PayWell
CD Agents
CD Agent App streamlines payment management for 4.5 million retailers and 10,000 suppliers in Bangladesh.
4.5 Million Retailers Power Bangladesh's Economy
Approximately 4.5 million small retailers in Bangladesh serve the daily needs of over 95% of the population. Let's take a closer look at their crucial role.
The Journey of a Retailer
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Millions of payments flow between 4.5 million retailers and their suppliers nationwide. This complex system often leads to payment errors, security risks, and inaccurate daily settlements.
Solving the Payment Management Challenge with PayWell CD Agent App
The PayWell CD (Collection & Disbursement) Agent App streamlines payment management for over 4.5 million retailers and 10,000 suppliers in Bangladesh, improving efficiency, accuracy, and security in collection and disbursement tasks.
Results
Achieved
The results below are monthly averages from ShopUp's Metabase, with all currency data converted from BDT to USD.
46% cost
reduction
14 major companies streamlined payment services with PayWell CD Agent app
79% invoice error reduced
Invoice errors dropped from 160 to 37 queries per week over 3 months.
25,000 retailers served weekly
Each week, collections are made from 25,000 retailers, and disbursements are sent to 3,200 suppliers
$ 625,000
Monthly regular collection
$ 150,000
Monthly instant collection
$ 335,000
Monthly disbursement
$ 72,500
Monthly commission earned
2,500
Total agents & sub-agents
85,000
Monthly retailers served
Average of 8,000 daily transaction
The screenshot below from the reporting dashboard, shows the large volume of daily transactions (collected amounts) in BDT
My Responsibilities
As the sole designer leading the designs for PayWell CD Agents App, I had the following responsibilities:
User Research
and Analysis
Conducted user interviews with potential users and business team.
Created detailed user journey map and information architecture.
Design and
Prototyping
Developed wireframes and prototypes for app layout and features.
Iterated designs based on feedback from users and stakeholders.
Collaboration and
Communication
Coordinated with cross-functional teams to align design and project goals.
Provided design specifications and assets for smooth implementation.
User Research & Interviews
In-person interviews were conducted with the following user groups to identify key pain points and establish clear goals.
40 Retailers
Interviewed 40 retailers to understand their payment challenges.
12 Suppliers
Consulted 12 suppliers to identify their concerns in the payment process.
15 Agents
Engaged with 15 agents from various regions to learn their experiences.
3 Companies
Spoke with 3 large companies who receives final payments for their perspective.
Challenges Identified
High Operational Cost
for Companies
Handling payments & disbursements is costly for businesses.
Lack of Invoice Visibility
Retailers and suppliers lack access to invoices, complicating payments.
Business Tax Compliance
Accurately recording transactions to meet tax regulations is challenging.
Handling Partial
Payments
Retailers often make partial payments without a system to manage them.
Inefficient Manual Processes
Manual tracking of payments slows operations and increases errors.
Security Risks for Agents
Agents face risks by carrying large sums of cash daily.
Goals Established
Reduce Operational Costs
Third-party agents earning commissions instead of salaried employees.
Transaction Verification
Implement an in-app system for agents
to verify disbursement and collection amounts with retailers & suppliers.
TAX & VAT Reporting
Provide digital invoice for TAX & VAT invoices for agents and companies.
Partial Payment Handling
Create a system to manage and track partial payments from retailers and suppliers.
Comprehensive Reports
Offer complete digital invoice reports for companies to enhance transaction visibility.
Secure Transactions
Enable agents to handle cash transactions digitally within the app.
User Flow
Here is a simplified version of the user flow for the demonstration of this project. The user must perform four specific tasks to successfully disburse and collect funds from retailers and suppliers.
Add Balance
Agent deposits money to bank/MFS to add balance.
Allocate Agent
Agents assigns other sub-agents to collect & disburse.
Collect
Assigned agents goes to retailers for collection
Disburse
Assigned agents goes to suppliers for disbursement
Deposit money to bank
Assign agents & sub-agents
Collect & disburse money
Click ‘Add Money’
Upload receipt
Wait for confirmation
Money added
ShopUp assigns collection/disbursement transaction to the Agent based on balance
Select collection transaction
Select disbursement transaction
Select agents to retailer
Agents visit retailers and suppliers as per their assignments
Supplier & retailer confirms transaction
Give digital or, paper invoice
Confirm transaction
Agents assigned
Select agents to supplier
Agents collects & disburse payment
Designing PayWell
CD Agent App
1
Registration & user onboarding
The registration flow complies with Bangladesh Bank standards, requiring a live selfie, National ID, and address verification. It’s designed for ease of use and secure information submission.
2.1
Dashboard Version 1:
Challenges and Updates
The initial dashboard design was refined over two years with insights from 640 user interviews. This case study focuses on recent design updates from interviews with 140 agents and
sub-agents.
Challenges identified from user feedback
Through comprehensive user interviews, several key challenges were identified that impacted the overall user experience of the dashboard.
Missed instant collections
88%
Users often missed instant collection tasks, added randomly with high commissions, due to reliance on area managers’ calls, which were frequently overlooked.
Found data insufficient
85%
Agents requested more detailed views, such as recent transactions, agent performance, and total pending tasks, for better management.
Struggled with balance visibility
70%
Users found it difficult to hide their balance due to unclear feedback from the eye icon, causing repeated taps.
Experienced navigation mis-taps
66%
Users accidentally pressed wrong buttons due to their close placement, especially in busy environments, slowing down collections.
Missed important alerts
55%
Many missed critical alerts, like bank closures or area blockages, even with notifications, due to their hectic schedules.
2.2
Redesigned dashboard with all the changes
The issues were resolved through small, iterative updates
over two months to ensure users were not overwhelmed by
sudden changes.
Balance toggle with haptics
Replaced the hide/unhide with a toggle that includes vibration and audio feedback.
Wide-spaced navigation
Updated navigation blocks to spaced-out oval buttons, sized for average thumb area.
Improved data visibility
Enhanced data display based on interviews, and A/B testing.
On-dashboard notifications
Major alerts, including instant collection alerts, directly onto the dashboard.
Full view
Zoomed in and split into two halves
3
Add money to primary agent’s balance
Users can add money to their PayWell balance via bank deposits, card payments, or mobile financial services (MFS). These options provide flexibility to get started with collections and disbursements.
4
Allocating orders to
sub-agents for collection & disbursement
Users can assign sub-agents for collection and disbursement tasks. Sub-agents travel to designated retailers and suppliers to handle these duties. They manage and complete their tasks through a dedicated app with a similar UX but without admin controls.
5
Money collection by agents and sub-agents
Both agents and sub-agents handle money collection and disbursement with similar UX and UI. Agents visit retailer & suppliers locations to verify and collect outstanding amounts or, disburse owed amount.
6
Agents earnings from their collection & disbursement
Agents earn commissions from their collection and disbursement. The commission % is negotiated and set manually & set via the PayWell dashboard, and is typically unique and confidential for each agent.
Custom & predefined filter to view earnings
Amount which can also be hidden for privacy
Basic stat for to know trends as per the filters
8
UI Challenges addressed
Some key challenges were tackled, such as enhanced padding for a better grip and bold notifications to improve visibility.
Accidental taps from power grip
To prevent theft, users gripped their phones
tightly, leading to accidental taps on the streets.
By increasing the padding, helped users feel more secure while completing tasks.
Accidental taps reduced by 8%
Enhanced notification visibility
Bold colors were added to reflect notification type and urgency, improving visibility and ensuring timely user response.
Notification issues reduced by 95%
Task location unavailable
Collection and disbursement are not available in the Dhanmondi area.
Holiday closure
Services are closed for national holiday. We'll be back tomorrow.
Key Takeaways from the Project
This summarizes vital insights gained from leading the PayWell app design, emphasizing user feedback and collaboration for a better experience.
User-Centric
Design
Prioritizing user feedback from 640 interviews led to significant design improvements, meeting agents' real needs in an working environment.
Data-Driven Decisions
Leveraging analytics helped shape design choices, resulting in a more intuitive interface and improved user satisfaction.
Security Considerations
Designing with real-world concerns, like theft, enhanced user confidence and minimized accidental actions on the app.
Iterative Testing
Continuous user testing allowed for quick identification of pain points, increasing confidence in the product for users.
Collaboration & Communication
Collaborating with cross-functional teams improved project outcomes and ensured smoother design implementation.
PayWell CD Agents
CD Agent App streamlines payment management for 4.5 million retailers and 10,000 suppliers in Bangladesh.
This case study is best viewed on a bigger screen. Switch to a laptop or desktop to see all the details.
PayWell CD Agents
CD Agent App streamlines payment management for 4.5 million retailers and 10,000 suppliers in Bangladesh.
This case study is best viewed on a bigger screen. Switch to a laptop or desktop to see all the details.