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Engaging portals – creating great experiences

A whitepaper by Velrada

2019The digital modern workplace has grown from being technology-centric to user-centric, facilitating quality stakeholder engagement at multiple levels.

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INTRODUCTION

User Experience (UX) is now becoming the centre of the digital workplace and everyone’s involved.

The evolution of intranet, portal, content management systems and app technology has resulted in a new paradigm – the digital modern workplace. This concept incorporates both internal and external stakeholders for a truly collaborative user experience (UX), focused on delivering customised information, applications and real-time interaction for responsive and immediate action.

Stakeholder collaboration and information dissemination has never been more important as community members demand transparency and input into the decision making processes that effect them.

Collaborative input into strategy and design are starting to shape the communication and information dissemination tools we are using in the workplace. The revolution of new technology has now facilitated the use of AI to augment this offering into a complete digital workplace solution.

Move over portals – the future is here and it’s inclusive!

Management, customers, community stakeholders, board members and non-technical employees are now joining the information systems and IT teams to collaborate on scope and design of company digital solutions.

“Digital workplace initiatives cannot be treated exclusively as an IT initiative,” said Carol Rozwell, distinguished Research Vice President at Gartner. “When initiatives are executed as a series of technology rollouts, employee engagement and addressing the associated cultural change are left behind. Digital workplace success is impossible without such.”

The public facing customer service dashboard, whether it be an app, a website or a widget provides a window into the organisation and fulfils a valuable customer service role 24/7. AI has the ability to analyse data faster than humans and deliver those results as suggestions to improve overall performance. Real-time updates raise the game for management to control and react quickly from a risk management and performance management perspective. Customisable dashboards are a must for varying levels and roles in the organisation, and employee input into user experience is crucial for employee uptake, engagement and ultimately success.

Technology has now caught up and we are seeing accessible and affordable digital workplace solutions which incorporate all these internal and external stakeholder wants and needs into meaningful real-time reporting, scheduling and communication tools to empower employees and clients.

80% of today’s project management tasks will be eliminated by 2030 as artificial intelligence takes over (Gartner).

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“Digital transformation is the top-ranked business priority among government CIOs overall, followed by security and governance” (Gartner).

Embracing the digital workplace in a new ageA Gartner survey reveals 75% of organisations increased customer experience technology investments in 2018.

The workplace is changing rapidly with technological advancements and the expectations of a changing workforce. Carol Rozwell at Gartner said “a new approach for coping with the shifting demands of digital business is emerging for digital workplace leaders - change leadership.

“Digital workplace leaders must realise that their role as the orchestrator of change is fundamentally moving away from previously ingrained leadership practices that view employees as a group resistant to change rather than involving them in co-creating the path forward.”

This paradigm shift is about enabling and facilitating a more inclusive decision-making process by involving and collaborating with front line staff, senior management, technology specialists and external clients. Whereas in the past there may have been a list of technical specifications to follow, it is now fundamental to develop an understanding of expectations and requirements based on user experience (UX).

To do this, technology partners are required to approach projects from a human perspective and manage the people process throughout. Their understanding of the roles, personalities and expectations becomes core to successful implementation.

CEOs & CIOs are wanting to implement seamless digital experiences for their employees

Believe the digital workplace is very important to their organisation.

77%

Have committed to, or already have, established a digital workplace program

56%

Say their digital workplace is mid-way or better in terms of maturity

32%SOURCE: The State of the Digital Workplace Survey 2018.

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Who“Regardless of which channel they choose, customer expectations for the quality and timeliness of service interactions are soaring…. Customer service can make or break your brand. Every interaction provides an opportunity to transform negative experiences into positive outcomes and to create brand champions. Every touchpoint is meaningful” (Microsoft).

WhatA PeerJ study tells us “trust in information systems (IS) is not only highly related to performance and use of IS, but it is also related to users’ well-being and stress. Thus, a high quality IS plus sufficient support structures and competent co-workers are not only relevant for enhancing work outcomes, but they are also important for the health and job satisfaction of employees.”

WhereIt is important to consider remote options to enhance the workplace experience. A Gartner survey reveals workers prefer to spend 56% of their time in the office, 29% of worktime at home and prefer to work 14% of the time in public places or while commuting.

WhenWe live in the age of Amazon, where consumers demand more service options, faster service times, and more visibility into their goods and services. This affects all types of service businesses, whether it’s an HVAC technician making a house call or a delivery driver providing a next-day delivery to someone’s home. According to Microsoft, 72% of respondents expect agents to already know who they are, what they’ve purchased, and have insight into their previous engagements.

HowMicrosoft have found that the percentage of customers ages 35+ using social channels for support doubled in the last year. No longer just an important option for Millennials, social channels are fast becoming a standard for all demographics.

Gartner reveals 50% of millennials want to choose their own social tools. While millennials’ reactions to workplace technology aren’t unique, they expect to have a choice in the apps they use, and they’re more likely to go rogue.

Many digital workers, especially non-IT workers, think senior managers out of touch with their digital technology challenges (Gartner).

The changing workforceMost organisations recognise customer experience as a major competitive differentiator, and customer service plays a key role in defining that experience.

To provide a differentiated experience, organisations must first understand what their customers (internal and external) are looking for, and then use the right technology to reimagine the customer service experience (Microsoft).

Why“Today’s customers expect to receive service across multiple channels and on any device. In fact, 59% of our 2018 respondents have used three or more channels to get their questions answered. As those customers jump from channel to channel - particularly during a single inquiry - many customer service organisations are unable to transform multiple touchpoints into a frictionless, personalised engagement experience. Regardless of the resolution path, customers should experience a smooth and effortless transition between channels and interactions (Microsoft).”

A connected ecosystem comes into focus as a multi-channel hub of information, communication and social tools to enable connected workflow. We investigate how this has been enabled in a new paradigm of the digital workplace for the following organisations.

User identities are at the heartof digital transformation

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The modern digital workplace amplifies productivity, efficiency and intelligence; underpinned by clear policies, practice, strategy and governance.

Portals as a ‘one-stop-shop’ for information and targeted communications.

A large Australian electricity generator and retailer of gas and electricity required a refresh of their existing intranet. It had become outdated and could no longer meet their business needs or align with their technology roadmap.

A new system was required to facilitate two-way internal engagement with their staff, whilst also providing the business with a central, accessible source of all information and knowledge, as well as enabling collaborative working within teams. The new solution also needed to be fully responsive; working across a number of mobile devices including desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

Understanding that two thirds of all internal customers prefer to first try solving issues on their own, a core requirement for the new intranet was that it was relevant to all staff, including those on-site, and not just tailored for the corporate users.

“Self-service should be a cornerstone of any omni-channel strategy - but not every inquiry can be resolved through self-service. For complex issues, customers should also be offered a choice of assisted service channels to effectively address their needs. Channel preferences vary from phone to chat to social media, so knowing how your customers prefer to interact remains a key priority. And it’s important to evolve with your customers… When it comes to channel options, you not only need to offer your customers choice and convenience—you need to deliver a consistent, effortless and unified customer service experience across every touchpoint” (Microsoft).

Using VelOCity®, Velrada’s agile development approach leveraging the Microsoft SureStep and Prince 2 methodologies, the project was delivered to achieve the following outcomes: • Improved engagement across the

business and cross communication between the different personas including site workers for the first time;

• Implementation of a stable, well-architected solution, with LiveTiles integration, which is simple to maintain and administer;

• Ability to send directed (targeted) information to defined groups;

• Increased internal communications, knowledge sharing and innovation through the new intranet solution;

• Providing a platform to encourage and facilitate two-way communications across the organisation and making the process of sharing information simpler; and

• A ‘one-stop-shop’ where staff can visit to find all their relevant information and communications, as well as being able to quickly share information when required.

Portals for improved internal engagement

The new intranet facilitates two-way internal engagement with staff, while also providing the business with a central, accessible source for all information, services and knowledge, enabling staff to work more effectively and collaborate in teams.

By empowering staff to find their own answers and easily structuring information to be at their fingertips, engagement goals could be reached and exceeded with satisfaction levels also reaching an all time high.

Sample internal dashboard.

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Can you imagine a major Australian superannuation provider functioning on little more than a PDF document with a list of static hyperlinks? This was the case faced by Velrada when they were tasked with redesigning and delivering a modernised intranet, which provided a central ‘go-to’ location for knowledge and information.

The vision was to deliver an intranet that enhanced and reflected their identity as a trusted services provider that exists to help members and employers make informed decisions about how to manage super. The provider desired an intranet that is simple to both maintain and administer, in terms of both site content, structure and navigation; and the technology platform itself. They wanted a solution which was delivered using Out-of-the-Box (‘OOTB’) functionality wherever practicable, making little or no use of customisation or coding.

In addition, they required a technical solution that would enable them to effectively manage the prevention of data breaches, satisfying compliance obligations.

Workshops were held with each of the eight business units across the organisation, and functional and non-functional requirements were mapped out. Considerable technical challenges needed to be overcome within some teams, as Advisors worked with their own mobile devices. The requirements were shared with the wider business stakeholders to manage conflicting views on the proposed solution and once consensus was reached on the gathered requirements, Velrada undertook the management of the solution implementation.

Using VelOCity®, Velrada’s agile development approach leveraging the Microsoft SureStep and Prince 2 methodologies, the project was delivered to achieve the following outcomes: • The ability to send directed

(targeted) information to defined groups for the first time;

• Increased user interaction with GESB intranet solution, backed by the basic analytics that were implemented as part of the solution and employee feedback;

Business efficiency through automation and collaboration

• Driving internal collaboration within the organisation, making the process of sharing information simpler;

• Implementation of a scalable intranet solution platform, using configuration rather than customisation, which supports future upgrades and is simple to maintain and administer; and

• Reduced training and familiarisation effort because the products use tools that are common with existing software packages.

The collaboration between stakeholders in delivering this project continued through the implementation phase with project status updates to the organisations’ Change Advisory Board and key stakeholders across the business. Additionally, the training and awareness program developed by Velrada ensured all 130 staff members understood the implications and restrictions on the use of non-business-approved USB devices.

A modernised intranet on the Office 365 platform provided a central ‘go-to’ location for knowledge and information, promoting collaborative work.

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Client relationship management in their control

A public facing user-friendly solution to empower clients and automate paper-based systems.

Servicing approximately 160 state and local government clients, with over $40 billion in client debt outstanding, a major finance provider was using predominantly paper-based processes. Velrada was engaged to plan, design and build a technical solution to provide an extranet to manage their client engagement across their product range.

Facilitating online registration and customer account management, online submission of transactions applications for their product range, and document and report management; the task was to develop an extranet to replace current fax/email-based processes to enable their clients to initiate the transactions and to access to periodic reports.

To reduce training workload, aid speed adoption and facilitate change management, Velrada utilised easy to use technology that existing staff would be familiar with, successfully delivering:• A scalable solution platform,

using configuration rather than customisation, which supports future upgrades, sales and marketing management, and can be supported in-house;

• Ability to provide additional services through interfaces with outside organisation; and

• Rework and refinement of business processes to better support the aims and objectives of the department.

The solution utilised a Microsoft solution stack of Dynamics CRM, SharePoint and Microsoft Portals (Adxstudio) to establish a platform to allow their authorised clients with a secure interface that will streamline communication and transaction processes.

The result was a scalable solution platform, using configuration rather than customisation, which supports future upgrades and can be supported in-house. Customer Relationship Managers were freed from data entry to the internal system for transactions and productivity increased. Most importantly the customer’s experience was transformed with increased engagement, automation and control.

Customers are looking for end-to-end effortless customer service on the channel of their choice. Leveraging the right technology creates a significant opportunity to differentiate your brand (Microsoft).

Guiding Principles (sample)

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DRAG-AND-DROP DESIGN

• Publish slick and modern workplace portals on SharePoint –unify disparate data sources via REST APIs and JavaScript.

ANALYTICS

• Drive adoption. Use real time analytics to understand how users are engaging and enhance their experience.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

• Build and deploy bots for a variety of use cases: HR, Marketing, Sales, QnA, Personal Assistants, Employee Onboarding and more.

MOBILE EXPERIENCES

• Empower employees to work anywhere, anytime with state of the art mobile and app experiences.

LiveTiles provides a mobile responsive design canvas for SharePoint Online

Velrada together with Microsoft offer the widest range of tools to allow customers to turn their organisational information into insight.

Velrada recognise that the key for any organisation to deliver effective digital transformation or just keep up with the expectations of modern employees and customers is to leverage all data assets they have available to them including both internal and external data sources.

LiveTiles is an all-in-one solution for content, collaboration and integration.

It allows clients to create a beautiful, engaging site on a Microsoft platform that will give individual users and teams a winning user experience. No code, no fuss.

LiveTiles also provides the ability to connect disparate business applications for a seamless experience across devices and between teams, providing enhanced ways to work together and with customers.

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Transforming your experience of the modern workplace.

User Centred Design (UCD) – UX

Velrada applies user-centric methodologies to achieve a higher level of user engagement. This clear differentiator is an element of our core capability that offers our clients enhanced opportunities to succeed in their Modern Workplace projects. By focusing on the needs of users, we ensure the end product not only meets their needs, but also results in a pleasant, branded and intuitive experience, translating into higher adoption rates and user satisfaction. Velrada have created significant intellectual property extending the capabilities of Microsoft Office 365, SharePoint Online, LiveTiles, Power BI and Dynamics 365 platforms to create capabilities that deliver on the promise of a modern digital workplace.

Our Approach

Our Modern Workplace “Design” approach using SharePoint Online and LiveTiles leverages out-of-the-box functionality limiting costly customisations and is grounded in user engagement, business outcomes, and the application of best practice processes approved by Microsoft and LiveTiles across design and delivery. Founded in 2009, Velrada is an award-winning, Australian owned and operated ‘Triple Crown’ Microsoft partner; uniquely positioned to deliver value to customers through combining Gold competencies in Azure, Dynamics 365 and Office 365 to create solutions which empower employees, engage citizens, transform products and optimise operations.

Velrada won the 2018 Partner of the Year for Dynamics 365 Field Service (and was runner up in 2019), is a member of the AI Inner Circle for 2018/19 and has pioneered many solutions that have transformed organisations through the design and delivery of modern, intelligent workplaces.

We’re ready to help you do the same.

What makes Velrada a partner of choice in digital workplace design?

To find out more, contact us on 1300 835 723 or info@velrada.com