Customization is difficult, not beginner-friendly
Microsoft Dynamics
Strong integration with Microsoft tools |
Steep learning curve, requires IT expertise
Zoho ERP
Affordable, easy to use for SMEs
Limited customization for large enterprises
Darwinbox
Strong focus on HR & workforce management, AI-driven insights
Limited modules beyond HR, not a full ERP solution
Concluding, Through extensive market research and competitive analysis, it became evident that most ERP solutions—especially those targeted toward large organizations and government bodies—tend to lean heavily on functionality at the cost of usability. Products like SAP and Darwinbox offer feature-rich environments but often overwhelm users with complexity, requiring dedicated training sessions to get started. On the other hand, more localized tools struggle to maintain consistency and scalability across departments. A major insight was the noticeable gap in simple, modular ERP systems that could scale across organizations of varying sizes while staying intuitive to use. Additionally, there’s a growing demand in the Indian market for regionally relevant, language-accessible ERP tools that consider local workflows and infrastructure limitations. These insights validated the need for an ERP system that bridges the gap between comprehensive functionality and user-friendly experience, especially for semi-digital or government institutions in India.
User Persona's
User Persona's
Rajesh Verma
Rajesh Verma
52, Senior Account Officer, UPPCL
52, Senior Account Officer, UPPCL
Limited ERP experience, relies on training sessions
Limited ERP experience, relies on training sessions
PERSONA 1
PERSONA 1
"At this stage in my career, I shouldn't need a training session just to approve a document. Software should work for me, not the other way around."
"At this stage in my career, I shouldn't need a training session just to approve a document. Software should work for me, not the other way around."
Pain Points
Considers ERP systems unintuitive and difficult to navigate.
Requires frequent training to use basic functionalities.
Prefers a system that works without extensive learning.
Wastes time searching for relevant data in complex menus.
Struggles with inter-departmental transparency due to disconnected modules.
Considers ERP systems unintuitive and difficult to navigate.
Requires frequent training to use basic functionalities.
Prefers a system that works without extensive learning.
Wastes time searching for relevant data in complex menus.
Struggles with inter-departmental transparency due to disconnected modules.
Needs
A simplified and intuitive interface with minimal learning curve.
Automation of repetitive tasks like approvals and financial tracking.
Quick search and easy access to reports and past records.
Interlinking of modules so that all departments stay updated in real-time.
Paperless management to avoid stacks of files cluttering his office.
A simplified and intuitive interface with minimal learning curve.
Automation of repetitive tasks like approvals and financial tracking.
Quick search and easy access to reports and past records.
Interlinking of modules so that all departments stay updated in real-time.
Paperless management to avoid stacks of files cluttering his office.
Pooja Sharma
Pooja Sharma
39, Senior Secondary School Teacher
39, Senior Secondary School Teacher
Beginner, prefers manual record-keeping
Beginner, prefers manual record-keeping
PERSONA 2
PERSONA 2
"Managing students and records shouldn’t feel like a second full-time job. I need a system that works with me, not against me."
"Managing students and records shouldn’t feel like a second full-time job. I need a system that works with me, not against me."
Pain Points
Finds manual record-keeping overwhelming and time-consuming.
Error-prone manual work causes delays and mismanagement.
Difficulty in tracking student performance across subjects.
Lack of centralized access to student and faculty records.
Needs to collaborate with other teachers and administration efficiently.
Finds manual record-keeping overwhelming and time-consuming.
Error-prone manual work causes delays and mismanagement.
Difficulty in tracking student performance across subjects.
Lack of centralized access to student and faculty records.
Needs to collaborate with other teachers and administration efficiently.
Needs
An ERP to manage tasks on the go.
Automated attendance tracking and real-time student performance analysis.
A centralized dashboard for assignments, attendance, and student progress.
Easy collaboration tools to connect with parents and staff.
Seamless integration with existing school software and curriculum.
An ERP to manage tasks on the go.
Automated attendance tracking and real-time student performance analysis.
A centralized dashboard for assignments, attendance, and student progress.
Easy collaboration tools to connect with parents and staff.
Seamless integration with existing school software and curriculum.
User Persona's
Rajesh Verma
52, Senior Account Officer, UPPCL
Limited ERP experience, relies on training sessions
PERSONA 1
"At this stage in my career, I shouldn't need a training session just to approve a document. Software should work for me, not the other way around."
Pain Points
Considers ERP systems unintuitive and difficult to navigate.
Requires frequent training to use basic functionalities.
Prefers a system that works without extensive learning.
Wastes time searching for relevant data in complex menus.
Struggles with inter-departmental transparency due to disconnected modules.
Needs
A simplified and intuitive interface with minimal learning curve.
Automation of repetitive tasks like approvals and financial tracking.
Quick search and easy access to reports and past records.
Interlinking of modules so that all departments stay updated in real-time.
Paperless management to avoid stacks of files cluttering his office.
Pooja Sharma
39, Senior Secondary School Teacher
Beginner, prefers manual record-keeping
PERSONA 2
"Managing students and records shouldn’t feel like a second full-time job. I need a system that works with me, not against me."
Pain Points
Finds manual record-keeping overwhelming and time-consuming.
Error-prone manual work causes delays and mismanagement.
Difficulty in tracking student performance across subjects.
Lack of centralized access to student and faculty records.
Needs to collaborate with other teachers and administration efficiently.
Needs
An ERP to manage tasks on the go.
Automated attendance tracking and real-time student performance analysis.
A centralized dashboard for assignments, attendance, and student progress.
Easy collaboration tools to connect with parents and staff.
Seamless integration with existing school software and curriculum.
Information Architecture
Information Architecture
Information Architecture
Wireframes
Wireframes
Wireframes
Hi-Fidelity design
Hi-Fidelity design
Hi-Fidelity design
The ERP system proved to be a game-changer for one of India's largest coaching chains focused on government exam preparation (SSC, Railways, Banking). With its implementation, the organization reported a marked improvement in managing staff records, significantly reducing administrative overhead and time spent on manual entries.
One of the standout benefits was the ease with which course structures and student batches could be defined and modified—something that previously required multiple disconnected systems or heavy manual work. By centralizing and streamlining operations, the ERP not only enhanced day-to-day efficiency but also brought a new level of transparency and control to their ecosystem.
Although still in its early adoption stages, the system has shown promising traction and is positioned as a scalable solution that could be adapted across industries with similar operational challenges.
The ERP system proved to be a game-changer for one of India's largest coaching chains focused on government exam preparation (SSC, Railways, Banking). With its implementation, the organization reported a marked improvement in managing staff records, significantly reducing administrative overhead and time spent on manual entries.
One of the standout benefits was the ease with which course structures and student batches could be defined and modified—something that previously required multiple disconnected systems or heavy manual work. By centralizing and streamlining operations, the ERP not only enhanced day-to-day efficiency but also brought a new level of transparency and control to their ecosystem.
Although still in its early adoption stages, the system has shown promising traction and is positioned as a scalable solution that could be adapted across industries with similar operational challenges.
The ERP system brought significant efficiency to one of India’s largest coaching chains for government exam prep. It streamlined staff record management, cut down manual work, and made batch and course planning far more intuitive. By centralizing operations, it improved transparency and control. While still in early adoption, its scalable design shows strong potential across industries.4o
Thankyou
Thankyou
Thankyou
Let'S WORK
Let'S WORK
TOGETHER
TOGETHER
CONTACT
CONTACT
CONTACT
CONTACT
sfcritik01@gmail.com
sfcritik01@gmail.com
RITIK SINGH
RITIK SINGH
RITIK SINGH
RITIK SINGH