IBM Power Transformation Research

Defining data-driven client experience goals

OBJECTIVE

Collecting, synthesizing, and transforming large quantities of complex client and partner data into a set of client experience goals to drive fundamental changes in the IBM Power business.

TEAM
8 UX researchers, UX designers, and a service designer split into four pillars—each representing separate customer segments & areas of the Power business

MY ROLE

I contributed to 2/4 pilars as a UX researcher focusing heavily on workshop faciliatation, survey design, data analysis, and creating research insight playbacks.

TIMELINE

Aug 2022 - Feb 2023

PROJECT BACKGROUND

IBM’s Power business—a family of servers and accompanying IT software products designed for enterprise applications—has been around since the 1980s.

In 2022, the entire Power business unit embarked on a transformation initiative to realign the business around enterprise clients’ most pressing IT infrastructure needs.

THE CHALLENGE
Deliver a set of client experience goals crafted from quality users insights that will transform the IBM Power business and align our teams around delivering on critical client needs.

Research objectives

Results

01.

Explore the user experiences surrounding IBM Power

31

Conducted research with 31 users representing 6 different personas

02.

Identify the pain points for the personas involved in the procurement, purchase, and use of Power products

328

Identified 328 user needs

03.

Ideate and prioritze a set of client experience goals for the Power business to meet customer needs

7

Delivered and prioritize 7 client experience goals to shape the future of IBM Power

PROCESS & METHODOLOGY

01. Diverge

Divided into 4 pillars—each representing separate customer segments & areas of the Power business—conducting individual research studies.

Methods & tools

1:1 moderated interviews
co-design workshops
survey research
defining user personas

02. Converge

Converged insights from across all four pillars to identify Power-wide needs and differentiate pillar-specific needs.

Methods & tools

design thinking workshops
affinity mapping
thematic analysis
crafting need statements
as-is journey mapping

03. Ideate

Created a set of Power-wide experience goals based on the user pain points, needs, and ideas from all pillars. 

Methods & tools

affinity mapping
to-be journey mapping
storyboarding

04. Evaluate

Tested our hypotheses/“draft goals” with users to understand if we were correctly articulating their needs and evaluated which goals were users’ highest priorities.

Methods & tools

survey research
data analysis
presentation of insights & recommendations

OUTCOME & IMPACT
7 client experiences goals delivered, accepted by leadership, and integrated into IBM Power’s business strategy and product roadmaps

31

users representing 6 different personas engaged across workshops and 1:1 interviews

328

total user need statements generated

4 playbacks delivered to IBM executives detailing research insights and recommendations

6

“Power client value driver” squads—comprised of product, development, and design SMEs—formed and are actively working to fulfill the client experience goals.

Over a year later, client feedback and increased revenue are showing us that Power is moving in the right direction.

* Due to confidentiality purposes and NDAs, more detailed research results and data cannot be shared.

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