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Lowering Maintenance Costs in Multi-Family Apartments

AI/IoT-Driven Product Design- A Case Study

What’s in this case study?

Clients

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Zentra is a seamless security solution designed to solve the everyday problems of shared property access looking to add additional value to their existing product. 

PROBLEM STATEMENT

"How might we design a product for busy professionals that enables them to learn and apply design “How might we enhance the ease and seamlessness of property maintenance for a property manager and its residents?”

Overview

Duration:

8 Weeks

Role: 

Research, Design, Product content, Prototype, Style guide,

Business Model Canvas, Cost management

Tools: 

Figma, Photoshop, Docs

Step 1/6: Establishing project scope

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Step 2/6: Research

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We looked at 10 companies that provide Predictive Maintenance

While all these companies provide predictive maintenance, there is a gap in predictive maintenance designed for multi-family apartments with a dashboard that connects residents, property owners, and the maintenance staff.

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A few quotes from our target users that helped us design the IOT product!

RESIDENTS

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“ It took 3 days for my Fridge to get fixed, we just had to move things from the vent!! WE LOST A LOT OF FOOD THAT WEEK! “

“I don’t know what exactly is happening after I have reported a maintenance request, is it even received?”

“ My water pipe broke like 3 times last winter because I forgot to turn on the faucets!“

PROPERTY OWNERS

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“ we receive like 3-4 requests a day and 120-200 a MONTH, few of them are really silly
(P.S -I Know I’m not supposed to say that)”

“We receive work orders in units, but issues outdoors go unnoticed for days! 

“Most of the requests we get can be solved within a minute or two and some can be avoided if the residents are a bit more careful”

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Needs and goals of our target users!

Step 3/6: Brainstorming ideas

Step 4/6: The Prototype

Predicting problems, protecting YOU
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Alert System

Quick, accessible and easy!

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Live Status/
progress Bar

Updates in real-time

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Self-
Diagnosis

Cause we don't want to stress you out!

Hello, Claire! CD Building 845 Your property has an active alert! ! 1 Active Alert Buildin

Unified
Dashboard

For easy multitasking

Hello, Claire! CD Building 845 Your property has an active alert! ! 1 Active Alert Buildin

SCREEN DESIGNS

The DFV Framework
Desirable
for customers
  • Ease of Access and Maintenance

  • Predictive Maintenance

  • Unified Dashboard and App

Feasible technically
  • Technological Foundation

  • Integration Capabilities

  • Scalability

  • Collaboration with Existing systems 

Viable
financially
  • Revenue Generation

  • Cost Efficiency

  • Market Demand

  • Return on Investment (ROI)

  • Reduced Maintenance Cost

Step 5/6: Business Model

Our solution will serve as an additional revenue stream for the company, with potential models including subscriptions, software licensing fees, and maintenance and service charges.

Multiple plans that suit the property manager - UPremium, Premium, Standard. Based on a number of sensors, maintenance, updates, and coverage of property.

What we propose?

All-in-one application (Software and Hardware Integration)
  • Preventive maintenance - Predictive Analysis focused service
  • Customer service focus

Costs included:​

  • Research and Development of software and hardware for our product. 

  • Installation and maintenance of sensors.

  • Customer Acquisition cost.

  • Data Maintenance (Servers)

What we need?

Open-ended software Approach (Easy partnerships with other property management software)
  • Affordability (Competitive Pricing)

Revenue streams:​

  • One time Sensor fees (Initial cost to the customer)

  • Subscriptions for the service.

  • Usage based fees (Premium upselling)

  • Installation and Setup fees. (Optional)
    Service and maintenance fees.

Step 6/6: Conclusion

The highlight of the project was our intensive 1-2 weeks of brainstorming, culminating in a final 5-hour group call. This phase was incredibly educational for me, as I gained insights into different perspectives, meticulously examined each part of the solution, experienced a "eureka" moment, and more. Despite the intensity of the discussions, this remains the most memorable part of the project. Without that rigorous session, we wouldn't have achieved the solution we did. It was worth it. 

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In conclusion, commencing with the refinement of the prototype in response to the feedback garnered during the evaluation phase, our iterative process involves continuous testing and evaluation with a broader user and expert base. Concurrently, we initiate the development of a framework for the subscription model, laying the foundation for the upcoming phases of our project.

who made this project a success.

MEET THE TEAM

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fin.

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If something's broken, it's probably a feature.

EXPLORE

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Powered by sleepless nights, a tub of Ice Cream, my dog constantly asking me to play with her, and questionable design choices. 

Shivani Jayaprakash's UI/UX portfolio

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