Financial Forecasting Service Blueprint
My roles - Lead design strategist, lead facilitator
SETTING THE SCENE
In February of 2020, I was partnered to an internal product team in finance to help understand the current state of their product to inform the team’s plans for their 3-5-year strategic vision.
The goal was to create a comprehensive view of the financial forecasting processes that incorporate this specific product. A number of business teams use this product in completing their essential tasks for the company.
MY APPROACH
My approach to accomplish the goal was to create a service blueprint. This would allow us to see the processes holistically while getting a closer look at how interactions in the process broke down. It would be an important deliverable for spotting pain points in the process and for uncovering the opportunities for improvements in the processes.
THEN THE PANDEMIC HIT
Because the partnership began in February 2020, we had almost no knowledge of what was to come. We started off aligning on one plan but had to quickly pivot to a new plan when we learned that we’d be working remotely for the foreseeable future.
The original plan pre-COVID
Workshop expectations. A scene from a workshop I held for a different project circa 2019.
Construct timeline divided into multiple stages to use as scheduling guide and to level-set on expectations
Schedule a few in-person workshops with 3-4 subject matter experts at the office
Utilize the plotter printer, sticky notes, and sharpies to document data with in-person participants
Hold one additional working session to collect data over Webex with already-remote team members
Our pivoted plan
Re-construct timeline and stages to make-up for time lost in our transition to a fully-remote environment
Schedule remote working group sessions with 1-2 participants per session over Webex
Quickly revise a service blueprint template on Mural previously made for a different project to take the place of physical materials for all data-gathering working sessions
WHAT HAPPENED?
I facilitated 13 data gathering sessions. Each session lasted between 1-2 hours and included a participant speaking to a scenario that would cause one of the business teams to access the product. Initial sessions included participants talking through the steps of their team’s process through the platform, pointing out the various systems and tools included throughout the process. Subsequent sessions entailed participants validating the documented processes and adding in any missed details.
Adding data to the service blueprint in Mural.
By examining the product’s current state processes, I influenced the product team's 3-5 year strategic vision by...
WHY DOES THIS MATTER?
Not only did the blueprint creation help shape the product’s strategic vision, I exceeded expectations in changing times:
Despite COVID-19, I evolved to obtain results in new ways, keeping the promise made to the partners
I remained flexible with the partners’ remote flexibilities, cultivating their trust and holding productive conversations