What this looks like in practice.

The problem

There was no shared roadmap for the logistics system, and its workflows had grown complicated across departments. When the software failed to flag a problem in time, the production line stopped, which cost real money every minute.

What I did

• Interviewed more than 10 users across departments to map how the work really flowed.
• Redesigned the application around those workflows, including the screens that diagnose warnings before they become stoppages.
• Built an impact map linking each design decision to the cost of a minute of stoppage and the specialist hours saved.

What changed

• Senior leadership chose this design over an incumbent partner’s.
• The programme was extended by two years for a full rebuild.
• Net cost savings could be tracked in real time.

The problem

Several large applications were in development at once. Stakeholders on one wanted their old system copied onto new software, analysts and developers were working against each other, and scientific staff were working outside the tool. Intake for a key process could take up to a month.

What I did

• Moved the conversation from copying the old system to what the application should achieve.
• Won over sceptical analysts by understanding their context first and making the case with evidence.
• Introduced mockups agreed with users before build, and impact maps tracking lead time, throughput and satisfaction.
• Noticed users wanted task overviews so they wouldn’t have to log in, and redesigned workflows so using the tool was easier than avoiding it.

What changed

• On average, about 9 in 10 pieces of feedback at each release going live were positive.
• The intake process was redesigned with the aim of cutting it from up to a month to about a week.
• Previously reluctant users came round, and a small first engagement grew into a multi-year programme.