overview

Our Fortune Top 20 client, specializing in third-party logistics for pharmaceuticals, uses a complex SAP-based client portal that often confuses users due to its multi-step data export process.

This has overwhelmed their client services teams with Salesforce tickets from clients needing timely data access, and restricted program managers to transactional relationships, hindering proactive client engagements. Feedback from client surveys and Net Promoter Scores indicates dissatisfaction with the portal’s usability, reporting, and communication methods. The company acknowledges these issues and aims to enhance efficiency and client relationships.

industries

• Pharmaceutical
• 3rd Party Logistics
• Med Tech

services

• Product blueprint
• Research
• UX Design & Prototyping
• Usability testing
• Competitive market analysis
• Capability differentiation
• Product roadmapping

the vision

To create an opportunity to shift client focus from a transactional to a partnership relationship that unlocks client value beyond 3PL services.

The challenge

• Simplistic SAP interface in the client portal uses a bottom-up approach for data access, involving multi-step raw data exports that confuse users.
• Client services teams are overwhelmed by Salesforce tickets from clients needing timely data access.
• Program managers are limited to transactional relationships, reducing chances for proactive, consultative engagement.
• Client dissatisfaction is clear from surveys and Net Promoter Scores (NPS), highlighting issues with the portal experience, confusing reports, and disjointed communication.
• Recognition of these issues necessitates decisive action for improvement.

Impact

The 3PL business underwent a transformation, shifting focus from reactive issue resolution to a proactive, automated, and self-service-oriented approach centered on building client trust.

• Reduce client ticket volume, increase NPS scores, streamline internal tasks, and boost sales conversion rates with an advanced client portal.
• Enhance program managers’ visibility through the next-gen portal with account health KPI tracking and efficient two-way communication.
• Empower program managers to maintain proactive, consultative relationships with clients.
• Benefit other client service teams with customizable dashboards, user-friendly data paths, and centralized data management in the new portal.
• Provide clients intuitive self-service access to order and financial information, reducing the need for tickets or emails.

What we did

Facilitating stakeholder alignment through workshops and interviews

Starting with a stakeholder alignment workshop, we documented the team’s vision, goals and objectives. We also aligned on the scope to keep us on track with this aggressive 4 month project. Coming out of the workshop, we immediately got to work by listening to their users. In total, we interviewed 25 internal and client users and ran two team ideation sessions.

Insight driven design process

Coming out of the research, we had clearly identified opportunities straight from the user’s voice to direct our design effort. The primary next-gen client opportunities we prioritized included:

• data investigation
• two-way communication
• and client self-service

We iterated weekly on the design, going from an outlined information architecture, to wireframes, visual design and ending with 5 clickable prototypes that gave a realistic view to the functionality and value the 3PL next-gen client portal would offer.

Validate through usability testing

We completed our design phase with another round of user feedback by running five different usability tests across two different persona groups to receive critical feedback before moving into the solution architecture and development planning phase.

Product requirements & Solution Architecture

Product requirements, solution architecture and development planning completed our product blueprint, as we aligned the technical team on the high level functionality and necessary technology to be in place to support this new client experience.