Hafele UK

Häfele UK is a leading B2B supplier of high-quality fixtures and fittings for kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms. As part of their ambitious strategy to future-proof their business, they partnered with us to leverage our expertise in Design Systems, user experience (UX), and data analytics. The partnership saw us work on three significant projects: redesigning their MyHäfele platform, optimising their online customer journey through CRO Sprints, and launching a Service+ proposition.

The project aimed to enhance Häfele UK's business strategy by improving the user experience of their MyHäfele platform. The specific goals included the development of a robust design system to boost product delivery efficiencies, a platform redesign based on user needs to provide a seamless and frictionless experience, and the delivery of customer segment reporting through Google Looker Studio to enable Häfele to better understand their customer data.

To achieve the project goals, we commenced by crafting a robust design system, establishing a "single version of the truth" for Häfele UK's product design and user interface. This system focused on improving product delivery efficiencies by reducing operational costs and ensuring a consistent approach.

Following the design system creation, we turned our attention to the MyHäfele platform, working on a redesign rooted in user needs. Using our Product Sprints framework, we analysed current analytics data and conducted usability tests, incorporating user feedback into our design process. The result was a platform that offered a seamless and frictionless experience, exceeding user expectations.

The final component of our solution involved harnessing the power of Google Looker Studio to create customer segment reports. By aligning behavioural and acquisition analytics data with business customer segments, we helped Häfele deliver personalised experiences and offer ongoing value to their customers.

The robust design system we created had an immediate positive impact, reportedly enhancing Häfele’s internal development schedules by improving product delivery efficiencies.

The MyHäfele platform redesign resulted in a solution that not only met user expectations but exceeded them, providing a more seamless and frictionless experience.

Finally, the customer segment reports created through Google Data Studio provided Häfele with a clearer understanding of their customer data. This enabled them to deliver personalised experiences and ongoing value to their customers, viewing customer data as a whole or by specific segments, thus significantly improving their business strategy.

The project revolved around intensifying services for Häfele Worldwide (HWW) as highlighted in the group business plan for 2022. Each subsidiary, including the 12 in the Western Europe Region, was tasked with launching two qualified "Plus Services" by the end of 2022. One key aspect was to emphasise the "Planning" pillar through digital means. Our primary focus was on Häfele UK's Bespoke Timber Drawers. The goal was to create a high-fidelity prototype and extension of the MyHäfele design system for this interface and have it ready to launch by June 2023. This design needed to be transferable to other digital solutions and suitable for group-wide applications.

Our first step was to review Häfele UK's current Bespoke Timber Drawers Enquiry form, generating a few web inquiries. We worked closely with the project team to understand the existing manual process for providing customer quotes. We proposed a phased approach that included digitising the customer part first, enabling customers to receive an online price quote after detailing their desired drawer type. After getting approval for our phased approach, we designed the wireframe and pattern library for the Bespoke Drawers interface. Our design aimed to be transferable and compatible with other digital solutions and the wider Häfele group.

The outcome was a user-friendly, efficient digital interface for the Bespoke Timber Drawers that increased web inquiries. This project improved the customer experience in Hafele UK and set the stage for enhancing digital solutions in other regions. Specific metrics, including a 16.7% increase in web inquiries and a 63% reduction in quote processing time, showed the significant impact of this project.

Our partnership with Häfele UK has seen significant successes, including improved efficiency in product delivery, increased user satisfaction, and optimised online customer journey. We look forward to future collaborations and opportunities to further empower Häfele UK through user-centric design and data-driven strategies.