Kala Dolan

Preheat

Preheat is an Agile adoption approach designed to provide Chief Technology Officers the necessary tools and resources to successfully transition their company’s methodology to Agile.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:


We were asked by SmoothApps, a boutique consulting firm specializing in Agile adoption, to understand why they weren't growing. They had created a dashboard specifically for their clients to display company agility but overall, they were not gaining as much business as they hoped for. We were tasked with understanding the pain points of their user, the Chief Technology Officer, to provide a solution which would help SmoothApps better meet the needs of their clients resulting in more business.

MY ROLE:

Throughout the project, I worked as the team lead where I collaborated with other leaders to develop the personas. Additionally, I led our team's user research by conducting multiple interviews.


ROLE:


UX Designer

UX Researcher

Team Lead

DURATION:


7 Weeks

TOOLS:


Mural

InDesign

TEAM:


Kala McDonald

Tanner Wheat

John Pechacek

Cj Peters

The Problem


How might we make the decision to switch to Agile easier by preparing a company for a successful transition and guiding them through the process?

Making a major technological change within a company is difficult and time consuming. Many factors such as time, cost, company readiness, and C-Suite friction determine whether a company will choose to change work methodologies or remain in their current state. Uncertainty with change and lack of C-Suite alignment leave a company stagnant, thus eliminating the need for SmoothApps and their consulting services.

The Solution

Preheat: An Agile Adoption Approach

This approach will allow SmoothApps the tools necessary to empathize with their client and convince the CTO's they are capable of properly preparing for a successful Agile adoption.

The Problem


How might we make the decision to switch to Agile easier by preparing a company for a successful transition and guiding them through the process?

Making a major technological change within a company is difficult and time consuming. Many factors such as time, cost, company readiness, and C-Suite friction determine whether a company will choose to change work methodologies or remain in their current state. Uncertainty with change and lack of C-Suite alignment leave a company stagnant, thus eliminating the need for SmoothApps and their consulting services.

The Solution

Preheat: An Agile Adoption Approach
This approach will allow SmoothApps the tools necessary to empathize with their client and convince the CTO's they are capable of properly preparing for a successful Agile adoption.

The Solution

Preheat: An Agile Adoption Approach

This approach will allow SmoothApps the tools necessary to empathize with their client and convince the CTO's they are capable of properly preparing for a successful Agile adoption.

EMPATHIZE

EMPATHIZE

Primary Research


To better understand Agile and its benefits, we researched the pros and cons of other workflow methodologies. We also researched the role of a Chief Technology Officer to gain better insight as to who SmoothApps would be presenting their services to. From this, we learned that there is a

59%

of respondents mention culture and performance management as their key challenge in their shift toward Agile.

39%

state that availability of resources with Agile delivery is an important challenge.

55%

say their company plans to increase the use of Agile in the next 12-14 months.

Source: Agile Transformation by KPMG | 14th Annual State of Agile Report by digital.ai

Qualitative Research


I conducted remote interviews with two Chief Technology Officers to gain insight about their pain points when it comes to deciding which methodology to use.



“When you fully embrace agile, people get on board with you and they get excited. If you don’t fully embrace the change and just 'Do Agile', it doesn’t work.”


Carol Clements

Chief Technology Officer, Pizza Hut



Primary Research


To better understand Agile and its benefits, we researched the pros and cons of other workflow methodologies. We also researched the role of a Chief Technology Officer to gain better insight as to who SmoothApps would be presenting their services to. From this, we learned that there is a

59%

of respondents mention culture and performance management as their key challenge in their shift toward Agile.

39%

state that availability of resources with Agile delivery is an important challenge.

55%

say their company plans to increase the use of Agile in the next 12-14 months.

Source: Agile Transformation by KPMG | 14th Annual State of Agile Report by digital.ai

Qualitative Research


I conducted remote interviews with two Chief Technology Officers to gain insight about their pain points when it comes to deciding which methodology to use.



“When you fully embrace agile, people get on board with you and they get excited. If you don’t fully embrace the change and just 'Do Agile', it doesn’t work.”


Carol Clements

Chief Technology Officer, Pizza Hut



Key Insights

CHANGE MANAGEMENT:

Build around the "why" and give employees time to make the journey alongside the company.


FULLY EMBRACE AGILE:

In order to be a success, upper management must embrace Agile first, before the rest of the company gets on board.


C-SUITE ALIGNMENT:

Ensuring alignment with business stakeholders is critical to the success of any transition.


Key Insights

CHANGE MANAGEMENT:

Build around the "why" and give employees time to make the journey alongside the company.

FULLY EMBRACE AGILE:

In order to be a success, upper management must embrace Agile first, before the rest of the company gets on board.

C-SUITE ALIGNMENT:

Ensuring alignment with business stakeholders is critical to the success of any transition.

DEFINING THE USER

DEFINING THE USER

Empathy Map


To better understand Agile and its benefits, we researched the pros and cons of other workflow methodologies. We also researched the role of a Chief Technology Officer to gain better insight as to who SmoothApps would be presenting their services to.

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Empathy Map


To better understand Agile and its benefits, we researched the pros and cons of other workflow methodologies. We also researched the role of a Chief Technology Officer to gain better insight as to who SmoothApps would be presenting their services to.

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
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  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
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Persona Development


In addition, we developed three personas that would embody our most common users as well as either extreme. 
 Ted represents the new CTO working for a start-up company with no experience with Agile. Jocelyn is a more senior CTO working for a mid-sized company currently using Agile but not as successfully as she would like within her organization. Finally, Ralph represents the mid-level CTO working for a large company with minimal experience using Agile in a previous role.

Persona Development


In addition, we developed three personas that would embody our most common users as well as either extreme. 
 Ted represents the new CTO working for a start-up company with no experience with Agile. Jocelyn is a more senior CTO working for a mid-sized company currently using Agile but not as successfully as she would like within her organization. Finally, Ralph represents the mid-level CTO working for a large company with minimal experience using Agile in a previous role.

DESIGNING THE EXPERIENCE

DESIGNING THE EXPERIENCE

Mapping the Customer Journey

Based on the research from user interviews as well as our empathy map, we decided to focus on solving for the pain point “Change”, as well as to target Ralph as our primary user persona.


As a team, we determined the actions, pain points, opportunities, and big ideas for the journey a CTO would take while engaging with SmoothApps. Because we were focusing on the “Realize Need” portion of the journey, we developed 9 "How Might We" statements as well as three "Big Ideas."

Mapping the Customer Journey

Based on the research from user interviews as well as our empathy map, we decided to focus on solving for the pain point “Change”, as well as to target Ralph as our primary user persona.


As a team, we determined the actions, pain points, opportunities, and big ideas for the journey a CTO would take while engaging with SmoothApps. Because we were focusing on the “Realize Need” portion of the journey, we developed 9 "How Might We" statements as well as three "Big Ideas."

Key Pain Points


Within the theme of “Change”, there are 3 key pain points.

Key Pain Points


Within the theme of “Change”, there are 3 key pain points.

LEADERSHIP ALIGNMENT:

Leadership goals not aligning, leading to friction between teams.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT:

Getting the entire company on board is a major hurdle. Having them understand the "Why" is crucial to the success of the company.

EMPLOYEE SKEPTICISM / FEAR:

Employees are concerned that they will be replaced with new technology and lose their jobs.

LEADERSHIP ALIGNMENT:
Leadership goals not aligning, leading to friction between teams.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT:

Getting the entire company on board is a major hurdle. Having them understand the "Why" is crucial to the success of the company.

EMPLOYEE SKEPTICISM / FEAR:
Employees are concerned that they will be replaced with new technology and lose their jobs.



IDEATE

IDEATE

The Solution


After reviewing the opportunities and the needs of the user, we determined a solution that would provide the most impact to SmoothApps as they try to attract new business.

PREHEAT:

It’s kind of like how you need to preheat the oven before baking. You can have the right ingredients and the perfect recipe, but if your oven is not ready, the dish may take too long to cook or be ruined.


WHO WHAT WOW:

SmoothApps’s approach can help align the company so that they successfully adopt the Agile methodology in order to maximize company profit.

The Solution


After reviewing the opportunities and the needs of the user, we determined a solution that would provide the most impact to SmoothApps as they try to attract new business.

PREHEAT:

It’s kind of like how you need to preheat the oven before baking. You can have the right ingredients and the perfect recipe, but if your oven is not ready, the dish may take too long to cook or be ruined.


WHO WHAT WOW:

SmoothApps’s approach can help align the company so that they successfully adopt the Agile methodology in order to maximize company profit.

STORYBOARD

STORYBOARD

The Storyboard


We developed a storyboard illustrating the experience Ralph would have when engaging with SmoothApps.

The Storyboard


We developed a storyboard illustrating the experience Ralph would have when engaging with SmoothApps.

Preheat Recommendations

Preheat Recommendations

Assess


  • Website provides a free self assessment for a company to evaluate their own agility.
  • Once hired, SmoothApps conducts in-person consultation with the CTO to provide an in-depth assessment of company’s current agility.

Pitch


  • Provide CTO with a custom approach, including supporting materials to present to C-Suite members for buy-in. Materials can include projections, stakeholder mapping, profiles, detailed timelines, etc.
  • Provide client testimonials and white papers to reinforce success with Agile adoption using SmoothApps.

Train


  • Communicate change with employees to ease anxieties and get them excited.
  • Provide a necessary training strategy for employees, so that they can develop products in an Agile environment and the company can retain its talent.


Assess


  • Website provides a free self assessment for a company to evaluate their own agility.
  • Once hired, SmoothApps conducts in-person consultation with the CTO to provide an in-depth assessment of company’s current agility.

Pitch


  • Provide CTO with a custom approach, including supporting materials to present to C-Suite members for buy-in. Materials can include projections, stakeholder mapping, profiles, detailed timelines, etc.
  • Provide client testimonials and white papers to reinforce success with Agile adoption using SmoothApps.

Train


  • Communicate change with employees to ease anxieties and get them excited.
  • Provide a necessary training strategy for employees, so that they can develop products in an Agile environment and the company can retain its talent.


CLIENT RESPONSE

CLIENT RESPONSE

Feedback

The overall feedback of the Preheat approach was extremely well received by SmoothApps. They resonated with preheating the oven as analogy for preparing a company to adopt a new methodology. In order to enhance the presentation, SmoothApps recommended opening with an anecdote to capture the attention of the audience from the start. 


Feedback

The overall feedback of the Preheat approach was extremely well received by SmoothApps. They resonated with preheating the oven as analogy for preparing a company to adopt a new methodology. In order to enhance the presentation, SmoothApps recommended opening with an anecdote to capture the attention of the audience from the start. 


Next Steps

Based off our the feedback, our next steps to improve the overall impact of the deliverable would be to conduct a competitor analysis and create presentation materials for SmoothApps to present to CTO’s.

Next Steps

Based off our the feedback, our next steps to improve the overall impact of the deliverable would be to conduct a competitor analysis and create presentation materials for SmoothApps to present to CTO’s.

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