Case Study: IBM Partner Personalization
Personalizing an IBM Partner experience
Intro
IBM’s Partner Program comprises a variety of complex contracts tailored to different business needs, with some companies utilizing multiple contracts. To simplify the process and encourage contract adoption within IBM’s Partner Portal, the initiative focused on streamlining the Partner experience through personalization.
Objective
Increase contracting rates while reducing the time Partners spend on signing contracts.
An existing research insight
Partners expressed a strong need for personalized experiences to simplify tasks and reduce the time spent on administrative processes.
LEgacy system - Drupal CMS available components
The components aligned to an Old IBM Design system
Discovery & research
Pain points identified
Content as a Service (CaaS) emerged as a vital approach to deliver contextual content and guide Partners through relevant tasks.
Focus areas
Encourage new Partners to sign contracts to surface Partner benefits to IBM's Partner Plus program.
Show the Partner where they are currently in the program and what they need to move to the next tier.
Key approach
Content as a Service (CaaS) emerged as a vital approach to deliver contextual content and guide Partners through relevant tasks.
Methods
User interviews: Interviewed Partners or Partners in other competitor’s programs.
Competitive analysis: Analyzed and compared other Partner programs.
User testing: We utilized UserTesting.com with a Figma prototype.
My role as a product lead
As a lead product designer, I:
Mapped the end to end journey and touch points: Mapped the existing experience to the “as-is” experience to identify gaps.
Identified Carbon components: Strategically selected Carbon components (IBM’s design system) to accelerate development and ensure consistency.
Designed example patterns: I provided example layouts and patterns for designers to utilize in their designs.
Collaborated cross-functionally: Acted as a liaison between designers, engineers, content creators, and stakeholders to align objectives.
Contributed to content consolidation: Spearheaded the reduction of over 1,000 pages to fewer than ten focused, high-value pages.
Focused brand evolution: Initiated a rebranding effort to align the design with the new identity.
Executed a phased MVP approach: Deployed a systematic strategy to deliver a functional MVP within a tight timeline.
Solution
The solution involved a comprehensive overhaul of the CMS:
Migration to Salesforce: Transitioned to a modern, scalable Salesforce platform with robust integration capabilities.
Content consolidation: Reduced content from over 1,000 pages to fewer than 10 essential pages, focusing on user needs.
Design system implementation: Leveraged existing Carbon components to create a cohesive and responsive design system.
Personalization: Introduced a gated environment and personalized content experiences to improve user engagement.
Global translation support: Accounted for multilingual needs during the migration process.
Mapping the End to End journey
Roadblocks
Several challenges arose during the project:
Legacy content removal: Managing and systematically archiving thousands of pages without losing critical information.
Stakeholder alignment: Ensuring all stakeholders agreed on the new content structure and branding.
Technical constraints: Balancing the limitations of Carbon components with customization needs.
Timeline pressure: Delivering the project within the aggressive four-month deadline.
Business outcomes
Streamlined content: The new CMS reduced content by 98%, focusing on high-value pages.
Enhanced user experience: A cohesive design system and personalized content boosted partner satisfaction.
Operational efficiency: Salesforce CMS’s integration capabilities streamlined workflows for IBM resellers.
Global reach: Multilingual content ensured accessibility for a growing international audience.
Scalable platform: The phased MVP approach allowed for iterative improvements.
Post launch
The evolution of Partner Plus
Post-launch, the platform evolved into strategically placed content in the “IBM | Partner Portal,” offering gated personalized experiences and introducing content as a Service (CaaS). This transformation enabled the scaling of future content, repeatable patterns, and future enhancements and highlighted the importance of UX-driven initiatives in updating legacy systems.
Deliverables
Partner Plus MVP product