The pioneering Ampelius Trading web portal provides a marketplace for the global energy industry, allowing services and parts to be traded in an easier and more competitive way.
As no similar marketplace existed for the energy sector, I worked closely with the client, initially to identify what users would require of the site, and secondly to prototype various approaches to the marketplace, negotiations and contracting processes for the website.
The first step was to develop an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) with core features that we could present to early adopters. Through an iterative process over a period of months, the website functionality and workflow were tested and refined continuously.
Once the functionality of the site was finalised, we created wireframes and designs for the front end user interface for the Marketplace, which quickly became the focal point of the site offering an “at a glance” dashboard view into the the latest offers and deals being made across the brokerage platform.
With the aim being to significantly increase the number of items available on the platform, we then developed a database architecture to allow the categorisation, searching and filtering of parts and services from the Marketplace in a range of ways.
Further, for web admins, the products can be managed by a custom management system built into the content management system (CMS). This gives Ampelius the control to manage the platform, from the marketplace to page content.
Ampelius Trading Ltd is now showcasing this new trading platform to the energy sector across the world at global energy conventions. Regular user sessions are held with a number of large energy businesses. I have worked closely with Ampelius on the results of these sessions and have advised on iterative improvements based around feedback sessions with users to improve the platform.
This iterative development based on real feedback from users maintains a cost effective investment with clear benefits to the users on the platform from the projects. These have included the development of a bulk import system, front end UX enhancements and continuous optimisation of the platform as the number of products and orders increase.
