Redesigning a CRM Dashboard for TopCars
TopCars is an automotive marketplace where customer requests drive the entire sales process. Every submitted request represents a potential sale, making request management the core operational workflow.
This case study focuses on the CRM dashboard, one module of a larger internal CRM system I designed for TopCars. The goal was to help managers monitor customer requests, prioritize leads, and make faster operational decisions through clearer information hierarchy and actionable insights.
Role
Role
UI/UX Designer
UI/UX Designer
Timeline
Timeline
4 months
4 months
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
UX Audit · Competitor Analysis · Information Architecture · Wireframing · UI Design
UX Audit · Competitor Analysis · Information Architecture · Wireframing · UI Design
Business Context
Business Context
Users browse cars.
Cars cannot be purchased online.
Every request becomes a lead.
Managers process these requests in the CRM.
Browse Cars → Submit Request → CRM → Manager → Contact Customer
Users browse cars.
Cars cannot be purchased online.
Every request becomes a lead.
Managers process these requests in the CRM.
Browse Cars → Submit Request → CRM → Manager → Contact Customer
Challenge
Challenge
Problem
The existing CRM dashboard made it difficult for operations managers to efficiently monitor customer requests and prioritize daily work. As the number of incoming requests grew, the lack of clear operational visibility slowed decision-making and reduced workflow efficiency.
Goal
Design a dashboard that helps operations managers quickly monitor customer requests, prioritize leads, and make faster operational decisions.
Core Insights
Core Insights
The existing dashboard didn't provide a clear overview of requests and key operational metrics, making it difficult to prioritize daily tasks.
The existing dashboard didn't provide a clear overview of requests and key operational metrics, making it difficult to prioritize daily tasks.
The existing dashboard didn't provide a clear overview of requests and key operational metrics, making it difficult to prioritize daily tasks.
Existing Dashboard Audit
Existing Dashboard Audit
To identify improvement opportunities, I first analyzed the customer-facing website to understand how requests are generated and what information flows into the CRM. I then conducted an expert UX audit of the existing dashboard and benchmarked similar CRM solutions to identify gaps and define the redesign direction.
To identify improvement opportunities, I first analyzed the customer-facing website to understand how requests are generated and what information flows into the CRM. I then conducted an expert UX audit of the existing dashboard and benchmarked similar CRM solutions to identify gaps and define the redesign direction.
Audit finding
Audit finding
Audit finding
Design decision
Design decision
Design decision
Why
Why
Why
Dashboard highlighted inventory metrics (Vehicles to Choose, Sold Cars) instead of lead management.
Dashboard highlighted inventory metrics (Vehicles to Choose, Sold Cars) instead of lead management.
Dashboard highlighted inventory metrics (Vehicles to Choose, Sold Cars) instead of lead management.
Replaced generic inventory-focused overview with business-critical metrics such as Latest Requests, Request Conversion, Top Requested Models, Inventory Status, and Request Trend.
Replaced generic inventory-focused overview with business-critical metrics such as Latest Requests, Request Conversion, Top Requested Models, Inventory Status, and Request Trend.
Replaced generic inventory-focused overview with business-critical metrics such as Latest Requests, Request Conversion, Top Requested Models, Inventory Status, and Request Trend.
The primary business goal is processing customer requests, not monitoring inventory size.
The primary business goal is processing customer requests, not monitoring inventory size.
The primary business goal is processing customer requests, not monitoring inventory size.
All KPI cards had the same visual priority, making it difficult to identify what required attention first.
All KPI cards had the same visual priority, making it difficult to identify what required attention first.
All KPI cards had the same visual priority, making it difficult to identify what required attention first.
Established a clear visual Added widgets showing latest incoming requests, request trends, top requested models, and inventory availability to help managers prioritize daily work.
Established a clear visual Added widgets showing latest incoming requests, request trends, top requested models, and inventory availability to help managers prioritize daily work.
Established a clear visual Added widgets showing latest incoming requests, request trends, top requested models, and inventory availability to help managers prioritize daily work.
Dashboard highlighted inventory metrics (Vehicles to Choose, Sold Cars) instead of lead management.
Dashboard highlighted inventory metrics (Vehicles to Choose, Sold Cars) instead of lead management.
Dashboard highlighted inventory metrics (Vehicles to Choose, Sold Cars) instead of lead management.
The dashboard showed historical numbers but didn't support daily decisions.
The dashboard showed historical numbers but didn't support daily decisions.
The dashboard showed historical numbers but didn't support daily decisions.
Added widgets showing latest incoming requests, request trends, top requested models, and inventory availability to help managers prioritize daily work.
Added widgets showing latest incoming requests, request trends, top requested models, and inventory availability to help managers prioritize daily work.
Added widgets showing latest incoming requests, request trends, top requested models, and inventory availability to help managers prioritize daily work.
Operational dashboards should guide actions, not simply report statistics.
Operational dashboards should guide actions, not simply report statistics.
Operational dashboards should guide actions, not simply report statistics.
Navigation followed the CMS structure (Pages, Inventory, Video, Image, Documents) instead of the manager's workflow.
Navigation followed the CMS structure (Pages, Inventory, Video, Image, Documents) instead of the manager's workflow.
Navigation followed the CMS structure (Pages, Inventory, Video, Image, Documents) instead of the manager's workflow.
Reorganized the navigation around operational tasks, prioritizing Requests and Inventory, while moving content management sections to secondary positions.
Reorganized the navigation around operational tasks, prioritizing Requests and Inventory, while moving content management sections to secondary positions.
Reorganized the navigation around operational tasks, prioritizing Requests and Inventory, while moving content management sections to secondary positions.
Navigation should reflect users' daily workflow rather than the system's content structure.
Navigation should reflect users' daily workflow rather than the system's content structure.
Navigation should reflect users' daily workflow rather than the system's content structure.
No direct path from insights to actions. Managers had to leave the dashboard to continue working.
No direct path from insights to actions. Managers had to leave the dashboard to continue working.
No direct path from insights to actions. Managers had to leave the dashboard to continue working.
Added quick access to high-priority request lists and inventory management directly from the dashboard.
Added quick access to high-priority request lists and inventory management directly from the dashboard.
Added quick access to high-priority request lists and inventory management directly from the dashboard.
Reducing navigation steps helps managers respond to customer requests faster.
Reducing navigation steps helps managers respond to customer requests faster.
Reducing navigation steps helps managers respond to customer requests faster.
Redesigned Information Architecture
Redesigned Information Architecture
Based on the UX audit findings, I restructured the dashboard to prioritize operational tasks, improve navigation, and surface business-critical information.
Based on the UX audit findings, I restructured the dashboard to prioritize operational tasks, improve navigation, and surface business-critical information.
Existing Dashboard Architecture
Existing Dashboard Architecture
Existing Dashboard Architecture
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Pages
Pages
Pages
Inventory
Inventory
Inventory
Video
Video
Video
Image
Image
Image
Documents
Documents
Documents
Requests
Requests
Requests
Settings
Settings
Settings
Settings
Settings
Settings
Admin
Admin
Admin
Log out
Log out
Log out
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Top Bar
Top Bar
Top Bar
Search
Search
Search
Notifications
Notifications
Notifications
User Profile
User Profile
User Profile
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Metrics
Metrics
Metrics
Total Requests
Total Requests
Total Requests
Vehicles to Choose
Vehicles to Choose
Vehicles to Choose
Sold Cars
Sold Cars
Sold Cars
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Analytics
Analytics
Analytics
Car Request Trend
Car Request Trend
Car Request Trend
Existing Dashboard Architecture
Existing Dashboard Architecture
Existing Dashboard Architecture
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Requests
Requests
Requests
Customers
Customers
Customers
Content
Content
Content
Pages
Pages
Pages
Images
Images
Images
Videos
Videos
Videos
Documents
Documents
Documents
Settings
Settings
Settings
Settings
Settings
Settings
Profile
Profile
Profile
Log out
Log out
Log out
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Top Bar
Top Bar
Top Bar
Search
Search
Search
Notifications
Notifications
Notifications
User Profile
User Profile
User Profile
Primary CTA
Primary CTA
Primary CTA
+ New Request
+ New Request
+ New Request
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Metrics
Metrics
Metrics
New Requests Today
New Requests Today
New Requests Today
Requests Awaiting Response
Requests Awaiting Response
Requests Awaiting Response
Total Requests
Total Requests
Total Requests
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Inventory Overview
Inventory Overview
Inventory Overview
Available Vehicles
Available Vehicles
Available Vehicles
Reserved cars
Reserved cars
Reserved cars
Sold Cars
Sold Cars
Sold Cars
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Analytics
Analytics
Analytics
Car Request Trend
Car Request Trend
Car Request Trend
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Sidebar Navigation
Recent Request
Recent Request
Recent Request
Top Request Cars
Top Request Cars
Top Request Cars
KPI Prioritization
KPI Prioritization
Key metrics were organized by business priority, helping managers quickly understand current workload and make faster operational decisions.
Key metrics were organized by business priority, helping managers quickly understand current workload and make faster operational decisions.
Section
Section
Section
KPI
KPI
KPI
Why
Why
Why
Primary
Primary
Primary
New Requests Today
New Requests Today
New Requests Today
Immediate workload
Immediate workload
Immediate workload
Primary
Primary
Primary
Awaiting Response
Awaiting Response
Awaiting Response
Requires action
Requires action
Requires action
Primary
Primary
Primary
Total Requests
Total Requests
Total Requests
Overall demand
Overall demand
Overall demand
Inventory
Inventory
Inventory
Available Vehicles
Available Vehicles
Available Vehicles
Current stock
Current stock
Current stock
Inventory
Inventory
Inventory
Reserved Vehicles
Reserved Vehicles
Reserved Vehicles
Vehicles in process
Vehicles in process
Vehicles in process
Inventory
Inventory
Inventory
Sold Cars
Sold Cars
Sold Cars
Business outcome
Business outcome
Business outcome
Goal
Design a dashboard that helps operations managers quickly monitor customer requests, prioritize leads, and make faster operational decisions.
Redesigned Dashboard
Redesigned Dashboard
The redesigned dashboard organizes information around managers' workflow, making key metrics and actions immediately accessible.
The redesigned dashboard organizes information around managers' workflow, making key metrics and actions immediately accessible.
Key Improvements
Before
Before
After
After
Navigation based on CMS
Navigation based on CMS
Navigation organized around managers' workflow
Navigation organized around managers' workflow
Inventory-focused KPIs
Inventory-focused KPIs
Request-focused KPIs
Request-focused KPIs
No clear hierarchy
No clear hierarchy
Prioritized information based on business importance
Prioritized information based on business importance
Informational dashboard
Informational dashboard
Action-oriented dashboard
Action-oriented dashboard
Reflection
Redesigning this dashboard reinforced the importance of organizing information around users' daily workflows rather than simply displaying data. By prioritizing operational tasks, restructuring the information architecture, and surfacing business-critical KPIs, the dashboard became a more effective tool for decision-making. Given access to users and product analytics, the next step would be to validate these design decisions through usability testing and measure their impact on operational efficiency.
Key Improvements
Key Improvements
Before
Before
Before
After
After
After
Navigation based on CMS
Navigation based on CMS
Navigation based on CMS
Navigation organized around managers' workflow
Navigation organized around managers' workflow
Navigation organized around managers' workflow
Inventory-focused KPIs
Inventory-focused KPIs
Inventory-focused KPIs
Request-focused KPIs
Request-focused KPIs
Request-focused KPIs
No clear hierarchy
No clear hierarchy
No clear hierarchy
Prioritized information based on business importance
Prioritized information based on business importance
Prioritized information based on business importance
Informational dashboard
Informational dashboard
Informational dashboard
Action-oriented dashboard
Action-oriented dashboard
Action-oriented dashboard
Reflection
Reflection
Redesigning this dashboard reinforced the importance of organizing information around users' daily workflows rather than simply displaying data. By prioritizing operational tasks, restructuring the information architecture, and surfacing business-critical KPIs, the dashboard became a more effective tool for decision-making. Given access to users and product analytics, the next step would be to validate these design decisions through usability testing and measure their impact on operational efficiency.
Redesigning this dashboard reinforced the importance of organizing information around users' daily workflows rather than simply displaying data. By prioritizing operational tasks, restructuring the information architecture, and surfacing business-critical KPIs, the dashboard became a more effective tool for decision-making. Given access to users and product analytics, the next step would be to validate these design decisions through usability testing and measure their impact on operational efficiency.