Introduction to Omotayo CPA Software

Omotayo CPA is an internal software meticulously crafted to oversee and manage all facets of our company's operations. Tailored for precision, this software is dedicated to evaluating project completion rates, assessing staff performance on a per-project basis, and monitoring project tasks. It provides insightful analysis into budget allocation and spending patterns.

At its core, Omotayo CPA incorporates critical project implementation factors, including fixed rates per hour for accountants, software licenses, and other pertinent expenses. With a holistic approach, this software serves as a comprehensive tool for navigating the complexities of project management and financial oversight within our organization.

Roles

Project manager: Sarah George

UI/UX designer: Olabode Felix Akinyemi

UX writer: Halimat Funmilayo

My design process

The project was completed in 6 weeks, which requires ramp attention to the accounting process and workflow.

Research: Designing this software requires a close study of accounts, bookkeeping, financial statements, audit, and related software.

1. Validation: I conducted discussions with accounting staff members and executives to gain more insight into their needs and understand their pain points.

2. Competitive analysis: I compared our product with different competing products like Karbon and BQE Core Accounting.

3. Design: After understanding the problems and potential solutions, I created user personas, information architecture, etc.

4. UI and interaction: Building on a solid foundation of UX principles, I designed a web application interface and connected the prototype.

5. User testing: I involved users (accountants and stakeholders) in testing and evaluating the product, features, or prototypes.

   
   

Research

During a Zoom call interview, I engaged with four accountants and two executive officers within Omotayo CPA, further uncovering interesting pain points related to the desired functionality of the software and the potential advantages it could bring to the company. Key pain points include the challenges of assessing profitability, establishing timelines, factoring in expenditures, and effectively measuring staff performance within tasks.

User Persona

User personas were created for this research, based on deductions from the interviews, as well as by combining data obtained through reviewing competitor brands.

Project Goal

• Project progress: This is essential to track how well projects are executed and managed, ensuring accountability and evaluating the performance of the organization, staff, and management.

• Project organization: All project activities will be managed through the software, and it will encompass all necessary tasks within the company, eliminating the need for third-party applications. The software should be self-sufficient over time.

• Profit tracking: After considering all input costs (software, staff pay per hour), it is crucial to determine whether there will be a profit, which will help set the next client's billing rate.

• Timeline: All projects have a start and end date, and keeping track of task timing is essential to ensure adherence to set timelines and durations.

Userflow Diagram

Style Guide

More on Figma file

High Fidelity Wireframes

Home page

The main screens provide an encompassing view of the company's operations, showcasing incoming funds, project-specific expenses, cash flow, and a snapshot of current projects for convenient access and visualization. From the homepage, users have the option to initiate a new project, while the data analytics can be refined to offer detailed insights over varying periods, spanning months and years.

Active Projects Overview

Here's a compilation of current projects, featuring essential details such as start date, end date, project number, client, budget, expenditure, priority status, assigned project manager, and team members. The list is customizable, allowing users to filter projects based on priority type, date, budget, or alphabetically, in either ascending or descending order for easy navigation and organization.

Time and Expenses Tracking for Projects

Team members log their daily activities, specifying the hours dedicated to each project. This information serves as a valuable resource for evaluating individual performance and ensures precise calculation for monthly payments.

Project History Archive

Explore the comprehensive record of all successfully concluded projects within the company. Easily generate project histories in PDF format for convenient reference and documentation.

Project Reporting

Effortlessly generate detailed reports for each project, incorporating staff working hours and additional expenses such as software, external auditor fees, and more. This comprehensive report provides a holistic view of project-related costs and resource utilization.

Client Directory

Explore a comprehensive list of company clients, featuring their names, email addresses, and associated tasks. Clients are categorized for seamless identification and sorting, with categories including tax return, corporate return, account audit, tax binding, and more. This organized directory simplifies client management and facilitates efficient task allocation.

New Client Registration

To add a new client, provide essential details such as the company name, phone number, email address, location address, and a designated contact person within the company along with their contact email address. Additionally, assign appropriate tags, such as "tax return" or "corporate return," to categorize the company based on the services to be rendered. This streamlined process ensures comprehensive client information for effective service management.

Task Activity Summary

A concise analytical overview of all task activities.

Team Member Directory

Browse through a comprehensive list of all staff members in the organization, featuring their names, email addresses, access types (admin/staff/super admin), payment rate per hour, titles, and departments. This organized directory facilitates efficient management and oversight of team members.

Team Member Reporting

Generate comprehensive reports summarizing the activities of all team members. These reports serve to validate individual performance, showcasing details such as hours worked, earnings, project contributions, and tax-related information. This detailed overview enhances transparency and aids in assessing the productivity of each team member.

Settings Hub

Access and manage all customizable information within the software through the Settings hub. This includes staff details, department configurations, category creation, currency settings, and more. Tailor the software to your specific needs with ease.

Key Takeaways from the Project

Embarking on my first project within the accounting industry presented initial challenges of vagueness and uncertainty. However, I successfully navigated these obstacles by immersing myself in a thorough understanding of the accounting domain. This involved conducting insightful interviews with internal software users and studying analogous software systems before initiating the ideation process.

Despite the somewhat concise initial project brief, I proactively addressed gaps by meticulously filling them in, validating processes, and refining functionalities to ensure a comprehensive and effective solution.

The introduction of rapid prototyping was a novel aspect of this project, pushing me to gather early insights from the team and make iterative decisions to enhance user experience and streamline process flows.

On a broader scale, this experience has not only deepened my knowledge of accounting, bookkeeping, audit, and taxation but has also broadened my perspective to explore opportunities in other sectors. Overall, the journey has been a valuable learning experience, expanding my skills and understanding of diverse industry landscapes.