One.Stop.Shop

Designed a portal site for centralizing administrative tasks, reducing the time and effort to take an action. This product aims to facilitate the quick and effective completion of important tasks. It offers an integrated experience by aggregating multiple different applications and their underlying systems into one central location, streamlining processes and enhancing efficiency.

Overview

The MyMckinsey project was initiated with the goal of enhancing the administrative experience by designing a centralized platform informed by insights from 60 partner interviews and 400 partner survey responses. The core concept aimed to transition administrative tasks from email to a unified portal, streamlining daily operations and consolidating crucial tasks for efficient one-click actions. This approach was developed to relieve colleagues of hours of unnecessary administrative work (e.g., approving access to box folders) by providing a centralized location for important items. This project is on hold due to many unseen challenges and learnings, which has been retrospected onto new initiatives.

Design and Validation

Development began with a focus on creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), with plans for phased releases to refine and enhance the platform’s functionality. A collaborative platform was envisioned to dynamically present information, content, and tools in a single location. Key features included a Notification Engine for centralized solution notifications via RESTful APIs, integrated Delivery Channels including a web portal and an iOS mobile application, and an App Launcher for quick access to frequently used applications. Additional features were designed to provide easy access to personalized notifications and enable federated searches across MyMckinsey and its applications.

As a team, we took a test and learn approach to determine how to best deliver an experience that will meet our user’s needs.

  • Wireframing: Translated business requirements into initial wireframes to conceptualize the platform.

  • Testing and Iterations: Conducted four rounds of user testing, iterating based on feedback.

  • Requirements Specification: Collaborated with Business Analysts to refine design and functionality requirements.

  • Partner Validation: Validated the design and concept with 20 partners through concept testing.

Wireframes/Sketches

Visual Designs for Concept Testing

Challenges and Learnings

  • Technical Limitations: Encountered performance issues and integration challenges with the IBM WebSphere platform.

  • Stakeholder Engagement: Faced ambiguity in stakeholder roles and alignment with product development principles.

  • Cultural Barriers: McKinsey's culture posed challenges to adopting a balanced product development approach, including:

    • Insufficient upfront value establishment.

    • Resistance to directional changes based on new learnings.

    • High fidelity expectations from sponsors and users.

    • A lack of a fully embraced test-and-learn culture.

    • Inadequate consideration of existing solutions or market alternatives.

    • Difficulties in pivoting on technology decisions and quickly testing prototypes.