Barcode issuer GS1 UK boosts engagement with user-friendly membership portal

UX design
Website build & upgrade
CMS websites
eCommerce websites

Client overview

GS1 UK is the not-for-profit, international organisation behind the barcode and develops and maintains global standards that support identification, data capture and data sharing across supply chains and marketplaces.

These standards create a common language for over 2 million companies worldwide, including the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s. From making it easier for customers to find the product they need, to getting that product to its destination at the right time – the work of GS1 UK and its members builds trust, traceability and visibility into the supply chain and the marketplace.

GS1 UK (one of 120 local member organisations) selected CTI Digital to design and build a new membership portal (My GS1). This Drupal-based solution reduced complexity, offered greater control over content and improved the user experience for GS1 UK members.

The challenge

GS1 UK’s membership offering provides a range of benefits that go beyond generating and managing barcodes. However, the previous membership portal wasn’t proving efficient in encouraging members to maximise the value of their subscription, and to make the most of the tools, guidance, community support, expertise and training on offer.

Various third-party tools were being used as part of the portal’s complex user management, transactions and registration processes. This made for a user experience that wasn’t easy to manage or ‘sticky’ enough to encourage browsing and repeat visits.

Consequently, GS1 UK wanted to address the design and usability of their member portal. The goal was to have a positive impact on customer success, particularly for the small and medium sized enterprises that GS1 UK wants to continue to engage with after they have generated barcodes or Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs).

The approach

GS1 UK and CTI Digital set out to create a smooth customer journey – one that made it easy to sign up, activate a membership, create barcodes and GTINs and then engage with guidance and insight within the portal. The project hinged on the following activities.

  • Discovery phase

    Workshops with a sample of GS1 UK members, including retailers and FMCG businesses, helped shape the project and its goals. This process helped us understand what needed to be changed and gave stakeholders the chance to feedback on early proofs of concept.

  • UX and UI design

    A new look and feel was designed for both the membership portal interface and the integrated payment portal. Design sprints with wireframes ensured that GS1 UK always had a clear idea of the design direction. User testing proved invaluable in guiding stakeholder decisions and keeping the work focused.

  • Bespoke Drupal-based build

    A new Drupal CMS brought flexibility and functionality to the portal interface and the account registration process, integrating with GS1 UK’s existing NetSuite and HubSpot platforms, and with single sign-on across the payment portal and GS1 UK’s My Numberbank. Branding was standardised across all digital properties.

  • Content flexibility and personalisation

    The designs for the My GS1 portal included feed-driven news, events and guides, imported from GS1 UK’s publishing activity. Content personalisation was achieved through dynamically serving members with resources relevant to their industry sector.

  • Multi-agency collaboration

    We worked effectively with GS1 UK’s existing agency, which implemented CTI’s payment portal designs and built the APIs used in the new CTI-built Drupal CMS. A smooth line of communication with another agency responsible for My Numberbank ensured that each part of this complex build was created with transparency and a positive outcome.

  • Project oversight

    The entire project was overseen by an independent body, which carried out project assurance interviews to ensure that design, build and implementation were scrutinised and on track.

“CTI Digital and GS1 UK have put in a great deal of work to create this foundation for growth. We now have a membership portal that will pro-actively help our members thrive.”

— Mark Gillott, Standards and solutions director at GS1 UK

The results

Investment in the My GS1 portal has benefited GS1 UK and their members, helping them to stay ahead of their competition.

  • Improved user engagement

    A more interactive and engaging portal experience for members is a win-win for GS1 UK and the businesses that rely on them. Members are less likely to churn, and better able to access advice and information. In turn, GS1 UK strengthens its position in the membership community.

  • Cohesive brand identity

    The new Drupal CMS platform reinforces the GS1 UK brand identity, both through consistent UI design across the customer journey and by ensuring members access more of the organisation’s content.

  • Easier centralised management for all

    Members can better manage their barcodes and GTINs. GS1 UK can better manage its member subscriptions, data, purchasing and browsing.

  • Future-proofed foundations

    The bespoke Drupal solution has streamlined website development processes and allows GS1 UK to adapt and scale as they continue to serve their 60,000 members.