Introduction: North West Natural Gas, a prominent energy provider committed to delivering reliable service to its customers, embarked on a comprehensive digital transformation initiative to enhance customer experience and streamline operations. Over a 17-month engagement, our team, led by Drew, collaborated closely with North West Natural Gas to revamp its suite of websites, catering to both sales and bill-pay functionalities. The project involved developing the customer-facing sales side using React and the bill-pay side using Angular, alongside the creation of internal tools to improve operational efficiency.

Project Overview: North West Natural Gas recognized the importance of modernizing its online platforms to better serve its customers' needs and improve internal processes. The project encompassed redesigning and rebuilding both the sales and bill-pay sides of their websites, incorporating cutting-edge technologies to provide an intuitive user experience and enhance functionality. Additionally, the development of internal tools aimed to streamline various operational tasks, ensuring long-term efficiency gains for the organization.

Challenges:

1. Legacy Systems: Outdated technology and disparate systems posed challenges in integrating new functionalities and maintaining consistency across platforms.
2. Complex Functionalities: Implementing robust sales and bill-pay functionalities required meticulous planning and coordination to ensure seamless user experiences.
3. Operational Efficiency: Developing internal tools to streamline operations necessitated understanding and addressing specific pain points within the organization's workflows.

Solution:

1. Technology Stack: Leveraging React for the sales side and Angular for the bill-pay side enabled us to harness the strengths of each framework to deliver optimal user experiences tailored to the respective functionalities.
2. Component Library with Atomic Methodology: Establishing a comprehensive component library following an atomic methodology facilitated rapid development and ensured consistency across both sides of the website, enhancing maintainability and scalability.
3. Collaboration and Coordination: As the lead architect,  Drew spearheaded coordination efforts with staff developers, fostering collaboration and ensuring alignment with project objectives throughout the development process.

Implementation:

1. Sales Side Development (React): The sales side of the website was built using React, incorporating features such as product listings, account management, and customer support functionalities to enhance the overall customer experience.
2. Bill-Pay Side Development (Angular): Angular was utilized for the bill-pay side, enabling the implementation of secure payment processing, billing history access, and account management functionalities to streamline bill payment processes for customers.
3. Internal Tools Development: In addition to customer-facing websites, several internal tools were developed to streamline various operational processes, such as inventory management, customer service ticketing systems, and analytics dashboards, contributing to improved organizational efficiency and decision-making.
4. Focus group testing: I led a series of focus groups with accessibility experts who navigated the website in different ways than we planned for (screen reader, keyboard only, high-contrast) to accommodate these cases.

Results:

1. Enhanced Customer Experience: The revamped websites offer intuitive navigation, seamless functionality, and responsive design, enhancing the overall customer experience and satisfaction.
2. Operational Efficiency: The development of internal tools has resulted in significant efficiency gains, streamlining various operational processes and improving resource allocation within the organization.
3. Long-Term Value: The digital transformation initiative has positioned North West Natural Gas for long-term success, equipping them with modernized platforms and internal tools that continue to drive value and support business objectives.

Conclusion: The collaboration between North West Natural Gas and our development team has yielded a successful digital transformation, culminating in the development of modernized customer-facing websites and internal tools that enhance both customer experience and operational efficiency. By leveraging React and Angular for the sales and bill-pay sides respectively, alongside a component library built with an atomic methodology, we have delivered robust and scalable solutions that position North West Natural Gas for sustained success in the evolving digital landscape.