ALERTON COMPASS

A Legacy in Friction

I worked on a high-stakes project for Alerton, a Honeywell brand with a 40-year legacy. We were looking at their flagship product, Compass, which is used in over 15,000 sites globally. Despite its success, it had a 'skeletons in the closet' problem: the installation process was a nightmare for our 120+ dealers.

15K

Installed Sites

120+

Dealers & Partners

40+

Years of Experience

~$55M

Revenue (2024)

Project Overview

The updated installation and upgrade experience offers a streamlined process aimed at greatly simplifying the deployment of the Compass application and its related tools. This approach is designed to save time and reduce complexity making it easier for users to get started.

Problem Statement

During dealer meetings, we identified ongoing issues related to installation practices. These challenges indicate potential absence of standardized protocols or support materials, which could adversely affect user experience and satisfaction.

Project Goals

User problems

Installation takes 4-6 hours, causing delays on-site.
Too many manual steps (~100 clicks) leading to frequent errors.
Missing prerequisites and misconfigured Windows settings cause installation failures.
Need to uninstall previous versions before upgrading.
Windows updates disrupt both installation and upgrades.
Large ISO size (~3.5 GB) makes downloads slow.
Outdated UI and confusing IA mix installation and configuration steps.
No centralized place to view or manage tools.
Lack of timely notifications for updates or issues.

Personas

Understanding the Problem

Before redesigning, we analyzed TAC reports, dealer feedback, and the existing workflow to understand why installations were slow and error‑prone.

The core issues became clear: too many manual steps, dependency failures, mixed installation‑configuration flows, and an outdated UI. These insights highlighted the need for a simpler, guided, and more reliable installation experience.

Possible Solutions

Based on the all the information collected through research and findings, I figured that an application will require following functionality to promote a healthy lifestyle

Reduces download time, supports low‑bandwidth environments, and replaces the bulky 3.5 GB ISO.

Add Automated Prerequisite & System Checks

Create a Simplified, Non‑Disruptive Upgrade Path

A unified place to install, upgrade, repair, or uninstall Compass and associated tools, eliminating the need to navigate multiple locations.

Reduces cognitive load with guided steps, removing nearly 100 manual interactions from the current process.

Decouple Installation and Configuration Processes

Modernize the UI with Accessibility‑Focused Design

Primary Research

To deeply understand the challenges faced by site engineers during installation, we conducted Q/A sessions, dealership VOCs, and multiple calls with users arranged by the Offering Manager.

During this research phase, I focused on understanding:

How site engineers currently perform installation and upgrades at customer sites
The common points where installation fails or gets delayed
Impact of Windows updates, missing prerequisites, and misconfigurations
How much time and effort the current process demands (4–6 hours)
What creates hesitation or fear around upgrading existing deployments

Secondary Research

To identify the best possible solution direction, I reviewed industry practices for enterprise software deployment, upgrade workflows, and Windows‑based installer patterns

From this analysis, I identified key principles that guided the redesign:

Automate prerequisites to reduce dependency errors
Minimize manual steps (<30 clicks) to reduce cognitive load and mistakes
Decouple installation and configuration to avoid workflow confusion
Enable seamless upgrades without uninstalling prior versions
Provide centralized visibility through an integrated Solution Center
Introduce resilient mechanisms to avoid disruption from system updates

Wireframes

Information Architecture

To get innovative solutions into the hands of your users, I needed to concentrate on idea generation. Based on my understanding of the problem, I brainstormed the Information architecture and user flow to ensure smooth experience for the users.

User Flow

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ALERTON COMPASS

A Legacy in Friction

15K

Installed Sites

120+

120+

Dealers & Partners

40+

Years of Experience

~$55M

Revenue (2024)

Project Overview

The updated installation and upgrade experience offers a streamlined process aimed at greatly simplifying the deployment of the Compass application and its related tools. This approach is designed to save time and reduce complexity making it easier for users to get started.

Problem Statement

During dealer meetings, we identified ongoing issues related to installation practices. These challenges indicate potential absence of standardized protocols or support materials, which could adversely affect user experience and satisfaction.

Project Goals

User problems

Installation takes 4-6 hours, causing delays on-site.

Too many manual steps (~100 clicks) leading to frequent errors.

Missing prerequisites and misconfigured Windows settings cause installation failures.

Need to uninstall previous versions before upgrading.

Windows updates disrupt both installation and upgrades.

Large ISO size (~3.5 GB) makes downloads slow.

Outdated UI and confusing IA mix installation and configuration steps.

No centralized place to view or manage tools.

Lack of timely notifications for updates or issues.

Personas

Understanding the Problem

Possible Solutions

Based on the all the information collected through research and findings, I figured that an application will require following functionality to promote a healthy lifestyle

Reduces download time, supports low‑bandwidth environments, and replaces the bulky 3.5 GB ISO.

Add Automated Prerequisite & System Checks

Create a Simplified, Non‑Disruptive Upgrade Path

A unified place to install, upgrade, repair, or uninstall Compass and associated tools, eliminating the need to navigate multiple locations.

Reduces cognitive load with guided steps, removing nearly 100 manual interactions from the current process.

Decouple Installation and Configuration Processes

Modernize the UI with Accessibility‑Focused Design

Primary Research

To deeply understand the challenges faced by site engineers during installation, we conducted Q/A sessions, dealership VOCs, and multiple calls with users arranged by the Offering Manager.

During this research phase, I focused on understanding:

How site engineers currently perform installation and upgrades at customer sites

The common points where installation fails or gets delayed

Impact of Windows updates, missing prerequisites, and misconfigurations

How much time and effort the current process demands (4–6 hours)

What creates hesitation or fear around upgrading existing deployments

Secondary Research

To identify the best possible solution direction, I reviewed industry practices for enterprise software deployment, upgrade workflows, and Windows‑based installer patterns

From this analysis, I identified key principles that guided the redesign:

Automate prerequisites to reduce dependency errors

Minimize manual steps (<30 clicks) to reduce cognitive load and mistakes

Decouple installation and configuration to avoid workflow confusion

Enable seamless upgrades without uninstalling prior versions

Provide centralized visibility through an integrated Solution Center

Introduce resilient mechanisms to avoid disruption from system updates

Wireframes

Information Architecture

Based on the all the information collected through research and findings, I figured that an application will require following functionality to promote a healthy lifestyle

User Flow

Light Mode Visual Designs

Dark Mode Visual Designs