Expanding Manufacturers' Capacity for Specialized Work
the Objective
Improve how manufacturers on Xometry showcase their specialized capabilities, enabling them to take on a broader range and higher volume of work. Additionally, enhance the ability of Xometry staff to search for and outsource jobs to manufacturers with the right expertise, ensuring more efficient job distribution and higher-quality matches.
Deliverables
Research findings on manufacturers’ challenges in securing specialized work.
Defined feature requirements and success metrics.
Competitive analysis of similar marketplace capabilities.
the Ideation
User research and data analysis revealed that manufacturers lacked a structured way to communicate their niche capabilities, leading to missed job opportunities. At the same time, Xometry staff needed better tools to filter and match manufacturers to jobs requiring specialized skills. We explored ways to make skill attribution intuitive for manufacturers while ensuring Xometry staff could efficiently leverage this data to streamline job outsourcing.
Deliverables:
User interviews and surveys to understand pain points.
Conceptual wireframes outlining potential solutions.
Testing of different taxonomy structures for skill categorization.
the Creation
Designed and iterated on a feature that allowed manufacturers to indicate their specialized capabilities directly within their profiles. The interface provided a guided experience for listing niche skills, ensuring clarity and usability. In parallel, we developed enhanced search and filtering tools for Xometry staff, allowing them to quickly identify manufacturers with the right expertise for specific jobs. Usability testing helped refine both manufacturer- and staff-facing functionalities, ensuring a seamless experience.
Deliverables:
High-fidelity designs and interactive prototypes for manufacturers and Xometry staff.
Usability testing reports leading to refinements.
Collaboration with engineering to implement structured tagging and search functionality.
the outcomes
The new feature led to increased job matches for manufacturers with specialized skills, boosting platform engagement and work volume. Xometry staff also reported greater efficiency in outsourcing jobs, reducing the time spent searching for qualified manufacturers and improving overall job fulfillment rates.
Deliverables:
25% increase in specialized job opportunities for manufacturers.
30% reduction in time spent by Xometry staff searching for qualified manufacturers.
Higher platform engagement, with more manufacturers actively updating their capabilities.
