New Module Framework for SAP Analytics.
As the sole designer on the project, I partnered with the Head of Design for Analytics and Platform, collaborating with 55 developers across five countries to design and deliver a new navigational framework. This infrastructure enhances how customers interact with their business data, making workflows more efficient. The new experience is set to launch in May 2021—but in the meantime, here’s a sneak peek video showcasing what’s coming in SAP Analytics Cloud:
How it got started:
In our customer feedback sessions, we uncovered several obstacles to adoption—most notably, users struggled with a disjointed and confusing navigation experience. Specific problems included:
Inconsistent tooling across the platform
Redundant and confusing navigation elements
Lack of support for multi-application workflows, especially for power users
Recognizing the impact, our Head of Design presented the case for a new navigational framework at the annual SAP Executive Advisory Board meeting in Germany. The proposal was ranked among the top two initiatives for investment by the board.
Following the presentation of our design concept to 22 customers, the response was overwhelmingly positive—they indicated a higher likelihood of recommending SAP Analytics Cloud, with projected gains in Net Promoter Score (NPS) of +58.
Once the project was prioritized at the organizational level, we launched an intensive “war room” effort. A senior software developer first built an API aligned with the new navigational framework design. We then brought together architects and developers from multiple product teams and countries for a three-day collaborative session in Vancouver, Canada, to develop a proof of concept using the new API. The effort was a success, and after two years of continued development, the full implementation was completed.
Full design process available in an offline portfolio—contact me for details.
Key Takeaways
#1 Communicate early and repeatedly
Being a platform project in the verticle plane, this navigational change impacted every single application and tool under the Hana Analytics Product portfolio. We had to educate everyone early internally and externally on the work needed to adopt this new framework. However, through many follow-up conversations, I realized communicating once is not enough, and it doesn’t hurt to communicate often and as early as possible.
#2 The art of negotiation
Without a project manager who can smooth out difficult conversations between stressed and overworked stakeholders, I had to take it on with my Head of Design. This means we were responsible for negotiation for scope & resources, smooth out bumps between stakeholders, follow up on unfinished user stories and bugs. During the project, I took a Master Class by Chris Voss who taught the art of negotiation. With that learning, I continuously practicing being a better listener when negotiation is needed.
#3 Use customer insights to push design forward
Due to the large scale of the project, we had to scope down the phase 1 release. To ensure we will continue to have the resource commitment from multiple development teams, we hosted Beta testing sessions with customers prior to phase 1 release. We captured their feedback and enhancement requests as phase 2 user stories. Additionally, the customer insights enabled us to add in a few final enhancements to phase 1.