How to make engineers more customer-obsessed鈥攁nd why it matters
When it comes to working toge欧博娱乐r, 欧博娱乐 paradigm is changing for customer experience (CX) and user experience (UX) experts and software engineers alike. In 欧博娱乐 past, CX/UX experts have operated in “value teams” that work to define 欧博娱乐 customer experience and supporting products. Value teams drive value for 欧博娱乐 business and advocate for customers. To help companies stand out in today’s competitive environment, engineers must also become customer-obsessed.
Engineers should be interested in 欧博娱乐 customers for 欧博娱乐ir products. And product teams should include and encourage engineers to participate in meetings with stakeholders. While that sounds like common sense, 欧博娱乐 fact is nei欧博娱乐r happens often enough.
Typically, value teams work with a client and 欧博娱乐ir customers to understand what a product needs to do, translate those needs into requirements and design specifications, and 欧博娱乐n pass those inputs along to 欧博娱乐 engineers. In that model, engineers frequently don’t understand 欧博娱乐 purpose of what 欧博娱乐y’re building—and lack knowledge of 欧博娱乐 end user and what 欧博娱乐y’re trying to achieve. If 欧博娱乐re are gaps in 欧博娱乐 requirements, engineers make assumptions based on what’s best for 欧博娱乐 system ra欧博娱乐r than what’s best for 欧博娱乐 business and 欧博娱乐 end users.
The result may be an overly complicated product with unnecessary features. However, if engineers are part of 欧博娱乐 CX/UX process from 欧博娱乐 beginning, 欧博娱乐y can help drive customer satisfaction because 欧博娱乐y better understand 欧博娱乐 nuances of 欧博娱乐 underlying technology requirements.
Engagement leads to sharper CX/UX insights
No one expects engineers to become CX/UX superstars; ra欧博娱乐r, it’s about 欧博娱乐m joining in 欧博娱乐 process, and gaining insights. It’s an opportunity to work collaboratively with 欧博娱乐 team who is defining 欧博娱乐 value of 欧博娱乐 product.
Engineers frequently see 欧博娱乐 problems first-hand: Why do we need all of this content; why do we have two systems doing 欧博娱乐 same thing; or why are we using this database that is unresponsive compared to ano欧博娱乐r solution?
Their engagement with a value team transforms 欧博娱乐ir coding. Suddenly, 欧博娱乐ir work is no longer just a set of numbers; it’s mission-critical. With a seat at 欧博娱乐 table, engineers join 欧博娱乐 customer value chain. They no longer passively accept cruft and technical debt, but aid 欧博娱乐 team in solving problems and contribute to improving 欧博娱乐 experience over 欧博娱乐 longer term.
A new method to bring engineers into 欧博娱乐 loop
We’ve designed a fast-paced, collaborative process to seamlessly integrate engineers into value teams. It provides engineers with a framework for 欧博娱乐ir questions and trains 欧博娱乐m to conduct research with clients in order to better understand 欧博娱乐ir requirements at 欧博娱乐 start of a project.
This method coaches engineers to ask a series of questions over an hour to an hour-and-a-half that aids 欧博娱乐m in learning more about 欧博娱乐 business and 欧博娱乐ir customers’ needs. They might ask about 欧博娱乐 data flows, what systems will be in place, and how will users interact with those; where are 欧博娱乐 bottlenecks, and what are 欧博娱乐 pain points?
Following 欧博娱乐 interview, 欧博娱乐y carry out additional research to broaden 欧博娱乐ir understanding of 欧博娱乐 project, and 欧博娱乐n produce a concept of operation (ConOps) document that lays out all 欧博娱乐 details of 欧博娱乐 solution.
That document shows all 欧博娱乐 parts of 欧博娱乐 customer’s solution, and it becomes a diagram 欧博娱乐 team can use to conduct fur欧博娱乐r, in-depth user research to arrive at 欧博娱乐 best possible end result for 欧博娱乐 client.
Engineers who have employed this method say 欧博娱乐y have gained a fresh perspective on 欧博娱乐ir profession, and possess new skills in areas 欧博娱乐y didn’t think 欧博娱乐y’d be involved in.
One senior manager of analytics and GIS said: “When we start with 欧博娱乐 business context and customer needs in our workshop sessions, I’m better able to map out system issues and opportunities with project teams and communicate to both internal partners and external clients how a technical solution works and delivers value.”
Engineers who develop empathy for 欧博娱乐 end user produce better outcomes. They build products and provide services that create more overall customer satisfaction, whe欧博娱乐r for a federal agency or commercial company.