Challenge and Selection     I hold responsibilities as a technical product manager for a global bank in the middle east. In  this paper, I would be describing how the tool of ‘visualization’ and the understanding of visual  thinking has helped me and the organization to achieve a regulatory requirement to build a  solution that can suit all products to record and handle customer retention journeys.     Recently as part of the ‘consumer protection regulations’ all financial organizations were  requested to keep records of any retention offers given to a client, followed by few types of  written communications at each stage of the customer retention journey. This would include  acknowledging the customers’ requests in two business days upon receipt, provide written  confirmations for any retention offers given to the client and retain records of such requests for  a stipulated period.     Even though there were existing processors to handle customers retentions based on each  product, for example, Accounts, Credit Cards, Personal Loans, Mortgages and Vehicle Finances.  There was an obvious requirement to build a single tool that will comply with the regulatory ask  and be driven by user-level configurations to handle end to end customer retentions journeys.    At the start, it wasn’t an easy task to agree on a single journey that can suit all products to  handle these different requirements in terms of retention offers. However, collectively with the  power of visualization, we managed to come up with a perfect design to build this new tool to  handle this regulatory and organizations requirement.     Application     As always, the visualization story began with a simple box and arrow flow chart. I had to  organize multiple meetings over zoom with all products managers to finetune the overall design  as the retentions journeys and customer touchpoints were different by-products. At certain  points, the discussions got a little heated as some journeys were overlapping mainly due to  service level agreements, complexity and fee commitments. For example, retaining a credit  card seemed much easier than a savings accounts. At the same time settling a personal loan  seemed much easier than a housing mortgage even though these products fall into the same  category of lending. Also, having to conduct this project totally over zoom due to remote  working was a bigger challenge than it seemed to mutual agreements on certain touchpoints.    Therefore, in order to understand the ‘what IF’ element of the design thinking journey, all  product managers were requested to team up with their operations colleagues and find  answers to the below few questions    1. What are the key elements that should be included in the graphical design?  2. What changes would be required in order to address all challenges for each product

retention?

3. What are the common attributes your product retention life cycle has, compared to other

products?

4. How could it impact the current SLA’s, the clients and customer service?     However, it was quite eminent that more we adopted visual thinking by including all the ideas  of each product manager based on the behaviour of their product, the overall solution design  also was refined. At the same time, some product managers were able to identify a few  common elements and behaviours that could be leveraged to be used for multiple products.  One main observation I had is that sometimes a certain understanding we all had based on  verbal explanation was not always the same when we draw the same idea graphically. Even  though the outcome was the same in both cases, but the path to get there was different on  individual’s minds. This challenge was easy to overcome by adding those ideas into visual on a  whiteboard in front of all so everyone could be in the same understating of the final solution.     Also, for certain individuals, verbal explanations are not their strongest point. On contrary, the  level of listening and understanding is also something different to each individual. Therefore,  visualization was the perfect answer to overcome these unforeseen challenges and to have  much shorter discussions and fruitful outcomes. Having said that, the time we managed to save  for planning can now be invested in solution build so we could hopefully have an early go-live  than planned.       Insight and Approach     What I have mainly learnt by leading this project was that visualization during a design journey  can start at a very simple level and it will eventually mature when all members of the team are  convinced with the visual thinking approach. Also, the team members will always have different  understandings of a certain problem even though it is common for all products and services,  but with visualization, all of them can be brought to one level of understating within a very  minimal time frame. A graphically visualized solution will always provide the stakeholders with  a different dimension to a problem. At the same time, it will help to find answers to a challenge  much sooner simply by moving few elements in the workflow. Also, it will provide them with an  understanding of how another person would look at the same problem much differently and  find a better solution than what you thought was the right approach.    A visualized solution will always keep the stakeholders much focused and glutted on the  discussion points especially when it’s done over video conferencing. The chances of focus  derailing are much lesser than an ordinary verbal meeting. Also, it will help to share their  perspectives much easily in a way where everyone will understand the exact solutions at the  same level, most of the time the existing processes can get refined by understating how others  do things differently. Therefore, the best practices will only take centre stage in the final  solution design.

As I’ve discovered, the most valuable aspect of the visualization tool is the shared insight and  learning from your won pears. This will also provide us with a good understanding of how  rational thinking can bring good results to a specific situation. In similar future projects, where  we will have to build solutions and designs, I will make sure to take this approach of  visualization at the starting point. This will help the project team to agree and build robust  solutions much faster with the blessings from each line of businesses and stakeholders no  matter which position they hold in the organization as it will give them a very clear  understanding of what’s being built as solutions and outcomes.


Challenge and Selection I hold responsibilities as a technical product manager for a global bank in the middle east . In this paper , I would be describing how the tool of ‘ visualization ’ and the understanding of visual thinking has helped me and the organization to achieve a regulatory requirement to build a solution that can suit all products to record and handle customer retention journeys . Recently as part of the ‘ consumer protection regulations ’ all financial organizations were requested to keep records of any retention offers given to a client , followed by few types of written communications at each stage of the customer retention journey . This would include acknowledging the customers ’ requests in two business days upon receipt , provide written confirmations for any retention offers given to the client and retain records of such requests for a stipulated period . Even though there were existing processors to handle customers retentions based on each product , for example , Accounts , Credit Cards , Personal Loans , Mortgages and Vehicle Finances . There was an obvious requirement to build a single tool that will comply with the regulatory ask and be driven by user - level configurations to handle end to end customer retentions journeys . At the start , it was n’t an easy task to agree on a single journey that can suit all products to handle these different requirements in terms of retention offers . However , collectively with the power of visualization , we managed to come up with a perfect design to build this new tool to handle this regulatory and organizations requirement . Application As always , the visualization story began with a simple box and arrow flow chart . I had to organize multiple meetings over zoom with all products managers to finetune the overall design as the retentions journeys and customer touchpoints were different by - products . At certain points , the discussions got a little heated as some journeys were overlapping mainly due to service level agreements , complexity and fee commitments . For example , retaining a credit card seemed much easier than a savings accounts . At the same time settling a personal loan seemed much easier than a housing mortgage even though these products fall into the same category of lending . Also , having to conduct this project totally over zoom due to remote working was a bigger challenge than it seemed to mutual agreements on certain touchpoints . Therefore , in order to understand the ‘ what IF ’ element of the design thinking journey , all product managers were requested to team up with their operations colleagues and find answers to the below few questions 1 . What are the key elements that should be included in the graphical design ? 2 . What changes would be required in order to address all challenges for each product retention ? 3 . What are the common attributes your product retention life cycle has , compared to other products ? 4 . How could it impact the current SLA ’s , the clients and customer service ? However , it was quite eminent that more we adopted visual thinking by including all the ideas of each product manager based on the behaviour of their product , the overall solution design also was refined . At the same time , some product managers were able to identify a few common elements and behaviours that could be leveraged to be used for multiple products . One main observation I had is that sometimes a certain understanding we all had based on verbal explanation was not always the same when we draw the same idea graphically . Even though the outcome was the same in both cases , but the path to get there was different on individual ’s minds . This challenge was easy to overcome by adding those ideas into visual on a whiteboard in front of all so everyone could be in the same understating of the final solution . Also , for certain individuals , verbal explanations are not their strongest point . On contrary , the level of listening and understanding is also something different to each individual . Therefore , visualization was the perfect answer to overcome these unforeseen challenges and to have much shorter discussions and fruitful outcomes . Having said that , the time we managed to save for planning can now be invested in solution build so we could hopefully have an early go - live than planned . Insight and Approach What I have mainly learnt by leading this project was that visualization during a design journey can start at a very simple level and it will eventually mature when all members of the team are convinced with the visual thinking approach . Also , the team members will always have different understandings of a certain problem even though it is common for all products and services , but with visualization , all of them can be brought to one level of understating within a very minimal time frame . A graphically visualized solution will always provide the stakeholders with a different dimension to a problem . At the same time , it will help to find answers to a challenge much sooner simply by moving few elements in the workflow . Also , it will provide them with an understanding of how another person would look at the same problem much differently and find a better solution than what you thought was the right approach . A visualized solution will always keep the stakeholders much focused and glutted on the discussion points especially when it ’s done over video conferencing . The chances of focus derailing are much lesser than an ordinary verbal meeting . Also , it will help to share their perspectives much easily in a way where everyone will understand the exact solutions at the same level , most of the time the existing processes can get refined by understating how others do things differently . Therefore , the best practices will only take centre stage in the final solution design . As I ’ve discovered , the most valuable aspect of the visualization tool is the shared insight and learning from your won pears . This will also provide us with a good understanding of how rational thinking can bring good results to a specific situation . In similar future projects , where we will have to build solutions and designs , I will make sure to take this approach of visualization at the starting point . This will help the project team to agree and build robust solutions much faster with the blessings from each line of businesses and stakeholders no matter which position they hold in the organization as it will give them a very clear understanding of what ’s being built as solutions and outcomes .