Challenge

I am a member of my organization’s online marketing department and my/our challenge is to improve  the workflow within the department in order to increase sales in the online channel and to spend  marketing budgets on the right campaigns. The project scope includes the online marketing department  composed of ten employees, as well as the larger marketing department . The project is limited to  internal resources (i.e., budget and employee time). The project should not exceed 30 business days and  the solution should include an even distribution of working hours amongst the team members. We will  focus on trying to uncover what our team members, as well as key stakeholders within the larger  marketing department and IT department, consider to be ineffective or problematic with regard to the  workflow.

Selection

Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools, so we are ready to try the  learning launch tool. Broadly speaking, the learning launch is an experiment meant to quickly test an  idea and prototype.

Application

For our first learning launch, we focused on the structure/execution of our online marketing tasks. In  particular, we wanted to see if we could structure our tasks, projects, and processes to adapt the  methods of Scrum project management for our work (e.g., time boxed, daily, specific meetings, reviews,  etc.) in an effort to become more agile. This tested our assumption that the structure and execution  were the main causes of our workflow challenge. Our team went through a two-day training with a  Scrum project management coach. Next, we went through five workshops to structure our tasks and  processes in a more agile way. These two sessions occurred within in a three-week timeframe. We  expected to produce a document with a clear description of our new, more agile processes/workflow.  For our second learning launch, we focused on gaining clarity about our tasks and priorities. This  testedour assumption that our prioritization of tasks was the main cause of our workflow challenge. Our  team completed an anonymous survey. Additionally, five key stakeholders from the larger marketing  department and IT department also completed an anonymous survey. The surveys included marketing  about our new, proposed process, understanding the process and the prioritization of tasks, and feelings  about the change, and were conducted within a one-week timeframe.

Insight

By applying the learning launch tool, our team identified our assumptions and designed launches to test  these assumptions. Additionally, we thought through anticipated results, expecting to find that a more  agile approach would improve our workflow, and that both our team and the key stakeholders would be  fairly open to the new prioritization of tasks and process. Our actual results were slightly different from  what we anticipated: while our team was open to the prioritization of tasks and process, the  stakeholders in the larger marketing department and IT department expressed some concerns. Moving  forward, our team will review this insight and incorporate it into future launch designs. The  ongoingincorporation of insight is particularly important at this stage, as launches come before a full  rollout in the design thinking timeline.

Approach

Given that our team has already gone through several design thinking activities/tools and are at this  stage in the timeline, the learning launch is the appropriate tool. As previously mentioned, our team  needs to review the insight gained from our first two launches and incorporate this insight into future  launch designs. Future launch designs should reflect insight gained, progress made, and come closer to a  compelling solution ready for full rollout.


Challenge I am a member of my organization ’s online marketing department and my / our challenge is to improve the workflow within the department in order to increase sales in the online channel and to spend marketing budgets on the right campaigns . The project scope includes the online marketing department composed of ten employees , as well as the larger marketing department . The project is limited to internal resources ( i.e. , budget and employee time ) . The project should not exceed 30 business days and the solution should include an even distribution of working hours amongst the team members . We will focus on trying to uncover what our team members , as well as key stakeholders within the larger marketing department and IT department , consider to be ineffective or problematic with regard to the workflow . Selection Our team has already gone through several design thinking activities / tools , so we are ready to try the learning launch tool . Broadly speaking , the learning launch is an experiment meant to quickly test an idea and prototype . Application For our first learning launch , we focused on the structure / execution of our online marketing tasks . In particular , we wanted to see if we could structure our tasks , projects , and processes to adapt the methods of Scrum project management for our work ( e.g. , time boxed , daily , specific meetings , reviews , etc . ) in an effort to become more agile . This tested our assumption that the structure and execution were the main causes of our workflow challenge . Our team went through a two - day training with a Scrum project management coach . Next , we went through five workshops to structure our tasks and processes in a more agile way . These two sessions occurred within in a three - week timeframe . We expected to produce a document with a clear description of our new , more agile processes / workflow . For our second learning launch , we focused on gaining clarity about our tasks and priorities . This testedour assumption that our prioritization of tasks was the main cause of our workflow challenge . Our team completed an anonymous survey . Additionally , five key stakeholders from the larger marketing department and IT department also completed an anonymous survey . The surveys included marketing about our new , proposed process , understanding the process and the prioritization of tasks , and feelings about the change , and were conducted within a one - week timeframe . Insight By applying the learning launch tool , our team identified our assumptions and designed launches to test these assumptions . Additionally , we thought through anticipated results , expecting to find that a more agile approach would improve our workflow , and that both our team and the key stakeholders would be fairly open to the new prioritization of tasks and process . Our actual results were slightly different from what we anticipated : while our team was open to the prioritization of tasks and process , the stakeholders in the larger marketing department and IT department expressed some concerns . Moving forward , our team will review this insight and incorporate it into future launch designs . The ongoingincorporation of insight is particularly important at this stage , as launches come before a full rollout in the design thinking timeline . Approach Given that our team has already gone through several design thinking activities / tools and are at this stage in the timeline , the learning launch is the appropriate tool . As previously mentioned , our team needs to review the insight gained from our first two launches and incorporate this insight into future launch designs . Future launch designs should reflect insight gained , progress made , and come closer to a compelling solution ready for full rollout .