Challenge

I am part of IT department of a Financial Services organization. We were involved in the maintenance of  Sales web application for the organization that was developed years earlier. It was observed that the  Customer Sales Representative would spend about 25 minutes to fill the complete application form for a  new Customer in the existing Sales web application. The application form was exhaustive running across  multiple pages and expected a lot of information to be captured. Our challenge was to reduce the overall  time taken to fill the application form so that the Sales Representative would be able to service more  customers in the same period. The project scope involved working closely with Customer Sales team and  to utilize Design Thinking tools to identify the problems with current Sales application. The project was to  be completed within 30 business days.

Selection

Our team went through and utilized several design thinking activities and tools, and so we were ready to  try the learning launch tool. The learning launch is an experiment meant to quickly test an idea and  prototype. Rather than applying and implementing all the ideas we identified for our problems and roll  out the resolutions in one go, the learning launch allowed us to test an idea at a time and validate our  assumptions made for it and get insight early on which be used in next launches.

Application

In our first learning launch, we focused on the number of pages of the application form and grouping of  information on form. We worked on restructuring the form and reducing the overall number of pages and  thereby the amount of navigation to be done while filling the form. Also, worked on eliminating redundant  details being captured. This tested our assumption that high number of pages and increased navigation  to fill the application form was one of the causes of our Sales application challenge.

For our second learning launch, we focused on identifying information that was being captured manually  where the values were available in other systems and could be fetched and auto filled. Integration was  setup with other system to get the information for our application form. This tested our assumption that  implementing automation to reduce the amount of manual entry would reduce time to fill the application  form.

Insight

By applying the learning launch tool, our team identified our assumptions and designed launches to test  these assumptions. We anticipated that both the reduction in amount of navigation involved and doing  automation to prefill information would reduce the overall time required to fill the application and would  be acceptable to our stakeholders (Sales Representative). Our results were different, though these  changes did result in reduction in overall time required to fill the application form, the stakeholders had  some thoughts about how the information grouping and restructuring on the forms could be done  differently. Our team will review these insights and incorporate it into future launch designs. These

insights at this stage of design process helps greatly, as it allows for it to be handled and incorporated  prior to the final rollout stage.

What I learned from this exercise is that the learning launch is a great tool to experiment the ideas very  quickly and inexpensively. It allows teams to get connected with our stakeholders quickly and to gain their  insights early. This allows for lots of experiments to be conducted in limited time period to solve our  challenge.

Approach

At this stage of the design thinking timeline, the learning launch is the appropriate tool to test our  assumptions prior to full rollout. It helped test out the ideas quickly and without it getting too expensive  and meet the project timelines. It was valuable to receive insights gained from our first two launches and  review and incorporate these insight into future launch designs. This will ensure that we have an effective  and already validated solution by the time we get to full rollout.


Challenge I am part of IT department of a Financial Services organization . We were involved in the maintenance of Sales web application for the organization that was developed years earlier . It was observed that the Customer Sales Representative would spend about 25 minutes to fill the complete application form for a new Customer in the existing Sales web application . The application form was exhaustive running across multiple pages and expected a lot of information to be captured . Our challenge was to reduce the overall time taken to fill the application form so that the Sales Representative would be able to service more customers in the same period . The project scope involved working closely with Customer Sales team and to utilize Design Thinking tools to identify the problems with current Sales application . The project was to be completed within 30 business days . Selection Our team went through and utilized several design thinking activities and tools , and so we were ready to try the learning launch tool . The learning launch is an experiment meant to quickly test an idea and prototype . Rather than applying and implementing all the ideas we identified for our problems and roll out the resolutions in one go , the learning launch allowed us to test an idea at a time and validate our assumptions made for it and get insight early on which be used in next launches . Application In our first learning launch , we focused on the number of pages of the application form and grouping of information on form . We worked on restructuring the form and reducing the overall number of pages and thereby the amount of navigation to be done while filling the form . Also , worked on eliminating redundant details being captured . This tested our assumption that high number of pages and increased navigation to fill the application form was one of the causes of our Sales application challenge . For our second learning launch , we focused on identifying information that was being captured manually where the values were available in other systems and could be fetched and auto filled . Integration was setup with other system to get the information for our application form . This tested our assumption that implementing automation to reduce the amount of manual entry would reduce time to fill the application form . Insight By applying the learning launch tool , our team identified our assumptions and designed launches to test these assumptions . We anticipated that both the reduction in amount of navigation involved and doing automation to prefill information would reduce the overall time required to fill the application and would be acceptable to our stakeholders ( Sales Representative ) . Our results were different , though these changes did result in reduction in overall time required to fill the application form , the stakeholders had some thoughts about how the information grouping and restructuring on the forms could be done differently . Our team will review these insights and incorporate it into future launch designs . These insights at this stage of design process helps greatly , as it allows for it to be handled and incorporated prior to the final rollout stage . What I learned from this exercise is that the learning launch is a great tool to experiment the ideas very quickly and inexpensively . It allows teams to get connected with our stakeholders quickly and to gain their insights early . This allows for lots of experiments to be conducted in limited time period to solve our challenge . Approach At this stage of the design thinking timeline , the learning launch is the appropriate tool to test our assumptions prior to full rollout . It helped test out the ideas quickly and without it getting too expensive and meet the project timelines . It was valuable to receive insights gained from our first two launches and review and incorporate these insight into future launch designs . This will ensure that we have an effective and already validated solution by the time we get to full rollout .