Optimizing Organizational Awareness
for Account Managers
My Role
UX/UI Designer
UX Researcher
Team
Sriya Ventrapragada
Eason Xinran Wang
Joon Kum
Insight Global Partners
VP of Product Management
Director of Product
Manager of UX
UX Researcher
Timeline
Sept. 2024 - Dec 2024
Introduction
Initial Research
User Persona
Idea Generation
Sketches
Wireframes
Low Fidelity Prototypes
High Fidelity Prototypes
Evaluation
Conclusion
Introduction
Insight Global
Insight Global (IG) is a leading staffing agency specializing in recruitment, staff augmentation, and talent acquisition.
Target User
Insight Global's Account Managers (AMs) play a critical role in the company’s success by managing client relationships, identifying decision-makers within potential client organizations, filling open requisitions, and building lasting partnerships.
Stakeholders
Challenges
Limited CRM Capabilities
The current CRM has limitations in tracking key decision-makers & historical contracts in client organizations.
Scattered Data
AMs navigate multiple platforms to gather client information, leading to inefficiencies and redundant efforts.
Workflow Inefficiencies
Manual processes & inconsistent data disrupt productivity, leading to wasted time and higher operational costs.
Results
New CRM Features
Designed new organizational chart, activity timeline, and competitor chart, projected to significantly reduce account manager preparation time and improve workflow efficiency.
Centralized Data & Contact Ownership
Addressed redundant outreach by incorporating features to centralize client data and streamline contact ownership, reducing salary costs tied to duplicated efforts.
Improved Usability & Client Management
Improved usability & client relationship management by integrating actionable data & user-friendly workflows tailored to account manager needs.
Initial Research
Method 01 ->
Findings
Background Research
Literature Reviews
Secondary Research
3 Types of CRMs
Strategic CRM: Focuses on decision-making and resource allocation for managing customer relationships.
Operational CRM: Employs automation to streamline workflows and enhance productivity.
Analytical CRM: Leverages customer data to generate insights into behavior and industry trends. (Rababah, Mohd, & Ibrahim, 2011)
Artificial Intelligence in CRMs
AI automates data structuring to improve efficiency and accuracy, enabling more effective CRM processes. (Chatterjee et al., 2021)
CRM Statistics
Adoption and Usage:
65% of companies adopt CRM systems within five years of operation. (SalesMate)
82% of companies utilize CRM software for process automation and sales reporting. (ScienceSoft)
Return on Investment:
CRM systems deliver an average ROI of $8.7 for every dollar spent. (Nucleus Research)
Personalization Benefits: Leverages customer data to generate insights into behavior and industry trends. (Rababah, Mohd, & Ibrahim, 2011)
Artificial Intelligence in CRMs
18.79% of companies report improved customer data access, enabling personalized experiences. (Resco)
Method 02 ->
Analysis -> Findings
Semi-Structured Interviews
4 Stakeholders
30 Minutes each
IG’s headquarters
Affinity mapping
Thematic analysis
Analysis -> Findings
After our team analyzed these initial interviews, we were able to understand AMs’ client acquisition and maintenance workflows, and any blockers/pain points that exist during the experience. Key findings are as follows:
Identifying Key Contacts
AMs use LinkedIn, HubSpot, & ZoomInfo to find decision-makers, focusing on senior roles.
Data Visualization
Centralized organizational charts and simplified visual summaries are helpful for understanding client hierarchies.
Tailoring Pitches
AMs rely on client history, competitor insights, and meeting templates to form personalized pitches.
Data Management Challenges
AMs struggle with fragmented systems, manual data input, and tracking job changes, requiring real-time updates and better integration.
Collaboration Barriers
Lack of unified communication across offices leads to data inconsistencies.
Building Long-term Partnerships
Regular follow-ups, personal check-ins, and timely outreach maintain strong client relationships
Method 03 ->
Findings
Surveys
13 Participants
We then deployed a survey to industry contacts outside of IG to validate interview data, identify trends, and assess the generalizability of our findings.
The survey results reinforced and expanded upon our interview findings, highlighting key areas of focus for improving account manager workflows:
Key Decision-Maker Identification
AMs consistently prioritize identifying and verifying decision-makers, with a focus on those with hiring authority, emphasizing the need for features that streamline this process.
Centralized Tools for Data Management
AMs rely on diverse data sources such as LinkedIn, CRM systems, referrals, and ZoomInfo, underlining the inefficiencies of fragmented tools and the need for centralization to reduce redundancy.
Data Quality and Automation
The use of both automated tools and manual checks revealed ongoing challenges in maintaining data integrity and the opportunity for solutions that enhance efficiency and accuracy.
Method 04 ->
Analysis -> Findings
IG CRM Walkthrough
CRM Information Architecture
CRM User Journey Map
Analysis -> Findings
Our CRM walkthrough highlighted both strengths and pain points in the current system:
Client Acquisition Process
AMs follow a structured flow with filters to segment and personalize client acquisition.
Dashboard Features
Provides snapshots of recent activities, tasks, calendars, and meeting insights but lacks integration with advanced tracking tools
Engagement and Onboarding
Supports client interaction management and requisition tracking but could improve usability for long-term relationship building.
Pain Points
Missing metrics, such as closed requisitions and contract types, are unavailable, limiting insights.
Lack of internal contact clarity on which internal employees have interacted with client representatives.
Scattered data within and external to the CRM.
Note-taking challenges during meetings leads to data gaps.
Manual profile updates are time-consuming and hinder efficiency.
Method 05 ->
Analysis -> Findings
Comparative Analysis
5 Systems
Through a comparative analysis of five systems (HubSpot, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Microsoft Teams Metrics, Salesforce, and ZoomInfo), we identified areas where IG’s CRM could benefit:
Data Visualization & Analytics: Integrating org charts, graphs, and performance analytics, etc.
Incorporation of AI-Powered Automation
Real-Time Updates & Alerts
Improved Inter-Team Communication
Customizable Dashboards
User Persona
& Empathy Map
Idea Generation
6-3-5
We conducted 4 sessions of 6-3-5 ideation to identify potential solutions for 4 different themes
Scamper
We also utilized insights obtained from interviews and surveys to curate SCAMPER ideas and derive a solution
Early Sketches
Organizational Chart
Activity Timeline
Competitor Chart
Overview Tab
Historical Contracts
Feedback
3 Executives
60 Minutes
Virtual Focus Group
Our initial sketches highlighted the following areas for improvement based on feedback from stakeholders:
Historical Contract Categories
Feedback: AMs emphasized the need for detailed categories to inform pitches and demonstrate past successes.
Action: Wireframes must offer AMs direct access to historical contract details and placements with partner organizations, enhancing credibility during pitches.
Credibility & Contextual References ("Name-Dropping")
Feedback: Stakeholders valued the ability to reference IG’s past placements to establish trust and authority during client interactions.
Action: Wireframes should include features that provide AMs with immediate access to relevant historical contracts and partner organization data to support their pitches.
Indicator for Interaction History
Feedback: Users wanted clear visibility into which contacts IG had interacted with previously, along with identification of new contacts within an organization.
Action: Wireframes should visually differentiate new contacts from those with established histories to streamline AM workflows and improve outreach strategy.
Wireframes
Organizational Chart
Designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of Insight Global’s Account Managers by providing a structured view of client organization hierarchies and key contacts.
Activity Timeline
Streamlines client interactions, allowing AMs to quickly view recent engagements, reducing the time needed to identify the latest updates. This helps them stay informed and respond more effectively to client needs, enhancing overall relationship management.
Competitor Chart
Intended to showcase organizations from the same industry as the potential client and provide context for tasks such previous placements, contract type, placement info, job title, and experience level.
Feedback
3 Account Managers
20 Minutes each
Semi-structured interview
/concept testing
Analysis -> Findings
Thematic analysis
User Journey Map- Organizational Chart
Analysis -> Findings
After analyzing our wireframe feedback sessions, we decided to narrow our focus down to the organizational chart specifically while expanding on its features. We determined the following prototype requirements:
Integrated Org Chart Features: Combine the activity timeline and competitor panel within the organizational chart for more cohesion.
Dashboard Usability: Streamline dashboard components to enable quick, one-click access to essential documents and historical data, reducing unnecessary navigation.
Intuitive Terminology: Use industry-aligned language that resonates with AMs and stakeholders, enhancing feature accessibility.
Accessibility Enhancements: Implement a legend with distinct visual patterns in replacement of color-coded indicators on the org chart -> usability for all users.
Org Chart- Low Fidelity prototypes
Expanded Contact Profile
Edit Org Chart
Activity Timeline
Leo Young
October 24th 10:30 am
Call
Leo Young
October 24th 10:30 am
Virtual
Leo Young
October 24th 10:30 am
Leo Young
October 24th 10:30 am
Leo Young
October 24th 10:30 am
Leo Young
October 24th 10:30 am
Leo Young
October 24th 10:30 am
Leo Young
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Leo Young
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Activity Timeline
Find Activity
Contract History
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contractor
User Experience Designer
Contract History
Find Contract
Similar Organizations
Similar Organizations
Service 1
Service 2
Service 3
Partner Organizations
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
Competing Organizations
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
Historical Contracts
Company Name
Service 1
Service 2
Service 3
Contracts
Contractor Name
Date of Contract
Contact Info :
Email :
Phone No:
LinkedIn :
Service Type :
Account manager who completed
Job Title
Account manager who completed
Experience Level
Account manager who completed
Skill Set
Account manager who completed
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
COMPANY NAME
Person Name
Service Type
Design method
Org Chart
Information Architecture
We conducted 4 sessions of 6-3-5 ideation to identify potential solutions for 4 different themes
Org Chart User Flows
We also utilized insights obtained from interviews and surveys to curate SCAMPER ideas and derive a solution
Feedback
6 Stakeholders
40 Minutes each
Virtual Focus Group
/Concept Testing
Design related insights
Following the feedback session of our organizational chart prototypes, we gathered these final feedback insights to guide the development of the high-fidelity designs
Real-Time, Front Facing Contact Ownership Visibility (via badge or label)
Contact Claim Option
Connection Pathways Feature to list internal IG contacts who can help AMs reach target decision-makers.
Action-Focused Contact Cards
Revise Information Architecture
Redesign flow & layout to increase the visibility of the assigned AM, latest interaction details, and any internal connections that can help reach the target contact. Reduce the number of clicks required to access this information.
Conduct User Testing on New Design
Org Chart- High Fidelity prototypes
IG’s CRM -> Accounts Tab
Org Chart
This page in Insight Global's CRM helps Account Managers (AMs) track key contacts, understand hierarchies, and identify business opportunities.
IG’s CRM -> Accounts Tab
Org Chart contacts
Contact card coding
Contact Side Panel
"Drop" coded contact
This side panel appears when a user clicks on a contact card in the organizational chart, providing detailed contact information and facilitating streamlined communication.
Contact Side Panel
"Build" coded contact
Contact card in the organizational chart with no AMs assigned. It provides detailed information about the selected contact, including their role and contact information. Features and purpose are the same as “Drop”.
Activity Timeline
This panel provides a chronological view of past interactions and upcoming tasks for a specific contact, helping AMs review engagement history, identify and act on high-priority tasks, and prepare for client interactions.
Contract Placements
This panel provides a centralized list of contractors and employees within a client organization, organized by roles. AMs use it to monitor placements, track talent allocation, and access profiles for contract fulfillment, renewals, and client communication.
Org Chart Toolbar
Version History
This panel provides a chronological record of changes made to the Organizational Chart within the account. It allows Account Managers (AMs) and other stakeholders to track updates, review past versions, and restore or analyze changes over time.
Org Chart Toolbar
Edit Mode
Edit Mode enables real-time adjustments to the organizational chart, allowing AMs to add, remove, or update contacts to maintain an accurate and up-to-date hierarchy.
Org Chart Toolbar
Edit Mode
Edit Mode enables real-time adjustments to the organizational chart, allowing AMs to add, remove, or update contacts to maintain an accurate and up-to-date hierarchy.
Org Chart Toolbar
Show/Hide
The Show/Hide filter allows users to toggle the visibility of specific departments, roles, or criteria in the organizational chart, improving usability by focusing on relevant data and reducing clutter.
Org Chart Toolbar
List View
List view provides a text-based view of the organizational chart, allowing users to browse contacts by roles and departments in a compact, searchable format. This feature caters to users who prefer a list layout over a visual hierarchy.
insightglobalcrm.com
Evaluation
Prototype Success Criteria
Clarity in Visual Representation
Ensure visual elements (org chart, contact cards, statuses) align with account managers' cognitive models.
Flexibility of Use
Test the tool's adaptability for tasks like editing hierarchy levels and tracking multiple AM interactions.
Enhanced Functionality & Usability
Verify and test if features like contractor details, AM insights, and direct report indicators streamline workflows.
Efficiency
Determining whether the new features and data structure are saving time and reducing redundant clicks for the user.
Method 01 ->
Moderated Usability Testing
4 Account Managers
30 Minutes each
Goals
Gather data on users' interaction patterns with the design
Considering quantitative measures like number of clicks, time taken, and task completion rate.
Tasks evaluated
Locate and Manage Contacts
Find Robert Green in the organizational chart, view his hierarchy, add a new colleague contact, and add a previously not contacted client to your leads.
View and Update Contact Information
Review Robert’s interactions and account manager, update his profile, and identify any dropped contacts.
Review Org Chart Edits
Check the details of the latest edit made to the org chart, including who made the changes and when.
Data presentation
Feature Rating metrics
Task Completion time table
Analysis -> Findings
Thematic Analysis
Analysis -> Findings
Navigation and Search Efficiency
The navigation and search functions were mostly effective, but some users experienced delays or desired clearer search results. Further optimization is needed for faster, more intuitive navigation.
Version History and Contact Management
Version history was useful but lacked clarity, requiring additional steps to access essential information. Contact management, including adding/editing contacts, was effective but time-consuming, suggesting potential for streamlining.
Activity Timeline and Contract History
The activity timeline helped track interactions but could be better integrated with other features for faster updates. Contract history was less intuitive, and clearer details would help users make more informed decisions.
Personalization and Real-Time Notifications
Users requested real-time notifications for updates and features like personal note-taking for better organization. Enhancements in these areas would improve workflow personalization and keep users informed more efficiently.
Method 02 ->
Cognitive Walkthrough
3 Executives
30 Minutes each
Goals
Identify usability issues adhering to task flows specifically for new users
Highlight mismatches between design intent and expert expectations
Assess the learnability of key functions
Tasks Demonstrated
Preparing for a cold call
Tailor Sales pitch for follow up meeting
Update client data after meeting
Data presentation
User Satisfaction metrics with comments on each feature
Thematic analysis
Findings
Clarity and Consistency in Information
Inconsistent terminology and ambiguous color coding confuse users. Clearer terms and replacing colors with tags or filters will improve clarity.
Actionable and Up-to-Date Contact Information
Contact profiles lack actionable insights and recent interaction summaries. Adding these features will provide relevant information for better outreach.
Improved Data Management and Editing
Users cannot transfer contacts between charts, and version history lacks detail. Allowing transfers and adding detailed version history will improve data management.
Personalization and Real-Time Notifications
There's no note-taking feature or real-time notifications. Adding these will personalize the experience and keep users informed of updates.
Conclusion
Prototype Successes
Addressed Problem Space and Design Requirements
Professional Presentation and Clear Visual Hierarchy
Intuitive Navigation and Efficient Workflow
Enhanced Data Management and Accessibility
Facilitation of Inter-Team Collaboration
Improved Data Accuracy
Alignment with Insight Global’s Business Objectives
Next Steps
Develop design iterations to address current usability issues and incorporate new design recommendations.
Conduct individual heuristic evaluation sessions with executives to gather detailed feedback on the updated prototype.
Perform usability testing and A/B testing with target users to compare the effectiveness of different design iterations.
Collaborate with Insight Global’s Product and Engineering teams to implement the design solutions into the CRM.
Conduct usability testing and evaluations for the implemented design to ensure its effectiveness and alignment with user needs.