When it comes to shared services, I know what keeps you up at night.
How do we elevate the user experience while keeping an eye on our GBS goals?
There’s so much at stake. Resources are tight, expectations are high, and you want to ensure that your systems are efficient
and truly beneficial to your team and clients alike.
The good news is that aligning UX design with GBS goals is not just a dream; it’s an achievable reality with the right roadmap.
The Importance of Understanding Your Users
First off, it’s crucial to understand who you’re designing for. You can have the flashiest software out there,
but if your users aren’t engaged or aren’t benefiting from it, it serves little purpose.
Here’s how to simplify this:
- Conduct User Research: Engage with team members who interact with the systems.
What do they love? What frustrates them? How can you bridge that gap? - Create User Personas: This isn’t just marketing fluff.
Knowing your user personas helps tailor experiences specifically suited to their needs. - Gather Feedback: Implement a continuous feedback loop. You can’t improve what you don’t know is broken.
Focusing on these areas can kickstart the process of refining your UX.
A real-life example? A shared services center I was involved with began implementing routine feedback sessions
with its HR team and turned up some serious insights.
Employees didn’t just want a functional system; they wanted ease of use.
This led to the introduction of a UX design overhaul that allowed for more streamlined processes.
Sounds easy, right?
It takes commitment and flexibility, but the reward is a more engaged team using applications that actually make their work lives easier!
Integrating GBS Goals into UX Design
Now that we’ve talked about understanding your users, let’s pivot to your goals.
How do UX designs tie back to your shared services objectives? Think about these points:
- Define Clear Objectives: What are your GBS goals?
Is it cost reduction? Increasing service speed or enhancing customer satisfaction? - Map User Journeys: Lay out how users interact with your processes and
align these journeys with achieving your specific operational goals. - Prioritize User Experience: It’s tempting to prioritize cost over experience,
but remember, unsatisfied users can delay efficiency and increase churn.
Implementing these steps can lead to measurable improvements. Last year, I worked with a financial services provider
struggling with internal communications.
By integrating UX design to mirror their strategic goals, the company saw a 20% increase in response speed on internal requests.
All because they started putting the user first.
Process Optimization and Efficiency
Now, let’s shift our focus to process optimization.
This isn’t just about speeding things up; it’s about removing the unnecessary bottlenecks
that slow your team and processes down. Here’s how we can innovate:
- Lean Principles: Adopting lean principles can drastically cut wasted time in processes.
Focus on value-added activities that directly support your GBS goals. - Automate Routine Tasks: If your team is doing repetitive work, automate it.
Tools like RPA (Robotic Process Automation) can reduce errors while freeing up time for your team members. - Implement Metrics: Use KPIs to gauge how well your UX design is fulfilling GBS goals.
Are users satisfied? What processes are still slow or problematic?
A great example of effective process optimization came from a logistics company I collaborated with.
They used metrics to track and improve their delivery processes based on user feedback.
They became a force to reckon with in their industry, not just because they optimized their processes,
but because they made the UX enjoyable for their staff.
Fostering a Culture of Innovation
Next up, fostering a culture of innovation is crucial. Your GBS approach should not be a one and done.
It needs ongoing care and development. Here’s how you can drive that:
- Encourage Experimentation: Roll out pilot projects that allow teams to test new features before full deployment.
Learning through small wins can drive major transformations. - Build Cross-Functional Teams: Bringing different team members together fosters creativity.
Collaboration leads to unique solutions that wouldn’t emerge in silos. - Celebrate Successes and Failures: Innovation requires a willingness to fail.
But when you recognize what didn’t work, it clears the path for finding what does.
At a shared services center I managed, we adopted this culture and initiated a ‘Fail Forward’ policy.
When a project didn’t go as planned, rather than shaming the team, we celebrated the lesson learned and pivoted.
That openness led us to discover incredible efficiencies we never thought possible.
Leveraging Technology for Enhanced UX
In this hyper-connected world, leveraging tech effectively sets apart successful shared services.
Think beyond conventional tools. Let’s talk about some cutting-edge tech you should consider:
- Artificial Intelligence: Using AI can provide personalized experiences for your users,
making them feel valued while streamlining processes. - Cloud-Based Solutions: Embrace tools that allow access anywhere, anytime!
Your team will appreciate the flexibility and collaboration it fosters. - Data Analytics: Dive into your metrics. Data tells a story! Use it to identify pain points in user experience
and refine your designs continuously.
For example, a tech client I collaborated with leveraged AI for their customer service processes.
By using chatbots to handle simple queries, they enabled their human team members to focus on higher-value tasks, which led to improved service levels across the board.
Building a Responsive and Adaptive Team
Lastly, your UX design is only as good as the team behind it. Investing in your people is non-negotiable!
Here are some ways to build a dynamic shared services team:
- Training and Development: Ensure regular skill upgrade opportunities.
Your users’ll appreciate a team that’s always in the know about the latest tools and trends. - Empower Decision-Making: Give your team the autonomy to make decisions within their roles.
This increases ownership and leads to innovative solutions. - Celebrate Diversity: A diverse team brings diverse solutions.
Encourage varied backgrounds and perspectives to tackle shared services challenges.
A practical example? When I created a cross-functional team to address customer experience issues,
the variety of viewpoints led to an overhaul of our credit card processing services.
Conclusion: Your Journey to Effortless Alignment
In wrapping this up, aligning UX design with GBS goals is a journey, not a destination.
You’ve got to continually evolve.
By understanding your users, integrating GBS goals into your design, optimizing processes, fostering innovation, leveraging technology,
and investing in your team, you’re setting up a robust framework that works.
If you’re hungry for more insights on shared services, transformation, innovation, and leadership,
pay a visit to THEGBSEDGE.
It’s the best blog for anyone looking to up their game in the shared services industry.
By implementing the roadmap outlined above, you’re not just keeping up with the times; you’re leading the charge
in creating an efficient, user-focused shared service environment.
