eux case study
Q1 2019
STREAMLINING LAUNCHES
DEVELOPING AN INTERNAL WEB APPLICATION
My hope to empower the product integration implementation teams became a department-wide eUX process improvement involving the lean development of an internal web application for cross-functional teams overseeing products launching in Big Box retail stores.
ROLE
eUX Designer,
SME
Now on Sale
PROJECT INSPIRATION
Teams managing product launches for Big Big retailers, accounting for 40% of the company's revenue, especially demonstrated symptoms of employee burnout due to the high risk, high stakes nature of our priority client projects.
Instead of pooling together, departments competed interdepartmentally and deprioritized strategy meetings, ultimately overextending teams avoiding blame for delays. The ultimate cost of the loss of trust and visibility on delayed Big Box launch projects were hefty expedited shipment fees.
Cognitive Walkthrough
PROJECT CONTEXT
Amidst urgent deadlines, skepticism, and fear of change, I reenvisioned collaboration across teams utilizing a web application that both streamlined project management cross-functionally, but also expedited launches by improving the analysis of product integration test results.
“ You won't succeed. Just put your chin down and lay low. It's all been attempted before! "
—Product Launch Manager
“Why change what we know? I don't want to learn anything new. I'm more interested in projects that will earn me promotions later on.”
—Senior Channel Manager
“ If you really want to do this, you're on your own. This is as good as it gets. I also don’t want to learn a new way even if it’s easier. ”
— Project Manager
In addition to investigating means to improve the coordination of integration testing, I also performed on-site integration testing. Here, I took advantage of engaging the on-site retail workers in contextual inquiries as well.
PROBLEM FRAMING
A combination of workflow analyses and stake holder interviews informed tester workflows which I charted into a product lifecycle workflow visualization.
Stakeholder interviews with senior managers, interim directors, product launch managers, and developers elucidated how cross-functional processes overlapped.
DIAGNOSE
user pain points;
identify opportunity
TRANSFORM
processes & teams,
create value
GROW
team engagement,
reduce churn
REFRAMING PAIN POINTS
Tuning to team pain points across teams highlighted underlying issues, but also revealed opportunities for change.
" By the time our team is dealing with a product, it's all red-flagged URGENT because the finance teams never share crucial information about looming timelines."
75% of teams
" We hold off on updates because we don't want other teams to anticipate or set up projects unnecessarily. "
45% of teams
" I work outside of process because it's not efficient, but also I don't understand the jargon of other teams or how their updates apply to my side of the work. "
90% of teams
PRESENTING THE VISION
Analyzing patterns across workflows elucidated the priority of process improvements brainstormed with leadership by whiteboarding. Given the spread product information and timelines, it was clear that standardizing reporting across cross-functional teams would facilitate automating data entry and reporting.
LEADERSHIP APPROVALS
Securing a C-suite leader’s interest, our team received approval to transform process pain points into a cross-functional web application marrying product launch project management with end-to-end integration test reporting.
“ We've been unable to resolve operations inefficiencies without this missing this piece. This is exactly what we needed to make it happen . ”
— COO of National Accounts
“ Samantha, this is genius. The simplicity of your vision is impressive and even beautiful. Will you lead our efforts on this project? ”
— VP of Market Solutions
IMPLEMENTING DREAMS
With leadership approvals, I compiled a 137-page step-by-step training manual, IT requirements writeup, mobile framework design, wireframes, I performed the usability testing for the minimal viable product MVP developed by a volunteer internal developer.
EMPOWERING TEAMS
Over the next weeks, I immersed myself in the daily operations of each team to learn specific pain points and needs, but also to be inspired on weaving a cohesive solution for a variety of user groups.
WORKING WITH DEVS
Luckily, two junior developers volunteered for the project, guided by the insightful director of Retail Solutions. Together we charted user flows, IT requirements, and a project roadmap to bring the web application to life!
OUTCOMES
My strategic direction to crowdsource and gamify product integration testing nationwide supplemented by additional process implementations satisfied increasing testing needs within weeks!
Moreover, as hoped, removing manual project communications and data entry for a 35% - 40% increase in individual team respite and availability to strategize to overcome next hurtles together.
TESTING FLOW OVERVIEW
PRODUCT TESTING MANUAL
PRODUCT REQUEST FORM
I witnessed how an inclusive UX approach eliminated the perception of change as threatening, and finally allowed teams to grow together towards better outcomes.
The continued impact of design thinking within the Financial Technology space convinced me to make UX my everyday.
LESSONS
