Phase 1: Platform Pain Points Discovery

Investigating Connector Data Integration Customer Problems

• User Research: Contextual Pain Point Interviews with 2 Support Team Implementation Consultants & 1 Internal User
• Results: Almost all pain points were with Data Import Error Resolution and navigating Product Implemention Processes

Powerpoint Presentation

Phase 2: Workflow Redesign Prototype Data Validation Testing

Data Import Error Resolution workflow and Data Integration Configuration Setup were both redesigned and tested with customers.

• User Research: Design Validation Study
  Task performance self-navigation and task timing were measured using prototype simulation)
• Results: 100% of Customers across all roles and business types were successful at navigating and completing required tasks for error resolution and integration configuration setup on their own without assistance.
• Business Impact: Provided an intuitive UI solution that sped up customer Data Import Configuration and Error Resolution process times from 2 weeks to 20 minutes.

Powerpoint Presentation

Dovetail Study Results Report

Phase 3: Data Integration Management Resdesign

Goal: Redesigning Data Integration Monitoring and Error Resolution Workflows to speed up customer implementation and the periodic financial close process for them.

Platform Data Integration Hub:
Cross-product data import error resolution and status monitoring, combined with self-service SFTP Setup for fast and efficient error resolution that also saves the company time and revenue by enabling customers to manage it without additional help.

• User Research: UX Design Prototype Validation Study
• Result: 100% of all participants successfully completed data integration error resolution and scheduling tasks independently, without help from the interviewer, within a few minutes of having to navigate their way through the new user interface. Participants came from a full range of roles, professional backgrounds, skill levels, and company sizes, and yet demonstrated that this new UI was more intuitive, efficient, and easy to use for all of them than the previous one. The results indicated a business impact of a 2000% improvement in time-saving for customers during their regular financial close process and during initial software implementation.

Platform Import Jobs Monitoring and Management:
Cross-product line centralized location for monitoring time-sensitive automated data import jobs.

Platform Connectivity Integration Management:
Centralized workflow for building, scheduling, and managing all Blackline connector integrations for all products in the suite. A Connector Setup Wizard was designed to speed-up the customer implementation process through a guided process.

Platform Data Integration Hub

Platform Import Jobs Monitoring and Management

Platform Connector Integration Management

Phase 4: Discovery for SFTP Implementation Setup Restructuring & Redesign 

Goal: Converting the SFTP Setup workflow from a Manual and Support Team driven one to a Self-Service Tool with automation without customer errors.

• User Research: Multiple Contextual Inquiry Interviews with Support Team Customer Implementation Specialists and Technicians
• Result: New Product Requirements Definition and Scope of Engineering work to support the new user interface design needed.

Phase 5: Redesign All Platform Implementation System Admin Tools using these insights:

Self-Service SSO Setup:
Converting process from Internal Support Team workload to Product Wizard

• User Research: Lean Canvas & Field Study of Engineering Training Videos

Self-Service SFTP Setup:
Converting process from Internal Support Team workload to Product Wizard

• User Research: Internal Contextual Inquiries

Data Integration Setup Wizard:
Self-service automated guide allowing users to navigate Data Integration options ensuring successful configuration and automated data import.

User Management Setup:
Converting 3 separate product line workflows into one for integrated User Management

Alerts Management Setup:
Consolidating 4 separate workflows from the main menu into only one.

Business Entity Setup:
Modernizing and restructuring the entity setup and management workflow.

Period Selector Widget:
Platform Widget that standardizes complex End-Period Selection process for all users across product suite.

• User Research: 3 Early Adopter Moderated Data Validation Interviews

Platform User Management

Platform CFO Dashboard Landing Page

Phase 6: Designing Internal Provisioning Tools to Replace Third Party Tool Dependence

Designed an internal Connector Authoring product and other internal provisioning tools for company engineers to manage customer provisioning needs in-house.
This saved the company revenue and helped them restructure their customer support business model.

Converted company connector engineering process from external 3rd-party tool (Boomi) to Internal Connector Authoring Provisioning Tool & Self-Service Product

• User Research: Contextual Inquiry Interviews with 6 Boomi Engineers
• Result: Designed “Authoring UI”

Connector Authoring Internal Tool (Replacing Boomi)

Phase 7: Design Studio 360 Integrate, Platform Implementation Simplification:

Integrated all these implementation products together with System Admin processes across 3 product lines to speed up
Customer Implementation from 2 months to 2 weeks.

Redesigned and streamlined the Implementation user workflow to guide end-users through:

• 8 Software Implementation Processes.
• 3 Self-Service Wizards necessary to set up data integration automation between product and client ERP.
• Monitoring data integrations across three product-lines from one dashboard screen.
• Managing all data import automated jobs and scheduling them efficiently from one screen.
• An efficient process for resolving data import failures when they happen through a guided process that saves time.
• The completion of all System Admin implementation set-up tasks quickly so teams can start using the product right away.

Studio 360 Integrate: Implementation Process Dataflow