Improving the onboarding experience and feature adoption in FPC
Improving the onboarding experience and feature adoption in FPC
Improving the onboarding experience and feature adoption in FPC
This case study highlights how we revamped the Ford Pro Charging onboarding, tackling high dropout rates caused by complex setup and confusing terminology. By conducting targeted research, we introduced a step-by-step flow, contextual tips, and real-time savings previews. These changes helped fleet managers grasp advanced features, reduced abandonments, and made charging configurations more approachable and valuable.
This case study highlights how we revamped the Ford Pro Charging onboarding, tackling high dropout rates caused by complex setup and confusing terminology. By conducting targeted research, we introduced a step-by-step flow, contextual tips, and real-time savings previews. These changes helped fleet managers grasp advanced features, reduced abandonments, and made charging configurations more approachable and valuable.
This case study highlights how we revamped the Ford Pro Charging onboarding, tackling high dropout rates caused by complex setup and confusing terminology. By conducting targeted research, we introduced a step-by-step flow, contextual tips, and real-time savings previews. These changes helped fleet managers grasp advanced features, reduced abandonments, and made charging configurations more approachable and valuable.
About Ford Pro
About Ford Pro
About Ford Pro
Ford Pro is the commercial fleet division of Ford Motor Company, dedicated to keeping business vehicles running smoothly and profitably. By offering an ecosystem of products and services—spanning everything from maintenance to connected technologies—Ford Pro helps organizations streamline operations and reduce downtime.
Ford Pro is the commercial fleet division of Ford Motor Company, dedicated to keeping business vehicles running smoothly and profitably. By offering an ecosystem of products and services—spanning everything from maintenance to connected technologies—Ford Pro helps organizations streamline operations and reduce downtime.
Ford Pro is the commercial fleet division of Ford Motor Company, dedicated to keeping business vehicles running smoothly and profitably. By offering an ecosystem of products and services—spanning everything from maintenance to connected technologies—Ford Pro helps organizations streamline operations and reduce downtime.
1. Understanding the Problem
1. Understanding the Problem
1. Understanding the Problem
When new users—often busy, non-technical fleet managers—first encountered Ford Pro Charging, they faced a barrage of jargon: “demand response,” “time-of-use rates,” and “grid setup.” Even though these features could save them money, they rarely understood how. Many felt overwhelmed as soon as they saw the extensive list of configuration fields and advanced settings.
When new users—often busy, non-technical fleet managers—first encountered Ford Pro Charging, they faced a barrage of jargon: “demand response,” “time-of-use rates,” and “grid setup.” Even though these features could save them money, they rarely understood how. Many felt overwhelmed as soon as they saw the extensive list of configuration fields and advanced settings.
When new users—often busy, non-technical fleet managers—first encountered Ford Pro Charging, they faced a barrage of jargon: “demand response,” “time-of-use rates,” and “grid setup.” Even though these features could save them money, they rarely understood how. Many felt overwhelmed as soon as they saw the extensive list of configuration fields and advanced settings.
A closer look at the existing onboarding analytics showed a significant drop-off once users were prompted to upload utility rates or set complex schedules. In interviews, managers admitted they didn’t always know their drivers’ exact routes or daily distance ranges. Without clarity or a helpful default path, they gave up before tapping into the real savings. Our challenge was to help them navigate these nuances step by step—showing them why each feature mattered and how to get the most out of it.
A closer look at the existing onboarding analytics showed a significant drop-off once users were prompted to upload utility rates or set complex schedules. In interviews, managers admitted they didn’t always know their drivers’ exact routes or daily distance ranges. Without clarity or a helpful default path, they gave up before tapping into the real savings. Our challenge was to help them navigate these nuances step by step—showing them why each feature mattered and how to get the most out of it.
A closer look at the existing onboarding analytics showed a significant drop-off once users were prompted to upload utility rates or set complex schedules. In interviews, managers admitted they didn’t always know their drivers’ exact routes or daily distance ranges. Without clarity or a helpful default path, they gave up before tapping into the real savings. Our challenge was to help them navigate these nuances step by step—showing them why each feature mattered and how to get the most out of it.
2. Talking to the users
2. Talking to the users
2. Talking to the users
Quantitative Data
Quantitative Data
Quantitative Data
Through analytics, we discovered that while most fleet managers completed the basic setup, many stopped short of adopting advanced features like utility rate uploads or supervised charging. This partial adoption led to gradual churn, as managers who never explored the deeper functionalities often questioned the long-term value of the platform. In fact, only a small percentage of users progressed to more sophisticated configurations—highlighting a clear need for better education and clearer incentives within the onboarding flow.
Through analytics, we discovered that while most fleet managers completed the basic setup, many stopped short of adopting advanced features like utility rate uploads or supervised charging. This partial adoption led to gradual churn, as managers who never explored the deeper functionalities often questioned the long-term value of the platform. In fact, only a small percentage of users progressed to more sophisticated configurations—highlighting a clear need for better education and clearer incentives within the onboarding flow.
Through analytics, we discovered that while most fleet managers completed the basic setup, many stopped short of adopting advanced features like utility rate uploads or supervised charging. This partial adoption led to gradual churn, as managers who never explored the deeper functionalities often questioned the long-term value of the platform. In fact, only a small percentage of users progressed to more sophisticated configurations—highlighting a clear need for better education and clearer incentives within the onboarding flow.
Qualitative Insights: Interviews with Fleet Managers:
Qualitative Insights: Interviews with Fleet Managers:
Qualitative Insights: Interviews with Fleet Managers:
Many participants said, “I’m not an energy expert; I just want my vehicles charged and ready on time.” Most were looking for clarity on why certain settings mattered and how they might reduce overall costs.
Lack of step-by-step guidance, confusing terminology, and no immediate proof that advanced features like demand response were worth trying.
Many participants said, “I’m not an energy expert; I just want my vehicles charged and ready on time.” Most were looking for clarity on why certain settings mattered and how they might reduce overall costs.
Lack of step-by-step guidance, confusing terminology, and no immediate proof that advanced features like demand response were worth trying.
Many participants said, “I’m not an energy expert; I just want my vehicles charged and ready on time.” Most were looking for clarity on why certain settings mattered and how they might reduce overall costs.
Lack of step-by-step guidance, confusing terminology, and no immediate proof that advanced features like demand response were worth trying.
Synthesizing these findings helped us pinpoint our biggest opportunities: breaking down complex configurations, explaining them in plain language, and proving their value early.
Synthesizing these findings helped us pinpoint our biggest opportunities: breaking down complex configurations, explaining them in plain language, and proving their value early.
Synthesizing these findings helped us pinpoint our biggest opportunities: breaking down complex configurations, explaining them in plain language, and proving their value early.
3. Goals
3. Goals
3. Goals
Business Goals
Business Goals
Business Goals
Simplify Complexity
Present advanced charging features in digestible steps, without overwhelming users.
Simplify Complexity
Present advanced charging features in digestible steps, without overwhelming users.
Educate Through Impact
Illustrate how each choice (e.g., enabling demand response) directly influences operational costs.
Educate Through Impact
Illustrate how each choice (e.g., enabling demand response) directly influences operational costs.
Create a Guided Experience
Create a smooth, intuitive flow with helpful tips, visuals, and microcopy to make onboarding easy and approachable.
Create a Guided Experience
Create a smooth, intuitive flow with helpful tips, visuals, and microcopy to make onboarding easy and approachable.
Encourage Confidence
Make it easy for managers to experiment, adopt automated features, and trust the system with critical fleet operations.
Encourage Confidence
Make it easy for managers to experiment, adopt automated features, and trust the system with critical fleet operations.
Design Goals
Design Goals
Design Goals
Increase Feature Adoption
Grow usage of advanced or “supervised” charging modes that deliver the strongest ROI for both the user and Ford Pro.
Increase Feature Adoption
Grow usage of advanced or “supervised” charging modes that deliver the strongest ROI for both the user and Ford Pro.
Enhance Customer Retention
By showing immediate value, keep fleet managers engaged in the long run.
Enhance Customer Retention
By showing immediate value, keep fleet managers engaged in the long run.
Reduce Support Burden
Decrease inbound calls and tickets by creating a smoother, more self-service onboarding experience.
Reduce Support Burden
Decrease inbound calls and tickets by creating a smoother, more self-service onboarding experience.
4. Solutions
4. Solutions
4. Solutions
Manually setting up utility rates is tedious and prone to errors. This redesign automates provider selection, visualizes cost variations, and guides users toward cost-efficient charging without overwhelming them.
Users enter their ZIP code, and the system fetches available providers and plans, eliminating manual effort and ensuring accurate pricing.
A seasonal rate visualization highlights peak-hour pricing, helping users quickly understand cost variations throughout the day.
By surfacing cost fluctuations, users can align their fleet’s charging schedule with off-peak hours to reduce expenses.
While the system simplifies setup, users retain flexibility to adjust settings based on their fleet’s unique needs.
Manually setting up utility rates is tedious and prone to errors. This redesign automates provider selection, visualizes cost variations, and guides users toward cost-efficient charging without overwhelming them.
Users enter their ZIP code, and the system fetches available providers and plans, eliminating manual effort and ensuring accurate pricing.
A seasonal rate visualization highlights peak-hour pricing, helping users quickly understand cost variations throughout the day.
By surfacing cost fluctuations, users can align their fleet’s charging schedule with off-peak hours to reduce expenses.
While the system simplifies setup, users retain flexibility to adjust settings based on their fleet’s unique needs.
Instead of requiring exact fleet routes and schedules, we introduced flexible range-based inputs for daily mileage and active hours. This allows the system to intelligently optimize charging while keeping setup simple. Users get a preview of the optimal charging window and real-time energy availability throughout the day, ensuring their fleet is always ready while minimizing costs.
Instead of requiring exact fleet routes and schedules, we introduced flexible range-based inputs for daily mileage and active hours. This allows the system to intelligently optimize charging while keeping setup simple. Users get a preview of the optimal charging window and real-time energy availability throughout the day, ensuring their fleet is always ready while minimizing costs.
Fleet managers needed better clarity and control over their charging operations—understanding when, how, and at what cost their vehicles were charging. To solve this, we redesigned the dashboard to provide:
A dedicated schedule view helps fleet managers track all charging events, restrictions, and demand response windows in one place.
Contextual cards translate cost savings and public charging revenue into real operational benefits, making the impact more tangible.
A live power meter provides instant visibility into energy usage, helping users optimize charging decisions and reduce costs.
Fleet managers needed better clarity and control over their charging operations—understanding when, how, and at what cost their vehicles were charging. To solve this, we redesigned the dashboard to provide:
A dedicated schedule view helps fleet managers track all charging events, restrictions, and demand response windows in one place.
Contextual cards translate cost savings and public charging revenue into real operational benefits, making the impact more tangible.
A live power meter provides instant visibility into energy usage, helping users optimize charging decisions and reduce costs.
5. Outcomes and impact
5. Outcomes and impact
5. Outcomes and impact
Increase in advanced feature adoption
Increase in advanced feature adoption
Fleet depots saved an average of $3,000 per year.
Fleet depots saved an average of $3,000 per year.
Onboarding-related support tickets dropped by 60%.
Onboarding-related support tickets dropped by 60%.
Glad you dropped by!
Let’s stay in touch and create something awesome.
Glad you dropped by!
Let’s stay in touch and create something awesome.
Glad you dropped by!
Let’s stay in touch and create something awesome.
