Context
Saint-Gobain is a French industrial group with an international presence, specialising in the design, manufacture and distribution of materials and solutions for construction, mobility and industry.
Although their products are well known, plastering companies (from micro-businesses to large enterprises) lose a considerable amount of time on administrative tasks and responding to calls for tenders, to the detriment of their profitability and growth.
The challenge was to find a solution that would simplify the day-to-day operations of plasterers while helping them capture new markets.
My Role
Service Designer
Date
September 2023 - January 2024
The Problem :
What phygital devices to support our customers on a daily basis in their productivity gain ?
The promotion of projects is limited for confidentiality reasons.
Discovery
Through this project, we sought to understand the full scope of a plasterboard installer's daily work, going beyond the scope of Saint-Gobain in order to fully grasp the challenges they face in the field and their needs and frustrations.
To do this, we conducted interviews (21 qualitative interviews segmented by company size) which enabled us to create various maps and gain a detailed understanding of user needs, the value of digital technology in these professions, and plasterers' expectations regarding digital technology.
This research and these interviews enabled us to identify the drivers of digital transformation in the construction industry.
We have identified critical points that are tasks where craftsmen lose the most time and money (administration, orders, delivery management).
Define
Following an analysis of the situation on the ground, this phase enabled us to transform points of friction into strategic opportunities and to identify the project's central issue.
The main objective is to move from a ‘product-based approach’ (selling materials) to a ‘service-based approach’ (offering management and growth support tools). The aim is to provide daily support to customers in their activities.
Two areas of focus have emerged :
- Successfully adding value on a daily basis
- Making ourselves indispensable in business support
To this end, several potential solutions emerged during our co-design workshops : simplifying access to calls for tenders for certain organisations that are unable to participate, integrating environmental modules and criteria to meet current regulatory requirements, and creating a centralised digital platform.
Project Goals :
What phygital ecosystem (physical and digital) should be implemented to become an indispensable ally for companies (VSEs, SMEs, GE) and sustainably support them in their development ?
Design
The idea took shape with the creation of a comprehensive software suite designed as a modular platform to assist plasterboard installers at every critical stage of their response to a tender.
Each component of the software suite addresses a specific pain point that we have identified in the daily work of plasterboard installers.
The solution centralises the tools needed to secure and automate the preparation work.
For confidentiality reasons, we are unable to disclose any further details about this stage.
Delivery
The final phase consisted of validating the relevance of the platform through a "Test & Learn" approach, ensuring that the tool responds to the realities of the field while offering a seamless user experience (UX).
We therefore conducted test interviews with platemaker craftsmen to evaluate the acceptability of the solution. In order to measure the user-friendliness of the interface, the relevance of the software "bricks" and the perceived efficiency of digital use compared to traditional methods.
The user journey covers the entire life cycle of a project, from the discovery of a call for tenders to the delivery of a complete and qualitative technical file.