results : case studies

The National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA)

Challenge 

The National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA) is a not-for-profit association that represents more than 11,000 financial institutions through direct memberships and a network of regional payments associations, and 650 organizations through its industry councils.  NACHA develops operating rules and business practices for the Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network and for electronic payments in the areas of Internet commerce, electronic bill and invoice presentment and payment, e-checks, financial electronic data interchange, international payments, and electronic benefits services.

Solution 

New Target worked closely with NACHA to remake their online image by redesigning the main NACHA site as well as the sites used by NACHA's Councils.  Also accomplished was the implementation of an integrated shopping cart, creation of an industry-specific online accreditation program, implementation of a cutting edge Content Management System, and leveraging NACHA's member data.

When completed, the end results of this partnership will include a more professional and up-to-date visual presentation on the web, logical navigation amongst public and member-only areas on the websites, a fully integrated and professional looking e-commerce process for NACHA's members, and selective access to content based on members' profiles and affiliations.

Significant benefits of this project for NACHA include:

• Fresh new design of main NACHA site is complemented by the creation of a related design deployed on all NACHA Council sites.  This creates a strong sense of connection between the organizations and furthers the NACHA brand.
• Significant improvements to the web properties' user interfaces and overall information architecture greatly improved the user experience, thus increasing the effectiveness of the web properties.
• Improvements applied to NACHA's shopping cart include the ability to purchase multiple items in one visit, simple exporting of e-commerce statistics to be used in reporting, coupon code discount functionality, and the ability to offer member or non-member pricing based on users' credentials.
• Industry accreditation program improvements.  NACHA manages an industry accreditation program known as the Accredited ACH Professional (AAP).  New Target enhanced the online functionality utilized by the AAP program by enhancing and improving the process by which members can add credits and fill out the several forms, such as registration for testing or updating personal information. 

Benefits

When launched in the Spring of 2009, the new site with its significant functionality improvements will give NACHA total control over its main website and other web properties, and provide the ability to manage content for its different member types.  Website visitors will benefit from the streamlining of e-commerce and member content functionality, and AAP participants will have their workloads decreased due to shifting more of the application and maintenance processes online.  This new site positions NACHA as an industry leader for years to come. 

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The Association of American Railroads (AAR) 

Challenge

The Association of American Railroads (AAR) came to New Target with an interesting challenge.  AAR had initially wanted to just revise  its homepage as a simple recognition of President Obama's inauguration.  Then, with barely two months to go before Inauguration Day, the project expanded dramatically into a full site redesign, complete with new information architecture plus a variety of content changes.  Also, the site's search functionality was deemed sorely lacking, and an improvement was requested as part of the expanded effort.

Solution

Fortunately, AAR's existing site was already in Sitecore, so this made for an easier transition to the new site structure.  Once the client locked down the new information architecture, New Target created a parallel development site in Sitecore and set up the new site structure accordingly.  Content that was still deemed useful was brought into the new site, and it was augmented with new or revised content that the client added using Sitecore's CMS tools.     

The new site supports AAR in many ways:

• By using Sitecore to house the site and it's contents, AAR staff can manage content and actual site structure modifications with ease

• New Target took advantage of a Sitecore feature that allows site administrators to manage how the site will appear in print and in RSS feeds. This makes printed versions of the site independent of onscreen versions, and adjusting one does not impact the other. This removes the need for the creation of print style sheets to cover all of the content pages. The result is a uniform and attractive printed version of any content page, one that reflects well on AAR.

• By implementing the Coveo search module, AAR's site offers visitors world class search capability, which in turn lets members get the most value out of the content deployed on AAR's site

• The new site integrates AAR's member database in a seamless fashion. Members can access Members Only content, review their publication subscriptions online, and purchase publications from AAR and other sister organizations.

The online store functions tie into AAR's backend databases to provide access to member pricing and to store historical purchase and subscription data.

Benefits 

By working with New Target, AAR was able to get a wholly new site set up and implemented, complete with a fresh new design and superb search capabilities, all within an accelerated timeframe.  New Target’s sophisticated competence with Sitecore paved the way to success for this project.

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FedFinancial Federal Credit Union 

Challenge

FedFinancial Federal Credit Union, a $50 million financial institution serving U.S. government employees, retirees, and their family members throughout the Washington/Baltimore metro areas came to New Target with a dilemma- their web site was not user-friendly.  Members of the credit union were missing key services like mortgages on the web site and FedFinancial was receiving complaints that their site suffered from poor navigation.

Solution

To improve their site, New Target interviewed FedFinancial to assess their goals for their web site and to discuss current problems and issues.  Next, New Target conducted a comparative analysis, explored similar web sites in the industry and evaluated the current standing of FedFinancial's web site among its competitors.  From it's analysis, New Target revised the site's navigation and architecture and also rewrote its copy to ensure that once the content was on the page, it was effective.  Another method New Target used was conducting focus groups with credit union members to gauge user reaction to the improved site.  New Target then used the feedback from the focus group along with its original recommendations to update the final site.  

Benefits

FedFinanical now has a more effective and user-friendly web site that makes it easier for its members to access products and services.   

“Our web site is now a true tool for our members.  Thanks to New Target, we have a user-friendly web site that is allowing us to effectively highlight our products and services.  And working with the team at New Target was a pleasure – they provided guidance and kept the project moving along smoothly. ” – Jon Rhodes, President/CEO, FedFinancial

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Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID)

Challenge

The Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (RID) came to New Target with a unique problem.  As thought leaders harnessing and strengthening the profession of Interpreting with new and innovative ideas for education standards, their web site, association management system and business processes were far behind in innovation.  They were relying on outdated design, legacy systems and redundant manual processes to meet the demands of their growing member base.

Solution

New Target worked closely with RID to build an Association Management System customized to meet their business needs and redesigned their web site to improve the quality of services for their members.  Through in-depth strategic planning, extensive requirements gathering, business process consulting and competitive research, New Target helped RID reengineer and translate their business processes from offline and cumbersome workflows to an efficient and robust online Association Management System. 

The end result of this new online Association Management System and web site redesign has enabled RID to plan ahead and steer the vision of their organization to meet the current and future needs of their members. 

Key innovative features that this project included:

• Proven Software Development Lifecycle Methodology based on Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI)
• A Membership Management component to help RID staff manage their large member database
• An Ethics Management component to allow RID staff to manage their standards on the Code of Professional Conduct
• A robust Certification & Testing component that allows members and RID staff to track all aspects of Certification and Professional Development
• Management reporting providing both RID staff and key stakeholders with in-depth information for laying the roadmap for long term strategic planning
  

New e-commerce functionality was created for RID:

• Allow for multiple purchases (events, publications) in one transaction
• Provide instantaneous error messaging to purchaser (for example, the reason a credit card is declined)
• Allow for capability to export purchases made on website to be imported into RID's external database application.  Interact directly with RID's AMS solution.
• Display member or non-member pricing based on member login

 Benefits

By working with New Target, RID was able to follow a proven methodology that ensured an extensible solution that met both current and future needs.

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Kogod School of Business

Challenge

The Kogod School of Business at American University is a nationally-ranked business school that focuses on business and technology in today’s global environment.

As a client since 2002, Kogod presented a unique opportunity: how to surpass the success of two groundbreaking web site initiatives/revisions — both of which had received coverage in the national business and academic media.  The importance of the challenge could not be overstated.  As a business school, Kogod is facing ever-increasing levels and sophistication of competition for graduate students from a shrinking pool of prospects.

Solution

The answer demonstrates a hallmark of the New Target approach: looking past today’s solutions to tomorrow’s innovations.  Rather than focusing on improving an already-outstanding and still state-of-the-art web site, the solution lay in exploring new ways to bring together potential students with the content and messages of the web site.

To that end, New Target teamed with the Kogod marketing team to develop another business education first: the use of RSS technology to “stream” content to prospective students (as well as all other Kogod audiences) for viewing on desktops, wireless laptops and BlackBerry mobile devices. Working with T-Mobile and RIM/BlackBerry, New Target developed custom RSS newsreaders for both computers as well as the BlackBerry 7100t.  To gain both media coverage and market awareness, the decision was made to promote the RSS breakthrough by providing free 7100t devices to each admitted grad student.  Adding another “first” to that innovation, New Target then co-sponsored an academic conference on the future of RSS featuring presenters from media giants such as the New York Times and BusinessWeek.

Outcomes?  Applications for the Fall 2005 graduate programs far exceeded expectations and when classes began, Kogod could take pride in beating the national trend of smaller MBA enrollments.

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PortaJobs

Challenge 

PortaJobs.com is a niche employment site specializing in telework (remote working).  While the original PortaJobs web site attracted a robust number of telework job seekers, the site needed a fresh and dynamic look, as well as additional revenue streams.  The goal of the redesign was not just to make the site appealing for teleworkers and potential employers, but also to help expand the site into an information resource that technology vendors would be interested in sponsoring.

Solution

Having carefully reviewed PortaJobs' business and marketing plan, New Target developed recommendations for widening the scope of the site from telework news and employment opportunities to information resources and product reviews for visitors who are looking to increase their mobile productivity.  New Target collaborated with PortaJobs to develop an information architecture plan and visual design that are compelling to not only the traditional target audiences of telework job posters and seekers but also to the two new target audiences, visitors seeking mobile productivity advice and possible technology product sponsors.

The redesigned site easily allows job seekers to find jobs, and employers to find candidates matching their needs from anywhere on the site via the "quick search" while also highlighting PortaJobs' new technology affiliates on the home page.

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MacNair Travel Management

Challenge

MacNair Travel Management has been recognized for establishing the service standard as a travel and logistics consulting firm. The redesign had to ensure the site reflected MacNair’s commitment to quality, service, and “destination excellence.”

Solution

New Target developed two transformational design concepts for MacNair’s new online brand image. Once MacNair chose the concept they felt best embodied “destination excellence,” New Target developed the site for ease of use and fast download.  Within the first month of the new site’s launch, pages viewed by visitors to the site increased by 22.8 percent

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IDODA

Challenge

IDODA came to New Target with a vision — to revolutionize the way people navigate the entire industry of new, used and antique furniture.  Recognizing that the text-driven nature of even the best search sites limits both buyers and sellers to their knowledge of a particular piece, type or style of furniture, IDODA set out to develop an image-based search.

Unlike complex visual matching searches, IDODA’s concept was a more simple and elegant solution.  They envisioned a taxonomy of illustrations serving as the building blocks of any piece of furniture a searcher had in their mind’s eye.  Like letters forming words in the English language, IDODA came to New Target to develop the new, visual language of finding furniture online.

Solution

New Target worked closely with IDODA to help make their vision come to life through in-depth strategic planning, requirements definition, and competitive research of best-of-breed sites focused on search, marketplace, community and furniture.  New Target worked closely with IDODA to help them articulate the specific features the site should have by working through the precise role the new site would play for furniture buyers, sellers and those who provide services to the furniture industry such as shippers, refinishers, etc.  The end result of the planning process was a technical specifications document designed to serve as the blueprint for the ground-breaking new site.

With a clear understanding of the role the site would play not just for IDODA’s business, but for their target audience and the online market as a whole, our development team set out to develop the innovative features that would differentiate the site in the market including:

• A robust visual search mechanism, the IDODA Chooser ^TM, that lets buyers select where they would like to search geographically, what kind of furniture they are looking for (bed, chair, sofa, etc.) and matching illustrations for each core attributes (back, leg, arm, seat, etc.).
• A zip code-driven search that allows both buyers and sellers to locate service providers.
• Management reporting allowing both sellers and service providers to see how many times their furniture or advertising listings were returned within IDODA’s search results.
• A Wish List system for buyers to be notified when an item matching their wish-listed search is added to the site.
• A ‘favorite searches’ system for buyers to store and re-run their searches to see new items matching their search when they return to the site.
• A content management system allowing IDODA to fully manage the site’s text content as well as the illustrations.

With the site’s core functionality in development, New Target’s design team was faced with the challenge of creating an interface that would convey ease of use.  New Target and IDODA quickly realized that a streamlined design simply framing the true stars of the site — the hundreds of furniture illustrations — would provide the best user experience.

Today, the live site, http://www.idoda.com/, presents the culmination of a groundbreaking new idea and a comprehensive planning, design, development, testing and deployment lifecycle.  With almost 1,000 furniture listings and hundreds of service providers in its first two months online, a featured write-up in USA Today and numerous industry publications, the site, already a media favorite, is poised to achieve IDODA’s goal of truly revolutionizing the online furniture industry.                                                                                   

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