A comprehensive UX case study on designing a dynamic self-rostering ERP platform that balances employee flexibility with organizational staffing needs.
Kairos is a comprehensive ERP platform designed specifically for the Danish healthcare sector, addressing the critical challenge of balancing employee work-life balance with organizational staffing requirements.
The platform enables healthcare staff to schedule their own shifts according to availability while providing administrators and planners with tools to efficiently manage staffing gaps and ensure optimal coverage.
Ongoing since 2017
Lead Product Designer
Web, iOS, Android
Healthcare ERP
Kairos Platform Interface
Dynamic shift scheduling dashboard showing staff allocation and coverage
Balancing flexibility with operational efficiency in healthcare staffing
In dynamic self-rostering systems, employees have the freedom to schedule their own shifts. While this promotes work-life balance, it creates a critical challenge: ensuring that scheduled shifts align with daily operational demands.
The primary issue manifests as a constant tension between overstaffing (unnecessary labor costs) and understaffing (compromised patient care).
Situation: A healthcare unit requires 5 employees on a given day, but only 3 have scheduled their shifts.
Impact: This creates an understaffing scenario where the Planner must take immediate action to fulfill staffing requirements without compromising care quality.
Of company revenue generated from mobile app
User retention rate through mobile platform
Android users vs 23% iOS in mobile user base
Understanding the Danish healthcare landscape and its unique challenges
Denmark's healthcare system is renowned for its universal coverage and high-quality care, but it faces significant staffing challenges. The system relies heavily on skilled healthcare professionals who often work in demanding environments with complex scheduling requirements.
Danish labor laws emphasize work-life balance, with regulations protecting employees' rights to reasonable working hours and flexibility. This creates a unique context where healthcare organizations must balance operational needs with employee wellbeing.
Before Kairos, healthcare facilities in Denmark relied on fragmented systems for staff scheduling. Many used paper-based systems, basic spreadsheets, or generic scheduling software not designed for healthcare's unique requirements.
These challenges resulted in administrative burden, staff dissatisfaction, and potential compromises in patient care quality due to suboptimal staffing arrangements.
The Kairos project began with the recognition that existing scheduling solutions failed to address the specific needs of Danish healthcare organizations. Traditional systems either provided too much flexibility (leading to staffing gaps) or too little (causing staff dissatisfaction).
Through preliminary discussions with healthcare administrators, we identified the need for a system that could balance organizational control with employee autonomy.
The vision for Kairos was to create a platform that would transform healthcare staffing from a source of administrative burden and conflict into a strategic advantage for healthcare organizations.
We aimed to develop a system that would improve both operational efficiency and staff satisfaction simultaneously, recognizing that these goals are complementary rather than contradictory.
Understanding Danish work culture and healthcare staffing challenges
We conducted comprehensive qualitative and quantitative research to understand the unique needs of Danish healthcare workers and administrators.
Danish culture prioritizes holistic well-being, with individuals seeking opportunities to perfect their personal and professional lives.
Employees appreciate the ability to curate schedules around personal commitments, with incentives for holiday/weekend shifts boosting motivation.
The platform serves users across age groups (17-60), requiring an interface that accommodates varying technical proficiency levels.
Our qualitative research involved in-depth interviews with 32 healthcare professionals across different roles and facilities. We used a semi-structured interview approach to explore both predefined topics and emergent themes.
Our quantitative research included structured surveys distributed through professional networks and healthcare organizations. We received 72 complete responses from healthcare professionals across Denmark.
Our research revealed distinct communication patterns between different user groups. Planners preferred formal channels like email for record-keeping, while staff members favored instant messaging for quick updates.
"I need to keep records of all schedule changes for compliance, but my staff just want to send a quick text when they need time off."
- Hospital Unit Manager
We identified significant variation in technology comfort levels across age groups. While younger staff embraced mobile solutions, older employees expressed concerns about complexity and privacy.
"I'm not against technology, but I need it to be simple and reliable. I don't want to struggle with complicated apps after a long shift."
- Senior Nurse
Across all user groups, perceptions of fairness emerged as a critical factor in system acceptance. Staff needed to believe that scheduling rules were applied consistently and transparently, while administrators needed tools to enforce policies without appearing arbitrary or biased.
We analyzed 4 major workforce management platforms to identify gaps and opportunities.
| Platform | UI Clarity | Self-Rostering | Healthcare Focus | Mobile Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TANDA | ||||
| QUINYX | ||||
| KRONOS | ||||
| Time Care | ||||
| Kairos |
Understanding the diverse needs across the organizational hierarchy
Country Admin • 55 • Copenhagen
Sets master configurations and rules for the entire platform based on industry regulations.
Unit Manager • 35 • Copenhagen
Manages unit-specific configurations and aligns with organizational goals.
Planner • 28 • Copenhagen
Resolves daily staffing challenges and ensures no over/under staffing.
Comfortable with enterprise software but prefers structured workflows. Values system stability and comprehensive reporting capabilities.
Moderately tech-savvy with preference for intuitive interfaces. Uses both desktop and mobile devices depending on context.
Digital native comfortable with mobile-first solutions. Values speed and efficiency in daily tasks.
Mapping David's experience from discovering staffing gaps to resolving them efficiently
Checks staffing levels across units
Spots understaffing situations
Reviews available staff and skills
Assigns staff to fill gaps
Verifies staffing is optimized
Structuring complex organizational hierarchy and permissions
Master Rules
Org. Settings
Unit Config
Staff Scheduling
Services, Organization Mapping, Default Data Settings
Management, Integrations, Access Groups, Unit Settings
Period Management, Open Shift Rules, Activity Configurations
Personal Data, Workplace, Skills, Time Balance
Individual View, Daily/Weekly/Monthly Views, Timesheet
GDPR, General System Configurations
The information architecture follows the natural hierarchy of healthcare organizations in Denmark, mirroring the actual reporting and management structures. This approach reduces cognitive load by presenting information in a familiar organizational context.
The Country → Organization → Units → Staff progression reflects how responsibilities and permissions are typically distributed in Danish healthcare facilities, ensuring that users can easily locate the features and data relevant to their specific roles.
The IA design incorporates sophisticated permission management that aligns with organizational roles. Country Admins have system-wide access, Organization Managers control their specific facilities, and Unit Managers focus on their departments.
This permission structure ensures data security while providing each user group with appropriate access to the tools and information they need to perform their responsibilities effectively.
Complex configuration options are hidden by default and revealed only when needed, reducing initial complexity for new users.
Navigation options change based on user role and current context, ensuring users only see relevant actions and information.
We used healthcare industry-standard terms throughout the interface to facilitate quick understanding and adoption.
The IA was designed with mobile usage in mind, prioritizing frequently accessed features and minimizing navigation depth.
Our human-centered approach followed a structured design thinking framework
User interviews, research, competitive analysis
Personas, empathy maps, journey mapping
User flows, card sorting, information architecture
Wireframing, prototyping, visual design
Usability testing, implementing feedback
Creating an intuitive interface for complex scheduling operations
Prioritized clean, understandable interfaces over feature-rich complexity to reduce cognitive load for users across all age groups.
Implemented layered information architecture that reveals complexity only when needed, keeping the primary interface simple.
Used color, spacing, and typography to guide attention to critical information like staffing gaps and urgent actions.
The interface was designed with a mobile-first approach, recognizing that 56% of company revenue comes from mobile users. The design focuses on:
Color-coded staffing levels for quick status assessment
Drag-and-drop functionality for easy shift management
Clear visual indicators for critical understaffing situations
Automated skill-matching for efficient gap filling
Mobile Interface Design
Responsive design optimized for healthcare staff on the go
Primary Blue
#2196F3
Success Green
#4CAF50
Warning Amber
#FF9800
Error Red
#F44336
Inter Bold
Headings & Important Labels
Inter Medium
Subheadings & Navigation
Inter Regular
Body Text & Descriptions
Ensuring usability across diverse user groups and scenarios
We conducted comprehensive usability testing with participants representing all user personas to validate design decisions and identify areas for improvement.
92% of participants successfully completed core tasks without assistance, exceeding our 85% target.
Planners resolved staffing gaps 40% faster compared to previous systems, from an average of 15 to 9 minutes.
Users reported high satisfaction with the intuitive interface and reduced cognitive load during complex scheduling tasks.
Task Success Rate
SUS Score
Satisfaction Rating
Faster Resolution
Measuring success through key performance indicators and business outcomes
Of total company revenue generated through mobile platform
Of users returning through mobile app platform
Android users vs 23% iOS in mobile user base
Staff reported significantly improved ability to manage personal commitments while maintaining work responsibilities through self-rostering capabilities.
Planners resolved staffing gaps 40% faster, reducing stress and improving overall healthcare service delivery.
Automated processes and intuitive interfaces reduced time spent on administrative tasks by approximately 30%.
Citizens Served
Happy Staff Members
Revenue from Mobile
Reflecting on the design journey and key insights gained
Kairos successfully transformed static healthcare work culture into a dynamic, flexible system that balances employee needs with organizational requirements. The platform demonstrates that thoughtful UX design can solve complex operational challenges while enhancing user satisfaction.
By prioritizing clarity, simplicity, and mobile-first design, we created a system that serves diverse user groups across the organizational hierarchy while driving significant business value.
Complex enterprise systems benefit immensely from simplified, intuitive interfaces that reduce cognitive load.
Mobile-first design is crucial for platforms used by healthcare workers who are constantly on the move.
Understanding and designing for diverse user personas across organizational hierarchy is essential for adoption.
Work-life balance is a powerful motivator that can drive technology adoption when properly supported by design.
Future enhancements will focus on advanced AI-powered scheduling optimization, expanded integration capabilities with healthcare systems, and enhanced analytics for predictive staffing.