Multi-tenant Cloud-based Business Operating System for SMEs

Context

At the time of our involvement, the market for business management software in Nepal was fragmented, with many SMEs still relying on traditional methods like paper-based accounting, spreadsheets, or isolated desktop applications. These traditional approaches often led to inefficiencies, errors, lack of real-time visibility, and challenges in meeting regulatory compliance requirements set by government bodies like the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).

Tigg was developed to address these pain points by offering a unified, cloud-based platform that combines accounting, inventory management, billing, and other essential business operations into a single, cohesive system. The platform caters to a diverse range of industries, including retail, wholesale, manufacturing, and service-based businesses, providing them with the tools they need to modernize their operations, improve accuracy, and gain better control over their business finances and inventory.

My Role

I led the Product Design of Tigg from its early stages to its launch and beyond. I worked closely with the founders to understand their vision and translate it into a user-centered product. I worked closely with developers and software architects to plan the integration of the mobile application with its web-based interface.

Our work was guided by close collaboration with a panel of accounting firms across Nepal who brought invaluable domain expertise to ensure the product met the specific needs and regulatory requirements of the Nepali market.

The Problem

Nepali SMEs relied heavily on manual, paper-based systems for managing their finances and inventory. Existing products were either too complex, too expensive, or not designed for the Nepali market and many founders were financially inclined to using them due to lack of the value provided by them. This often led to inefficiencies, errors, lack of real-time visibility, and challenges in meeting regulatory compliance requirements set by government bodies like the Inland Revenue Department (IRD).

Additionally, not being able to see actual business data devoided the founders from making informed decisions about their business.

What I Did

Among all the responsibilities leading the product design of the product, here are a few highlighted ones:

• Built a Design System for an enterprise app from the ground up : This was required to provide a unified and consistent user experience across the web application, mobile application, user portal, and admin portal.

• Reworked navigation in Tigg : Iteratively prototyped and tested navigation for months to ensure the product was scalable and could support future feature additions while maintaining a simple and intuitive user experience.

• Designed the form and input components system : Forms form a core component of accounting recording process. To provide a seamless and efficient user experience,

• Fully customizable invoice design : Since Nepali businesses operate in a highly diverse economic environment, businesses required invoices that could be tailored to their specific needs and regulatory requirements. This was a challenging task due to the complex and diverse nature of business data, but it was essential for providing a seamless and efficient user experience.

Outcome

Currently, over 3000 MSMEs in Nepal use Tigg to manage their business finances and inventory. The platform has helped businesses to digitize their operations, improve efficiency, and gain better control over their business finances and inventory.

Tigg has won multiple awards and has been recognized as one of the most innovative startups in Nepal.

Reflection

Tigg was my first experience working as a lead product designer on an enterprise app. It taught me the importance of building a solid design foundation before diving into detailed designs, and the value of involving users early and often in the design process.