Challenges
Complex SQL Queries for Custom KPIs
Datacube's dashboards extract real-time data for KPIs by employing intricate SQL queries. Each KPI corresponds to a distinct query, and a single dashboard incorporates multiple KPIs. Typically, a client utilizes around 6 to 8 dashboards, each containing 8 to 10 KPIs. This cumulative complexity poses a challenge in swiftly loading the dashboards. Numerous clients have expressed concerns about the sluggishness of Datacube dashboards. Consequently, Datacube took proactive measures to address this issue, striving to ensure a seamless dashboard-loading experience for its clients.
Supporting the Portal on TV Browsers
Datacube predominantly serves businesses engaged in home improvement services. These businesses seek to assess their technicians' daily performance. Many of these clients utilize leaderboards, essentially dashboards that showcase technicians ranked based on revenue generated, from highest to lowest. To facilitate this, clients aim to display these leaderboards on their TV screens within their offices. However, the dashboards encountered obstacles when accessed via TV browsers or devices like the Fire TV Stick. Issues ranged from broken displays to improper rendering of the user interface. Addressing this challenge became a priority for Datacube to guarantee the smooth functionality of their dashboards on TV units.
Solutions
Optimization of SQL Queries
The Closeloop team initiated an in-depth analysis of the current architecture, database structure, and SQL queries, coupled with a comprehensive code review. Following this thorough assessment, the team identified that the existing SQL queries were intricate, leading to the decision to overhaul certain SQL queries. The Closeloop team meticulously reviewed and further optimized all pre-existing SQL queries, resulting in a notable reduction in loading times.
With the optimization of SQL queries, the dashboard exhibited a significantly enhanced loading speed. In tandem with query refinement, the Closeloop team enhanced the foundational structure of base queries. This strategic adjustment facilitated the seamless creation of default dashboards for new clients. Should a client necessitate specific customizations, the existing base queries were adeptly tailored to fulfill their customization prerequisites. This comprehensive enhancement in performance directly contributed to the successful onboarding of a considerably higher number of new clients.
TV Browser Compatibility
The Closeloop team embarked on testing the Datacube web portal's compatibility on the Silk browser. While the portal opened successfully and the dashboards loaded adequately, discrepancies became evident in the proper display of KPIs. Numerous UI elements, functional on other web browsers, exhibited inconsistencies and disruptions on the Silk browser.
Based on this evaluative phase, the team ascertained that several areas of Datacube's portal required modifications to ensure compatibility with the Silk browser.
- Silk Browser Responsiveness: To ensure responsive designs for Silk browsers, the integration of Tailwind CSS was identified as essential. The Closeloop team diligently implemented Tailwind CSS across all dashboards, given its cross-browser compatibility. Rigorous testing confirmed the efficacy of Tailwind CSS in resolving the issues encountered on the Silk browser.
- Resolution of CSS and Styling Issues: The process of incorporating Tailwind CSS concurrently resolved numerous underlying CSS and styling concerns where deemed necessary.
- Custom Silk Browser Designs: Certain boards, including Live Stats and leaderboards housing a substantial array of KPIs, demanded a tailored approach for Silk browser responsiveness. In response, the team adeptly crafted new design screens, ensuring optimal presentation and functionality on the Silk browser.
New Features
Rollup Boards and Multi-Location Login
Certain clients managed operations across multiple locations, encountering a significant challenge in obtaining a comprehensive overview across all these locations. Closeloop addressed this by introducing rollup boards, essentially dashboards that present a comprehensive set of KPI data for all client locations. These rollup boards are structured akin to spreadsheets rather than leaderboards. This unique approach grants a holistic 360-degree perspective of all locations within a single, easily navigable page.
Additionally, clients with multiple locations were burdened by the necessity to juggle multiple logins to access dashboards for various locations. To alleviate this inconvenience, the Closeloop team developed an access management module. This innovation empowers a logged-in user to seamlessly switch between different locations, thereby gaining access to the pertinent data for each specific location.
Contest Board
Closeloop introduced a novel feature for Datacube: the contest board. This addition was conceived to enable users to create engaging contests centered around diverse KPIs. The underlying objective was to foster a sense of healthy competition among technicians and incentivize their performance with rewards for contest victories.
The contest module was seamlessly integrated into the existing architecture. It allows users to establish contests by selecting a dashboard and specifying target KPIs along with their corresponding goals. In this setup, technicians achieving the predefined target for a given KPI emerge as winners of the contest. This dynamic feature leverages the foundation of the prevailing architecture while delivering the means to invigorate engagement and motivation among the technician community.
Results
As a result of the changes implemented by the Closeloop team, Datacube’s business almost doubled because they are now able to onboard a lot more clients than before due to the reduced onboarding time.
With the availability of new features such as contest board and access management, the existing clients showed their interest in buying these new features and the new clients also leveraged the availability of new features.
With the improved quality of builds, the clients started clearing the dues on time, and the number of feedback/complains from the clients was greatly reduced.
