Challenge:

I am working on an application aimed at developing sales efficiency. Following a survey to users, we  discovered one of our application process’ overall feedback was still very complicated: time consuming,  lacking figures, confusing with too many steps and with a wrong timing in the year as sales users need  to work on big contracts and negotiations at that time of the year.

Selection:

To improve this process, we had several small design thinking activities: survey to sales users,  workshops with various stakeholders (director of sales, leaders, contributors from various countries)  so that they discuss on some process specific subjects (scope, timeline, objectives) and used  visualization with table drawings. After all the insights collected we needed to finally validate our  assumptions before starting to go live and communicating about new evolutions, design and new  process. For that we choose to use the “Learning Launch” design thinking tool. Indeed, we clearly  needed to verify if what we had think of could really improve process for sales users. We consequently  use this tool to make them test the process we had prototyped. The prototype was designed on an IT  environment and we decided to show our prototypes to several stakeholders.

Application:

Among all stakeholders that participated in previous survey and workshops, we choose 2 directors, 2  account leaders and 2 contributors and let them test the prototype and give us feedbacks. We first start  mentioning new deadlines to give them some context. Then, we gave them specific access adapted to  their profile and they had one hour meeting to do the process. During their experience we were  watching their usage and behavior. This enabled us to realize it was simpler for them than the previous  year: they had nearly no training questions as it was clear where their action was needed (we  highlighted in the new process the section on which they should act on the prototype). As we did not  explain them much also the changes before, they were consequently more expressive on what they  were seeing new, what they liked (especially that it was clearer) and what they thought was missing  (for example Account manager name).

Insight

Thanks to this Learning launch we could refine our process and adapt some evolutions before even  having launching the tool live to all users. According to testers’ feedback, we:

  improved wording of some fields

  improved some descriptions of field in the application (ex: “add figures only if they are relevant”,  “explain precisely and clearly business”)

  improved some guidelines by specifying for example for which segment it was dedicated

This clearly save us some time as we could refine the process before going live and deploying to all  users. We could avoid some misunderstandings and frustrations from all the users this way. Moreover  it also enabled better adoption and perception of the new process as the learning launch enabled end  users to express and to collaborate. They felt proud and share the good evolutions to their colleagues  which help good adoption and usage. They became unconsiously ambassadors with good perception  as they participated in all the evolution process. They consequently had a good influence also on  skeptical users.

  Approach:   For next times when we would like to review a process or a functionality, we might add more  stakeholders to the learning launch phase. This will enable to get more insights quicker and to be  able to know even more if the process can be easily adopted and if we need to modify some  process or evolutions as quick wins.   Now training has just been done to all sales users and for now process has create quite less  support. We will see till the end of the year how it goes to still learn from it. We might do another  survey to assess if the perception of the process has improved.


Challenge : I am working on an application aimed at developing sales efficiency . Following a survey to users , we discovered one of our application process ’ overall feedback was still very complicated : time consuming , lacking figures , confusing with too many steps and with a wrong timing in the year as sales users need to work on big contracts and negotiations at that time of the year . Selection : To improve this process , we had several small design thinking activities : survey to sales users , workshops with various stakeholders ( director of sales , leaders , contributors from various countries ) so that they discuss on some process specific subjects ( scope , timeline , objectives ) and used visualization with table drawings . After all the insights collected we needed to finally validate our assumptions before starting to go live and communicating about new evolutions , design and new process . For that we choose to use the “ Learning Launch ” design thinking tool . Indeed , we clearly needed to verify if what we had think of could really improve process for sales users . We consequently use this tool to make them test the process we had prototyped . The prototype was designed on an IT environment and we decided to show our prototypes to several stakeholders . Application : Among all stakeholders that participated in previous survey and workshops , we choose 2 directors , 2 account leaders and 2 contributors and let them test the prototype and give us feedbacks . We first start mentioning new deadlines to give them some context . Then , we gave them specific access adapted to their profile and they had one hour meeting to do the process . During their experience we were watching their usage and behavior . This enabled us to realize it was simpler for them than the previous year : they had nearly no training questions as it was clear where their action was needed ( we highlighted in the new process the section on which they should act on the prototype ) . As we did not explain them much also the changes before , they were consequently more expressive on what they were seeing new , what they liked ( especially that it was clearer ) and what they thought was missing ( for example Account manager name ) . Insight Thanks to this Learning launch we could refine our process and adapt some evolutions before even having launching the tool live to all users . According to testers ’ feedback , we :  improved wording of some fields  improved some descriptions of field in the application ( ex : “ add figures only if they are relevant ” , “ explain precisely and clearly business ” )  improved some guidelines by specifying for example for which segment it was dedicated This clearly save us some time as we could refine the process before going live and deploying to all users . We could avoid some misunderstandings and frustrations from all the users this way . Moreover it also enabled better adoption and perception of the new process as the learning launch enabled end users to express and to collaborate . They felt proud and share the good evolutions to their colleagues which help good adoption and usage . They became unconsiously ambassadors with good perception as they participated in all the evolution process . They consequently had a good influence also on skeptical users .  Approach : For next times when we would like to review a process or a functionality , we might add more stakeholders to the learning launch phase . This will enable to get more insights quicker and to be able to know even more if the process can be easily adopted and if we need to modify some process or evolutions as quick wins . Now training has just been done to all sales users and for now process has create quite less support . We will see till the end of the year how it goes to still learn from it . We might do another survey to assess if the perception of the process has improved .