Embedded Files
Synergy between customers and business needs
Cooperation with Slovak Telekom and T-Mobile Czech Republic is for sure the most long-lasting. In 2015, while managing the service design studio 2FRESH Slovakia, we were asked to design a self-care service for B2B clients.
The project plans were enormous, it all pointed out that another “digital spaceship” will be developed. I am still unsure where we got the nerve to say "No" to this type of work, to one of our potential biggest clients, but even more surprisingly they said, "Ok, tell us how to build it".
We proposed to build an MVP, where we could learn what customers need and will use digitally. We kicked off with an intense research phase, creating proto-personas at first. To verify user and decision maker roles, we spoke with over 20 corporate clients, ranging from one-man businesses to giant accounts like IBM. It also showed us the differences between the user's real usage, their wishes, and expectations of Telekom of what will be their client's preferences.
Feature Rating by Users: Users were asked to rate their favorite potential features.
Feature Usage by Users: Here the first differences are to be spotted. Usage of services in real life (stated in the interviews as well in customer data) showed us where the discrepancies of “user wants” could lie (with a big question if there would use their favored features, in real life) or where the biggest potential for digitalization might be.
Feature Ratings by Sales and Back Office: Not suprisingly, the sales reps, knowing their client well, were very close to their clients preferences.
Feature Ratings by Experts: We also gathered the opinions of experts, who in back of their minds or even very articulated, had concerns towards the feasibility of some features.
Driven by the insights we gathered, we were running prioritization sessions with over 40 stakeholders, helping to decide which of the 30 proposed features should make into the MVP. Deep dives into feasibility, business and customer value helped us to select the first 5 functionalities that launched 1 year later - which is, for a huge company like Telekom, a pretty good result.
Of course, we also learned many humbling things on the way, and I still consider this project as one of project I am proud of due to the cooperation with our clients.
You are welcome to approach Ivan Skender - the B2B marketing director at that time, about his opinion on our work. He will for sure share some valuable gossip.
Page updated
Report abuse