Client Launch Optimization at Bazaarvoice

I process mapped account setup to identify streamlining opportunities

Making a positive first impression with clients starts at onboarding.

In 6 months, I:

  • Streamlined the account setup from months to 10 days

  • Saved 20 hours of work per week by advocating for product-level changes

  • Trained 4 off-shore resources to implement the account setup process

 

The challenge

How might we create an account setup process that reduces delays and manual work?

Before, our frontline team was responsible for account setup tasks on top of client-facing duties.

The process was piecemeal, happening over multiple months, resulting in:

  • Higher costs

  • Bad first impressions due to delays & inconsistencies

Role: Technical Program Manager
For: Bazaarvoice, a reviews SaaS company for e-commerce
Type: Service design, Prototyping, Stakeholder interviews, Journey mapping

 

Defining the Problem

I interviewed 5 client-facing project managers to learn about pain points and understand their current workflow.

User interviews: Setup as an Afterthought

"I have 40 clients, so doing account setup is one of the last things on my mind."

  1. Inconsistency due to manual steps
    The team didn't have time to make setup consistent, resulting in delays and lower adoption of best practices.

  2. Unclear escalation path
    When things went wrong, the team spent a lot of time and money locating the appropriate escalation contact.

  3. Poor documentation
    Teams weren't able to find account setup artifacts consistently, resulting in backtracking and slowdowns.
 

Service Prototyping & Documentation

I prototyped the simplest iteration of an account setup team (just myself).

I started with simple cases, formalized the process first, and ramped up in complexity.

Then, I expanded the process to a broader user base.

Incorporating user and stakeholder feedback throughout helped improve the process and depth of setup documentation.

 

Key Learnings

  • Prototyping and iterating helped me ramp up to setting up ~40 accounts per week

  • Feedback from the team ensured we met their setup needs and identified streamlining opportunities

  • Maintaining up-to-date docs was essential in consistent execution and reducing delays

 
 

Let's Talk

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