As part of this initiative, the Auto Renewal team was formed to enhance the broker experience on the Broker Portal and to seamlessly phase out the old Program. One of the key challenges faced was resistance from older brokers who were reluctant to transition to the new platform.
Objective
To create a user-friendly and efficient platform that encourages brokers to migrate to the Broker Portal while addressing their pain points and enhancing their day-to-day tasks.
Methodology
We employed a combination of Design Thinking and Agile methodologies to identify problems, craft solutions, and implement them in sprints.
My Role as a Product Designer
As a Product Designer in the agile team, my responsibilities included:
+ Conducting qualitative and quantitative research to uncover user needs.
+ Creating low- and high-fidelity prototypes to validate concepts.
+ Aligning business objectives with user needs to ensure each sprint’s stories contributed to continuous product improvement.
+ Conducting qualitative and quantitative research to uncover user needs.
+ Creating low- and high-fidelity prototypes to validate concepts.
+ Aligning business objectives with user needs to ensure each sprint’s stories contributed to continuous product improvement.
Project Kickoff and Iterative Process
The project began with a discovery workshop involving multiple company stakeholders and users. As a result, we crafted numerous user stories, which were prioritized by the business and added to the product backlog. Using these requirements, I created the first prototype, which was included in the development sprint.
With the prototype in hand, we conducted continuous research, including usability tests, interviews, and surveys distributed via the website and email. Based on these research findings, we updated the product backlog and developed personas that guided the creation of new user stories. The prototype was iterated upon and re-entered into subsequent sprints, following a continuous cycle of improvement.
Process: Understanding the Broker’s Journey
To better understand the brokers’ workflows, we conducted in-depth interviews and usability tests directly in their work environments. Key findings included:
+ Brokers often handle multiple daily transactions across various insurance providers.
+ Simplicity and intuitiveness were critical for ensuring the platform’s adoption and effectiveness.
Key Improvements Implemented
Identified Problem 1: Brokers frequently forgot to renew policies nearing their expiration date.
Solutions:
+ Notifications on the homepage for policies approaching renewal within 10 days.
+ Clear alerts for policies nearing expiration.
+ An automatic renewal feature.
+ Automatic renewal letters sent to policyholders.
+ Notifications on the homepage for policies approaching renewal within 10 days.
+ Clear alerts for policies nearing expiration.
+ An automatic renewal feature.
+ Automatic renewal letters sent to policyholders.
Identified Problem 2: Brokers were concerned about losing clients to competitors offering more competitive pricing.
Solutions:
+ Notifications when a policyholder was being quoted by another broker.
+ Email alerts for brokers.
+ Special pricing conditions for the original policyholder’s broker.
+ Exclusive commercial discounts for the original broker.
+ Notifications when a policyholder was being quoted by another broker.
+ Email alerts for brokers.
+ Special pricing conditions for the original policyholder’s broker.
+ Exclusive commercial discounts for the original broker.
Collaboration with Other Teams
To ensure a seamless implementation, we worked closely with:
+ BI Team to create a dashboard with project metrics.
+ Consumer Service Team to identify and prioritize key demands.
+ Correspondence Team for mailing automatic renewal letters.
+ Analytics Team to overcome technical challenges related to iframe limitations affecting responsiveness and analytics tools.
+ Rectification Team: Research revealed that brokers often adjusted installment terms after creating proposals. To address this we introduced an empty select box by default, with an alert dialog prompting the user to choose their desired installment option.
+ BI Team to create a dashboard with project metrics.
+ Consumer Service Team to identify and prioritize key demands.
+ Correspondence Team for mailing automatic renewal letters.
+ Analytics Team to overcome technical challenges related to iframe limitations affecting responsiveness and analytics tools.
+ Rectification Team: Research revealed that brokers often adjusted installment terms after creating proposals. To address this we introduced an empty select box by default, with an alert dialog prompting the user to choose their desired installment option.
Results Achieved
Our user-focused approach led to significant adoption of the Broker Portal:
+ Within the first six months, 2.6% of overall transactions were completed on the Broker Portal.
+ In the following seven months, this number increased to 5.7%.
+ The Broker Portal surpassed the old Program, accounting for 45% of renewals compared to 32% for the legacy platform.
+ Within the first six months, 2.6% of overall transactions were completed on the Broker Portal.
+ In the following seven months, this number increased to 5.7%.
+ The Broker Portal surpassed the old Program, accounting for 45% of renewals compared to 32% for the legacy platform.
Feedback from Brokers:
“I liked it! The site notified me that another broker was quoting my policyholder, and I immediately asked my team to contact the client.”
“Wow, this is great! Easy renewals directly on the site. It’s excellent! Congratulations!”
“Wow, this is great! Easy renewals directly on the site. It’s excellent! Congratulations!”
