Presented at Forrester's Customer Experience Forum West / Outside In 2012 by Sven Folleras, managing director of information technology at FedEx Services, and Rebecca Flavin, CEO of EffectiveUI.
“Our web app is done!” – Famous last words and possibly a sign of a bad user experience. What if your application was never actually done? FedEx Office takes exactly that approach – its web-to-print solution, Print Online, constantly evolves based on close attention to customer feedback and ongoing iteration. This session explores how FedEx is building the industry’s most intuitive web-to-print solution using an outside-in approach.
This session will answer the following questions:
• How do you incorporate customer feedback to also meet business goals?
• What kind of commitment is required to conduct ongoing usability testing?
• How can companies identify new products by listening to customer feedback?
4. TIPS
Let customer feedback
guide your tech decisions.
Technology landscape New needs, expectations Right-to-Market, not
is always changing always surfacing always First-to-Market
5. TIPS
Research should be contextual
and actionable.
Market research can Data analysis Include someone with
only tell so much vs. creativity expertise to translate
the research
6. TIPS
Include the user voice into
the creation process.
Clickable prototypes during
design
Address now, fewer revisions
later
7. TIPS
Include IT/developers
in the process.
Get involved early Creative problem solvers Empathy
8. TIPS
Don’t launch
and forget.
Ask for feedback ...in multiple ways Product roadmap
9. TIPS
Prioritize in
the “SANDBOX”
Everyone has In prioritization, customer Roadmap is an
different goals has a seat at the table iterative process
10. TIPS
full beta/pilot testing
effort
A/B testing
dynamic prototype
static HTML prototype
paper prototype
sketches
time/budget
No time, no budget! You can still
include the customer’s voice.
11. TIPS
No time, no budget! You can still
include the customer’s voice.
1. Find users in 2. Step right outside 3. Incorporate customer
your company feedback once launched
4. Don’t fear the results 5. Prioritize feedback
Introductions: \n\nRebecca:\nSelf intro\nIntroduce Sven, Managing Director of IT, FedEx Services\n\nSven:\nMD IT FXS; Deliver cust facing apps; eComm for FXO\nNot store front, but complex workflows\nLed the dev of next generation eComm platform for FXO\n
Rebecca:\nApps/digital products never really finished. Business now have a digital ecosystem with apps and products which are critical to customer retention & growth, as well as top and bottom line.\nLandscape changing, digital products take different mindset and paradigm- constant iteration and ongoing improvement\nMistake: Launch and Move-On.It’s a journey towards digital engagement, not a destination.\nSharing tips, best practices of incorporating customer insight/feedback through example of FedEx Print Online\n
Sven:\nPOL description\n Web-to-print; Upload files from desktop/cloud/FX catalog; Advanced print/finish options\nUnique\n Two cust segments; Many prod options; Hundreds of biz rules to force fulfillment quality\n Purple Promise\nEngaged EffectiveUI - craft the interactions, incorporate user feedback \n
Rebecca: \nStay current with changing tech landscape\nUser needs/expectations always changing\n1 Billion consumers on smart phones & tablets by 2016.\nScreen size/hardware considerations; new interaction models;\nTendency to rush to a device\n Have to understand needs, motivation, goals\n Not first to market, but “right to market” \n\nSven:\nNeed structured, somewhat formal way of capturing cust feedback\nKeep an open mind (“stay curious”); Be cognizant of non-negotiables (e.g. fulfillment quality)\nRecognize the often conflicting goals of simplifying while adding new features\n
Rebecca:\nHave to look at quantitative and qualitative data\nExpertise w/digital research/marketing data only tells so\n Context of the environment is important\nImportant someone has expertise to translate into design\nHelpful for third party to conduct testing, design should also be involved\n Can’t get this kind of information just by asking customers; need to observe, inquire & intuit needs\n Often research ends up on a desk in a binder; actionable\n\nSven: \nAmount of data about the app is increasing exponentially\nAnalysis requires sifting through lots of data\n Marketing may not have experience; Creative vs. analytical; IT can help bridge gap\nPOL example #1\n Research told us that customer go from cart to upload to iteratively build order\n Redesigned to simplify so customer could build iteratively in one view early in design\nPOL example #2\n After launch, not getting the conversions\n Controls were not obvious; moved and re-worded, and changed font sizes\n\n
Sven:\nNeed *some* testing before any implementation\nBut need to keep re-testing periodically since the UI will change as it is implemented; Agile\nSubtle changes can give serious, unexpected results\n\nRebecca: \nGood to get insights early on - maximize budget spend\nSometimes companies go too far down the process\nLo-fi prototypes, help inform direction, safeguard project budget\n\nSven: \nAssume patch releases – hope for the best and plan for the worst\n
Rebecca: \nImportant that development teams understand user feedback\nDevelopers are creative problem solvers and the ones implementing/feasibility\n Early alignment helps ensure we achieve business and user goals\nWe train developers in UX principles\n\nSven: \nDev more linear/structured than typical customers; approach workflow differently\nSeen how usability testing can open eyes of developers\nHaving broad representation at usability is conducive to solving “there-and-then”\nVideo and replay not impactful\nPOL Example\n Job list feature too confusing; Fixed on the spot and re-tested; IT ensured viability\n \n
Rebecca: \nNow that app is launched, multiple ways to collect feedback. No excuse, lots of social media tools.\nUsability testing, digital diaries, blogs, analytics, field research \n\nSven: \nStakeholders need to agree that once launched, we’ll need subsequent releases and ongoing involvement\nNeed to analyze survey data (iPerceptions), social media, conversion funnels\nAssign importance to feedback;\nDefine enhancements, determine LOEs, and incorporate into roadmap\n
Rebecca: \nFedEx - one of best clients when it comes to collecting feedback and acting on it.\nLot of challenges & competing interests (IT, MKTG, BIZ), we encourage stakeholders to collaborate on a digital strategy, but often they see other groups as the obstacle.\nWith business stakeholders all having different goals\n Business: revenue\n Marketing: brand\n IT: on time, on budget\nHow sort through it all to decide on product priorities/roadmap or what feedback to incorporate? \n\nSven: \nRoadmap\n Plot features on a timeline\n Short term: service packs; long-term: major features\n Prioritize features w/ stakeholders (Ops, Prod Marketing, Sales, IT)\n But remember Technical Enhancements (infrastructure, regulatory, etc.)\n Negotiate priority; prod owner leads alignment\n Revisit quarterly; all in a room; post-it notes on a board\n
Rebecca: \nNot all companies have the time/budget of FedEx\nContinuum of what you can do to collect customer feedback given the time/budget, and also complexity\n Low end - paper wireframes\n Up to high end - full beta testing\nFive quick, inexpensive ways you can collect feedback\n\n
Sven:\nTest within company (Admins, Sales, etc.)\nDifferent groups lend different perspectives; who are the users?\n Rebecca: \n2) Step just outside: coffee shops, etc. - quick test and feedback\n3) Now ever than before there are ways to incorporate customer feedback in cost effective ways, especially with social media, surveys, online forums, diaries, etc. Doesn’t require expensive software; No excuses. \n\nSven: \n4) Don’t be afraid of feedback; small changes can result in big win; don’t always need to focus on the big items\n5) Make sure app can accommodate changes without a code push\nPOL Quick Form lets Prod Owner make not only changes to prod offerings, but also related workflow changes\n
Rebecca: \nFedEx testament to incorporating customer feedback and implementing -- what have results been?\n\nSven: \nMet ambitious revenue target\nPlaced in the top 20 on the InfoWeek500 list\nReceived InfoWeek 500 Innovation Award\nBut most importantly: lots of great customer feedback!\n
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