All work

Web platform · PSA Singapore

Slotxpert

Migrating a decade-old desktop app into one unified web platform for container buyers and sellers.

SlotXpert aimed to replace its decade-old desktop application with a unified web-based platform for buyers and sellers.

The biggest challenge was making the transition easy for users who were deeply accustomed to Excel-like workflows.

3 min read

Client: The Port of Singapore Authority
Timeline: Oct 2023 – May 2024
Discipline: Product Design
Responsibilities: User Research, Wireframing, Web Design, Prototyping
Tools: Figma, Mattermost, FigJam

The results, first

How it got there ↓

35%drop in errors in 6 months
85%adoption in 6 months
88%retention in 3 months

Chapter 1

The Challenge

Understanding the challenge

One web platform for buyers and sellers, without losing anyone on the way.

From
A decade-old desktop app.
To
One unified web platform.
The catch
Users were deeply used to Excel-like workflows.

Chapter 2

UX Outcomes

One platform for buyers and sellers, and what followed.

35%

drop in errors in 6 months

Fewer Mistakes, Faster Work

Clearer tables, filters and actions made data easier to read and act on.

Slotxpert data table with filters and actions

85%

adoption in 6 months

One Platform, Everyone Onboard

One dashboard for buyers and sellers. No more juggling platforms.

88%

retention in 3 months

Retention with Familiar Workflows

The Excel-like structure stayed, so the new platform felt familiar from day one.

Chapter 3

Research

Surveys

Separate surveys for buyers and sellers set the baseline to measure UX gains.

Buyer survey: booking a container

1 in 4

rated it only “normal”

Pain points

Slow search
Unclear filters
No feedback

SoFunctional, not optimised. Bookings needed more clarity and speed.

Seller survey: listing a container

~30%

not fully confident

Pain points

Managing listings
Real-time inventory status

SoSimpler listing actions, less clutter, clearer inventory and offer states.

Interviews

How

My interview script, run by PSA’s product team with a wider group of users
Two contextual interviews of my own: one buyer, one seller

What I asked

How do you use the desktop app day to day?
Which features do you rely on most?
What frustrates you today?
How do you feel about moving to the web?
What would make the move easier?

Challenges identified

User Migration
Moving users from the long-used desktop app to the web platform without creating friction or user loss.
Unified UX
Buyers and sellers were on separate platforms; the new system needed to merge them seamlessly.
Maintain User Base
Any frustration during the transition could cause attrition, so it was vital to keep the learning curve low.

Chapter 4