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Industrial Training Platform - From Wireframes to Complete System industrial-learning-platform Solution Design for microlearning platform in industrial gas company. Identification of critical unmapped requirements (admin, registrations, exports) before client presentation, avoiding rework and ensuring real usability. Industrial Gas Company Industrial & Manufacturing 4 months Solution Architect & Tech Lead
Solution Design
EdTech
Learning Platform
Requirements Analysis
Tech Lead
User Stories
.NET
Product Design
true 5 2024-06-01 Industrial Training Platform - Solution Design Case study of Solution Design for microlearning platform, identifying critical requirements before client presentation and leading development to production. solution design, learning platform, microlearning, requirements analysis, tech lead, industrial training

Overview

Industrial gas company requests platform to train employees using microlearning methodology (short and objective content).

Initial requirement: "We just want the structure - track, microlearning, test question and score."

Problem: Incomplete specification that would result in a system impossible to use (no way to register content, no administrators, no export of results).

Solution: Critical requirements analysis before client presentation, identifying functional gaps and proposing complete solution.

Challenge

Beautiful Wireframes, Incomplete Functionality

Initial situation:

UX created beautiful wireframes showing:

  • Learning tracks
  • Microlearnings (video/text + image)
  • Test questions (multiple choice)
  • Score per employee

Identified problem:

Nobody (client, UX, commercial) thought about:

How does content enter the system?

  • Who registers tracks?
  • Who creates microlearnings?
  • Who writes questions?
  • Manual interface or import?

Who manages the system?

  • Is there admin concept?
  • Can HR create admins?
  • Can area manager see only their team?

How does data leave the system?

  • HR needs reports
  • Compliance needs evidence
  • How to export data?
  • Format: Excel? PDF? API?

Real risk:

If we developed exactly what was requested:

  • System would work technically
  • But would be completely unusable
  • Client would have to pay for rework to include basic CRUD
  • Rework + additional cost + frustration

Solution Design Process

Step 1: Critical Analysis (Before Presentation)

Action taken: Called meeting with UX before presenting to client.

Points raised:

"How does the first content enter the system?"

  • UX: "Ah... we didn't think about that. Will you populate the database?"
  • Me: "And when client wants to add new track? Will we modify production database?"

"Who is the system owner?"

  • UX: "HR, I imagine."
  • Me: "Just one person? What if they leave the company? How do they delegate?"

"Did HR ask for reports?"

  • UX: "It wasn't mentioned in the briefing."
  • Me: "HR always needs reports. It's for compliance (NR, ISO)."

Step 2: Identified Functional Requirements

I proposed 4 additional essential modules:

1. Administration System

Features:

  • Standard user: Only takes training
  • Admin user: Manages content + sees reports
  • Admin can promote other users to admin
  • Access control (general admin vs area admin)

Why it's critical: System is static without this (content never updates).

2. Content CRUD

a) Track Registration:

  • Track name
  • Description
  • Microlearning order
  • Active/inactive track (allows unpublishing)

b) Microlearning Registration:

  • Title
  • Type: Simple text (2 paragraphs) OR Video
  • Image upload (if text)
  • Video URL (if video)
  • Order within track

c) Question Registration:

  • Question (text)
  • 3 answer options:
    • "Great" (green)
    • "So-so" (yellow)
    • "Poor" (red)
  • Points per answer (e.g., 10, 5, 0 points)
  • Custom feedback per answer

Why it's critical: Client needs to update content without calling dev/DBA.

3. Data Export

Features:

  • Export to Excel (.xlsx)
  • Filters:
    • By period (start/end date)
    • By track
    • By employee
    • By area/department
  • Exported columns:
    • Employee name
    • ID number
    • Completed track
    • Total score
    • Completion date
    • Individual answers (for audit)

Why it's critical: HR needs to evidence training for:

  • Regulatory Norms (NR-13, NR-20 - flammable gases)
  • ISO audits
  • Labor lawsuits

4. User Management

Features:

  • Import employees (CSV/Excel upload)
  • Manual registration
  • Activate/deactivate users
  • Assign mandatory tracks by area
  • Pending notifications

Why it's critical: Company has 500+ employees, manual registration is unfeasible.

Step 3: Client Presentation

Approach:

  1. Showed UX wireframes (beautiful interface)
  2. Asked: "How will you register the first track?"
  3. Client: "Ah... good question. We hadn't thought about that."
  4. Presented the 4 additional modules
  5. Client: "Makes total sense! Without this we can't use it."

Result:

  • Proposal approved with additional modules
  • Adjusted scope (timeline + budget)
  • Zero future rework
  • Client recognized added value

Implementation

My Role in the Project

1. Solution Architect

  • Identification of non-functional requirements
  • Architecture design (modules, integrations)
  • Technology definition

2. Tech Lead

  • Technical team leadership (3 devs)
  • Code review
  • Code standards definition
  • Technical risk management

3. Technical Product Owner

  • Creation of complete user stories
  • Backlog prioritization
  • Continuous refinement with client

Chosen Tech Stack

Backend:

  • .NET 7 - REST APIs
  • Entity Framework Core - ORM
  • SQL Server - Database
  • ClosedXML - Excel generation

Frontend:

  • React - Web interface
  • Material-UI - Components
  • React Player - Video player
  • Chart.js - Progress charts

Infrastructure:

  • Azure App Service - Hosting
  • Azure Blob Storage - Video/image storage
  • Azure SQL Database - Managed database

Created User Stories

I wrote 32 user stories covering all flows. Examples:

US-01: Register Track (Admin)

As system administrator
I want to register a new training track
So that employees can take the courses

Acceptance criteria:
- Admin accesses "Tracks" menu → "New Track"
- Fills in: Name, Description, Status (Active/Inactive)
- Can add existing microlearnings to track
- Defines microlearning order (drag & drop)
- System validates mandatory fields
- Saves and displays success message

US-15: Complete Microlearning (Employee)

As employee
I want to complete a microlearning from my track
To learn about the topic and earn points

Acceptance criteria:
- Employee accesses assigned track
- Sees list of microlearnings (uncompleted first)
- Clicks microlearning → opens screen with:
  - Text (2 paragraphs) + Image OR
  - Embedded video player
- "Continue" button appears after:
  - 30s (if text)
  - End of video (if video)
- Marks microlearning as seen
- Test question appears automatically

US-22: Export Results (Admin)

As administrator
I want to export training results to Excel
To generate compliance and audit reports

Acceptance criteria:
- Admin accesses "Reports" → "Export"
- Selects filters (period, track, area)
- Clicks "Generate Excel"
- System processes and downloads .xlsx file
- Excel contains columns: Name, ID, Track, Points, Date, Answers
- Readable format (bold headers, auto-adjusted columns)

Key Features Implemented

1. Gamified Scoring System

Mechanics:

  • Each question worth points (configurable)
  • "Great" answer: 10 points
  • "So-so" answer: 5 points
  • "Poor" answer: 0 points

Employee dashboard:

  • Total score
  • Ranking (optional, configurable)
  • Badges for completed tracks
  • Visual progress (% bar)

Why it works: Factory floor employees engage more with gamification elements.

2. Adaptive Microlearning

Content types:

Text + Image:

  • 2 paragraphs (max 300 words)
  • 1 illustrative image
  • Ideal for: Procedures, norms, concepts

Video:

  • Short videos (2-5 min)
  • Embedded player (YouTube/Vimeo or upload)
  • Ideal for: Demonstrations, equipment operations

Why microlearning?

  • Employees complete during breaks (10-15min)
  • Short content = higher retention
  • Facilitates updates (vs long courses)

3. Delegated Administration System

Hierarchy:

General Admin (HR)
    ↓ can promote
Area Admin (Managers)
    ↓ can view only
Employees from their area

Permissions:

  • General admin: Creates tracks, promotes admins, sees all data
  • Area admin: Sees only their area reports
  • Employee: Only takes training

Audit:

  • Logs of who created/edited each content
  • History of admin promotions
  • SOX/ISO compliance

4. Export for Compliance

Generated Excel format:

ID Name Area Track Completion Date Points Status
1001 John Silva Production NR-20 Safety 11/15/2024 95/100 Approved
1002 Mary Santos Logistics Gas Handling 11/14/2024 78/100 Approved

Additional sheet: Answer Details

  • Allows audit: "Did employee X answer question Y correctly?"
  • Evidence for labor lawsuits
  • NR-13/NR-20 compliance

Results & Impact

System in Production

Current status: In use for 4+ months

Adoption metrics:

  • 500+ registered employees
  • 12 active tracks
  • 150+ created microlearnings
  • 8,000+ completed training sessions
  • 100+ exported reports (compliance)

Completion rate: 87% (industry average: 45%)

Client Impact

Before:

  • In-person training (high cost, difficult scheduling)
  • Paper evidence (losses, difficult audit)
  • Difficulty updating content

After:

  • Asynchronous training (employee completes when possible)
  • Digital evidence (facilitated compliance)
  • HR updates content without calling IT
  • 70% reduction in training cost

Client feedback:

"If we had implemented only what we initially requested, the system would be useless. The pre-analysis saved the project."

Solution Design Value

ROI of pre-sale analysis:

Scenario A (without analysis):

  1. Develop interface only (2 months)
  2. Client tests and realizes CRUD is missing (1 month later)
  3. Rework to add modules (2+ months)
  4. Total: 5+ months + client frustration

Scenario B (with analysis - what we did):

  1. Identify requirements beforehand (1 week)
  2. Approve complete scope (1 week)
  3. Develop correct solution (4 months)
  4. Total: 4 months + satisfied client

Savings: 1+ month of rework + opportunity cost

Tech Stack

.NET 7 C# Entity Framework Core SQL Server React Material-UI Azure App Service Azure Blob Storage ClosedXML Chart.js User Stories Solution Design Tech Lead

Key Decisions & Trade-offs

Why not use ready-made LMS? (Moodle, Canvas)

Alternatives considered:

  1. Moodle (open-source, free)
  2. Totara/Canvas (corporate LMS)
  3. Custom development

Justification:

  • Generic LMS: Unnecessary complexity (forums, wikis, etc)
  • Client wants only microlearning (simplicity)
  • LMS license cost > custom dev cost
  • Client AD/SSO integration (easier custom)
  • UX optimized for factory floor (mobile-first, touch)

Why 3 answer options (vs 4-5)?

Choice: Green (Great), Yellow (So-so), Red (Poor)

Justification:

  • Factory floor employees prefer simplicity
  • Universal colors (traffic light)
  • Avoids choice paradox (fewer options = more engagement)
  • Clearer gamification

Why Excel Export (vs Online Dashboard)?

Both were implemented, but Excel is critical for:

Regulatory compliance:

  • Auditors ask for "digitally signed file"
  • NR-13/NR-20 require physical evidence
  • Labor lawsuits accept Excel

Flexibility:

  • HR can do custom analyses in Excel
  • Combine with other data sources
  • Presentations for board

Lessons Learned

1. Solution Design Prevents Rework

Lesson: 1 week of critical analysis saves months of rework.

Application:

  • Always question incomplete specifications
  • Think about "the day after" (who manages this in production?)
  • Involve client in requirements discussions

2. UX ≠ Functional Requirements

Lesson: Beautiful wireframes don't replace requirements analysis.

UX focuses on: How user uses the system Solution Design focuses on: How system works end-to-end

Both are necessary and complementary.

3. Asking "How?" is More Important than "What?"

Client says: "I want tracks and microlearnings" Solution Designer asks: "How does the first track enter the system?"

This simple question revealed 4 missing modules.

4. Well-Written User Stories Accelerate Development

Investment: 2 weeks writing 32 detailed user stories

Return:

  • Devs knew exactly what to build
  • Zero ambiguity
  • Very few bugs (clear requirements)
  • Client validated stories before coding

Lesson: Time spent planning reduces development time.

5. Compliance is Hidden Requirement

In regulated industries (health, energy, chemical), there will always be:

  • Audit needs
  • Evidence exports
  • Logs of who did what

Lesson: Ask about compliance before, not after.

Challenges Overcome

Challenge Solution Result
Incomplete specification Pre-sale critical analysis Correct scope from start
Client without technical knowledge User stories in business language Client validated requirements
Employees with low digital literacy Simplified UX (3 buttons, colors) 87% completion rate
NR-13/NR-20 compliance Excel export with details Approved in 2 audits
Managing 500+ users CSV import + admin hierarchy Onboarding in 1 week

Next Steps (Future Roadmap)

Planned features:

  1. Push Notifications

    • Remind employee of pending training
    • Notify of new mandatory track

  2. Native Mobile App

    • Offline-first (downloaded videos)
    • Employees without computer

  3. Digital Certificates

    • Digitally signed PDF
    • QR code for validation

  4. Data Intelligence

    • Which microlearnings have most errors?
    • Identify knowledge gaps by area

Result: Functional system in production, satisfied client, zero rework - all because 1 week was invested in thinking before coding.

Need critical requirements analysis? Get in touch