Case Study: User-Driven Navigation Redesign for a Durable Medical Equipment Service Platform
Client:
[Durable Medical Equipment Service Company](NDA) – A B2B provider managing delivery, servicing, and tracking of durable medical equipment (DME) for hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities.
The Challenge:
As part of a platform redesign, leadership at [Durable Medical Equipment Service Company] (NDA) requested a strong emphasis on the “Create New Order” functionality. Internally viewed as a primary revenue driver, it was placed in the top-left position of the navigation, assuming it would be the most frequently used action.
However, after early beta was shown to prospective end-users, user feedback revealed a different need: users were struggling to find and track existing orders, often contacting support to ask, “Where’s my equipment?”
Research Strategy:
To investigate this disconnect, the UX team initiated a qualitative research sprint:
User interviews with logistics coordinators, clinical engineers, and medical equipment manager
What We Learned:
—Users Rarely Created Orders
Order creation was typically handled by a small number of procurement staff.
Most users only submitted new orders a few times a month, and often used templated, recurring requests.
— Users Needed to Track Orders Frequently
Frontline staff and engineers needed to know when equipment would arrive, where it was in the process, and if servicing was scheduled.
Tracking actions were time-sensitive and operationally critical, especially for hospital discharges and transfers.
— Navigation Was Misleading
“Track My Order” was nested under “Order History”—a label that did not match users’ mental models.
Many users skipped the UI altogether and called customer service for status updates.
Redesign Actions:
— Elevated "Track My Order" to Primary Nav
Introduced “Track My Order” as a top-level navigation item with a persistent presence.
Designed a quick-access status dashboard with filters by location, order number, and delivery window.
— Repositioned “Create New Order”
Moved “Create New Order” under the “Orders” section, still accessible but de-emphasized based on actual frequency of use.
Key Takeaways:
Business stakeholders prioritized order creation, but user interviews revealed order tracking as the true day-to-day task.
Navigation labels and structure must align with real-world workflows—not just internal priorities.
Empowering users with quick access to key tools reduced support costs and increased platform satisfaction.