Case Study

Ahead of a major CRM release, usability testing was conducted with 120 reps across sales regions. Findings were significant but complex — and the usual methods for communicating research outcomes weren’t going to move the Chief Process Officer to act in the compressed window before go-live.

Company & Position

SAP, Global Senior Director, User Experience Consulting (2010)

Details

Testing revealed that reps were spending far more time than necessary on routine transactions — frustration that was measurable, and issues that were complex: multiple screens, multiple task flows, interaction effects between steps. A findings deck with satisfaction scores wasn’t the right vehicle.

Actions

• Reframed research findings using a Lean Process Map — visualizing the full workflow step by step, quantifying time at each stage, and making waste visible at a glance.
• Quantified the downstream impact of optimizing a single step: Update Opportunity, executed 19 times over the lifecycle of an opportunity.
• Secured executive commitment to implement changes before go-live.

Outcome & Impact

• Approximately 4,000 hours in monthly time savings across the user base.
• Transaction time for Create Opportunity reduced 23%; Update Opportunity reduced 26%.
• Perceived difficulty reduced 17%; end-user satisfaction increased 30%.
• Engagement opened further collaboration on Board- and C-level initiatives — a direct consequence of communicating findings in the CPO’s language.