Streamlining quotation workflows in interior solutions projects
UX Research | Evaluative Research | B2C
OVERVIEW
This project explores challenges in the current quotation creation and sharing process within an interior project management platform. It examines why field agents and designers prefer external tools and identifies ways to improve tool adoption and efficiency.
GOAL
To understand and identify workflow bottlenecks and user pain points in the current quotation generation and sharing, and identify improvements that enable seamless, quick, and professional quotation creation within the digital platform.
OUTCOME
Recommendations were made to improve system integration, reduce manual workload, and align outputs with professional and customer expectations. These changes aim to increase adoption of the internal platform for quotations.
USERS
Client experience advisors and interior designers working within the organisation.
ROLE
UX Researcher - Data collection, analysis & synthesis, reporting
TOOLS
Adobe Illustrator
Google Slides
Google Docs
TEAM
UX Researcher + UX Manager (Oversight)
METHODOLOGY
1:1 in-depth interviews | 75 mins each
SAMPLE SIZE
4 Designers
4 Customer experience advisors
LOCATION
Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Noida, Chennai
TIMELINE
3 weeks | Sep 2024
Challenge
Professionals rely heavily on external tools like Excel due to tool limitations, low collaboration support, and insufficient client-facing functionality in the current digital platform.
Research objectives
Understand why internal stakeholders prefer Excel over the digital platform for quotation creation and sharing.
Understanding platform avoidance
01
Identify friction, pains and gaps in the current platform to improve the overall experience of quotation creation.
Identifying workflow friction
02
Improving trust and usability
03
Recommend solutions to improve tool usability, trust, and collaboration.
Stakeholders & Core Users
Here is the stakeholder map, showing the relationships among key participants in the quotation process for an interior design and decor solutions provider.
We conducted 1:1 in-depth interviews with 8 participants: 4 Designers & 4 Customer experience advisors, located across India in the following cities- Bengaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Noida, and Chennai.
Current state of the Quotation Creation Workflow in the company
Redundant effort due to lack of integration
”We have two softwares in place, Foyr and the internal system software. I have to pass the trigger through Foyr which creates a dummy quote and then I have to manually enter the items—the descriptions, the rates, the discount percentages. Sometimes Foyr doesn’t work, so my quotation doesn’t get generated into the internal system software.” - Client Experience Advisor
Fragmented workflow across multiple tools
”I'm designing a project in Foyr, then I have to create a 2D layout in AutoCad and use another software for the modular items. Parallely, I'm working in Excel to create the BOQ. I'm usually working on 5-6 projects at a time. If one software crashes then imagine…” - Designer
Collaboration between the Stakeholders during the Quotation Creation
Lack of access to the internal platform
”Us designers, we do not have access and nor are we asked to do the quotation in the internal system software. So, it [internal system quotation] is basically created by the acquisition and execution teams i.e. the client experience advisors.” - Designer
Platform inefficiency
We were making a quote, and we had to add a wallpaper to the quote. It was a Sabyasachi wallpaper. We were sure the SKU existed and was fed into the system. But, the drop down was just not working and we couldn't fetch the SKU. Then I had to manually add the SKU. No one could fetch it..” - Client Experience Advisor
User Insights
After synthesizing all our data, we discovered key insights for both, the client experience advisors and interior designers that were crucial for the further design process.
The insights were classified in two categories:
Quotation creation experience
Quotation consumption experience
Quotation creation
1.
The existing software has low adoption as it lacks collaboration support and alignment with actual workflows.
3.
The existing software is slow, prone to crashes, and lacks features like filtering, bulk edit/delete, margin calculations.
2.
4.
Users work across multiple tools leading to duplication & inefficiency.
The existing software can be improved by integrating key workflows, enabling collaboration, & reducing redundancy.
Quotation consumption
Receiving both, the existing software and Excel quotations confuses customers and erodes trust.
2.
The existing software quotations lack detailed descriptions, product images, and structured layouts unlike competitors.
1.
How Might We ?
How might we transform the quotation creation experience into a fast, collaborative, and seamless process that aligns with users’ real-world workflows and reduces dependency on external tools like Excel?
Quotation creation experience
01
Tool integration: Integrate Foyr, 2020, and other design platforms within the existing system to auto-import SKUs and costing data.
Shared workspaces: Allow designers and client experience advisors to access, edit, and track quotations via shared dashboards.
Smart templates and automation: Introduce editable quotation templates with pre-filled cost and margin formulas and common SKU presets.
Performance and usability enhancements: Improve the existing internal software speed and stability, especially for large quotations. Enable bulk editing, filtering, and multi-room costing views.
Mobile and workflow flexibility: Build consistency between mobile and desktop experiences. Allow for mobile uploads, vendor quote attachments, and reduce OTP related friction.
Recommendations
How might we deliver quotations that are visually clear, consistent, and trustworthy—so clients can easily understand what’s being proposed and confidently make decisions?
Quotation consumption experience
02
Visually rich quotations: Include SKU-level images, product specs (material, finish, dimensions), and room-wise grouping.
Consistent structure across all formats: Align the existing system software and Excel output layouts using standardized templates and nomenclature.
Improved formatting and visual hierarchy: Apply consistent font sizes, spacing, and visual hierarchy to improve readability.
Editable output formats: Provide downloadable, client-friendly formats (PDF or web view) with annotations or notes.
Single source of truth: Ensure one synchronized quotation across systems to avoid confusion and maintain pricing trust.
Recommendations
Expected impact
For each recommendation we made based on the data we collected and synthesized, we expect to have the following measurable impact upon implementation.
By improving both the creation and consumption experiences of quotations, the platform will deliver a seamless, professional, and trustworthy journey—empowering internal teams to work more efficiently and enabling clients to engage with clarity and confidence.
Quotation creation impact
Users will experience a more integrated and collaborative workflow that eliminates duplication, supports on-the-go actions, and aligns with how they naturally work.
Quotation consumption impact
Clients will receive clear, visually-rich, and consistent quotations that are easy to understand and reflect a higher degree of credibility and professionalism.
Ecosystem
Before & After the Recommendations
Before shows a fragmented workflow with multiple disconnected tools (Foyr, Excel, etc.) and manual handoffs
After shows an integrated ecosystem where all stakeholders interact directly through a centralized quotation platform
Process and Methodology
Lessons Learned
Features mean little if they don’t reflect real-world workflows: This project reinforced that understanding context is everything. Even well-designed tools fail if they disrupt established mental models or habits.
Access and visibility aren’t just technical needs — they’re emotional ones: The lack of collaborative features didn’t just create inefficiency, it made users feel excluded. Designing for inclusion means designing for participation, not just permissions.
The interface is the message: Clients interpreted quotation quality as a direct signal of brand credibility. As researchers, we must consider how even internal-facing tools shape external perception.
Users will default to tools that offer autonomy: Excel was not loved—it was tolerated because it gave control. Empowerment, not perfection, often determines preference.
Mobile gaps can break the entire experience: Mobile isn’t a nice-to-have for field teams. If research misses these real-world environments, we risk designing tools that are technically sound but practically unusable.