Introduction
From June 8, 2023, to July 25, 2023, Measurement Canada (MC) conducted one-on-one interviews with authorized service providers (ASPs) to gain a qualitative understanding of user satisfaction with MC's Online Reporting Application (ORA).
ORA plays the critical role of enabling the submission of device inspection results to MC and the issuance of device examination certificates. As the Canadian market continues to evolve in a more digital and data-driven economy, user experience and satisfaction with ORA has become all the more important for MC.
ASPs are organizations recognized by MC to inspect and certify measuring devices and enter data in ORA. ASPs make up 84% of all ORA users and issue over 90% of the device examination certificates. Hearing directly from them provided MC with a perspective on their level of satisfaction with ORA, and will help drive improvements and future changes.
Who we heard from
MC interviewed representatives from 12 ASPs, each unique with respect to their area of operations and organizational size. Each representative acted as the voice of approximately 10 other individual employees.
The interviewees were ASPs who logged in to ORA during the consultation period and responded to a banner promoting the opportunity to meet with MC staff to share their user experience. They had different experience levels and roles (e.g. managers, technicians, quality assurance) as ORA users. As such, while their feedback may not be representative of all ORA users, it does provide useful insight into what aspects of ORA are appreciated by users and what aspects could be improved.
What we heard
During the interviews, the ASP representatives shared their experience with using ORA. The key takeaways from these discussions are outlined below.
The top three positives identified by the ASPs are:
- ORA's usability: 10 out of 12 ASPs agreed that ORA is user-friendly. This underscored the need to ensure continued ease of use across the application.
- New ORA training material: 10 out of 12 ASPs agreed that they enjoyed the new "how to" training videos, and either sent them to new members on their team or felt that the videos would be helpful for new members. The feedback highlighted the usefulness of the new training material and showed that ASPs are seeking new opportunities for ORA user training and learning.
- Clone option in ORA: 4 out of 12 ASPs found the option to copy the examination results of one device to another very useful. This showed that automation of lengthy and repetitive tasks can be beneficial to some users.
The top three challenges identified by the ASPs are:
- ORA's search function: 8 out of 12 ASPs expressed some dissatisfaction with the search function, as it requires multiple searches before they find what they're looking for. This highlighted the need for a more flexible and intuitive search function.
- Accuracy of data within ORA: 6 out of 12 ASPs voiced concerns with the accuracy of data entered in ORA, as they often need to update device or establishment details when completing work orders. They identified a need for more tools to review establishment, device and work order entries before submitting them.
- Lengthy process for creating establishment profiles in ORA: 7 out of 12 ASPs found it laborious when attempting to create a new establishment profile in ORA. This affects data accuracy and maintenance within ORA, illustrating the need for clear, streamlined processes for complex tasks.
Overall, ASPs highlighted specific areas to review for future updates and improvements, the need for efficient processes and for more digital tools to guide accurate data entry and search results.
Conclusion and next steps
MC would like to thank all the ASPs who took the time to share their experience with using ORA. These discussions were insightful and helped us better understand the different needs and challenges experienced by ORA users on a daily basis.
Over the coming year, MC plans to use the insights from this consultation to inform the improvement of the overall user experience in ORA. MC will continue to work closely with stakeholders to gather valuable feedback for future iterations.