Scale-Cost
Client
Non disclosure
Year
2025
Platform
Internal
Timeline
Q3, Q4
Role
Product design end-to-end
Redesign of a legacy German cost-reduction PMO tool into a modern portfolio system. The original product was thorough but difficult to use for daily decision-making. The new version focuses on clarity, prioritization, and faster access to what matters. German operational terms were kept where they carried specific meaning, while the overall experience was simplified for decision-making.
Starting Point
The original tool was a dense, data-entry heavy German system focused on cost-reduction measures (Maßnahmen). Strengths: clear financial categories, Netto calculation, stage model (Härtegrad), and milestone tracking. Weaknesses: long forms, weak prioritization, no exception handling, static charts, and high cognitive load.
Connect CMS Image fields (Image 1–10)
Core Problems
Users could enter data but struggled to see what needed attention
Financial impact (Netto) was buried
No clear portfolio prioritization
Creating a new measure felt long and fragmented
Detail views were either too empty or too scattered
Key Design Decisions
Navigation Top navigation: Dashboard → Maßnahmen → Finanzen → Reports “Neue Maßnahme” treated as an action button, not a main menu item
Dashboard Large KPI strip, Priority Matrix, and a persistent exception panel on the right
Maßnahmen List Clean table with the essential signals: Härtegrad, Netto, Variance, Realisierung %
Measure Detail Single-page workbench with key numbers kept permanently in a right-hand cockpit
New Measure Guided 4-step creation flow. Charts appear only when real financial data exists
Final Structure
Dashboard — portfolio health, priority matrix, exception panel
Maßnahmen — main working list
Measure Detail — single-page workbench with cockpit
Neue Maßnahme — 4-step guided flow
Finanzen — portfolio-level Netto performance
Dashboard
Large KPI strip (Netto-Einsparung, Potential, Investition, Realisierung)
Priority Matrix (Investment vs Netto-Potenzial, bubble size = Restziel)
Persistent right-side Review / Exception panel
Dense Maßnahmen table with Härtegrad, Netto, Variance, Realisierung %
Why These Changes Work
Decision information is visible first
Exception handling is permanent, not hidden
German process language (Härtegrad, Netto, Realisierung) is preserved
Visual noise was reduced while keeping necessary density
The system moved from data collection to portfolio steering