Growth Numbers from MVP (rollout was in Nov 2023)
Released 18 Updates
51 User-requested features
Over 150 bug fixes
3 Major tracks in the tank for 2024
1 Entirely new user group being added to help streamline their work process
Challenge
I was brought onto the project after the team at Mckinsey & Co. had already performed ethnographic field study research for our client, FirstEnergy out in Akron, Ohio. My task was to gather and analyze the findings to create meaningful insights that will help shape a product roadmap for the next 18-24 months.
Findings
Crews desire to spend less time on administrative work so they can focus more on the more exciting parts of the job.
There's redundancy in the paperwork that is required to perform the job.
Safety trainings and protocols are time-consuming and can be difficult to navigate.
"There's lots of redundancy. We’re trying to get away from paperwork." - Lineman (2 years work xp)
"I'd like to spend less time in meetings, safety/cyber training, and admin work." - Line Leader (17 years work xp)
First, show the impossible. Then, tailor it to make it feasible.
To prevent scope creep, I offered high-level wireframes to to get a better idea of how far we might be able to go. Keep in mind that these design exercises were all in preparation for the alignment workshop ahead. This industry is so accustomed to the old saying, "If it's not broken, don't fix it." In this case, we've studied and listened to linemen, management, and stakeholders and are things that could use a bit of fixing 😁.
The trick is to find a balance between solutions that might seem too farfetched and too unimaginative. So, it was my job to marry both worlds and present solutions that hit the primary goals. Here are some of those wireframes:
Workshops
We utilized virtual workshops as a means for collaboration, product alignment, and MVP prioritization among stakeholders. One of the challenges with virtual workshops is the lack of face-to-face interaction, so we thought of miniature outlets like games and group breakouts to keep the crowd together and interested. There is a bunch of new info to consume all at once (and early in the morning 😅)so these small additions helped make the workshop digestible.
After five months of research and alignment…
As a result of the efforts from our workshop participants, we narrowed down possible MVP candidates into eight concept themes which included more than thirty features. Here are some of the concepts that resulted from it:
Easy Data Capture
Field Intelligence Wiki
One-Stop Shop Job Prep
