What

A government department who had noted inefficiencies in multiple business areas due to outdated processes and failing grey IT systems needed a digital solution that would solve the case management issues of different areas. They needed one solution that could transform many different teams.

Why

The case management product would be rolled out to three teams initially but tin the future could be deployed to any team with case management needs. The solution had to be adaptable without code to the specific needs of the business. The teams involves had begun research before and so were wary of engaging again having not seen any outcome with previous researchers.

Action

I led a user research team to carry out swift and consistent user research every sprint of the delivery. This consistency allowed us to regularly test features and feedback the results to make a real difference in the product before code had been cut, saving the team time in making revisions. The consistent research allowed us to build a rapport with the user group and product owners who trusted us to test efficiently and effectively, not wasting their time.

I coordinated research across multiple teams, carefully balancing the sometimes conflicting needs of the groups we were working with. Research results were not just played back immediately to the development team but were carefully synthesised and prioritised to determine which features were common across all teams, and which represented more specicialised requirements.

When it came time to pilot the product, I created a staggered pilot approach, allowing us to integrate testing into the live office environment without effecting the team’s efficiency. Features were piloted in batches, with carefully chosen subgroups of users whilst other users supported the work, creating a backup of data. The groups of users were able to support one another during the pilot in a naturalistic way, allowing me to explore how learnable the product was.

Impact

The case management system was very well received by staff who tested it - they commented on sections that they themselves felt responsible for and it was clear there was a sense of pride in the team. Not only that, but users could immediately see the benefits on how efficiently they would be able to complete their work. Product owners in the various business areas were able to have oversight through business analytics and could themselves more efficiently manage their staff. The consistency and approach of the user research taken by my team ensured the end users felt ownership over the product ensuring that change management would be smooth.