Streamlining Client Information Access for Consultants
Redesign Accenture's Internal Knowledge Exchange System
My Role
Lead UX Researcher
Duration
August - December 2024
Team
Maggie Garratt @ Accenture
JingYan Xu, Hanna Fu, Umme Ammara, LuYao Ma @ Georgia Tech
Skill
Interviews
Surveys
Affinity Mapping
Task Analysis
Usability Testing
Problem Space
The Challenge
How might we help consultants quickly and efficiently find and share relevant client information?
Accenture consultants partner with partner with clients from diverse industries, requiring them to rapidly understand up-to-date client details, industry landscapes, and competitor insights.
Currently, there is no current unified solution that addresses these challenges comprehensively, resulting in consultants spending excessive time on manual searches and struggling to connect with colleagues who have relevant client experience.
The Final Solution
As such, we decided to redesign Knowledge Exchange (KX) into a one-stop, user-friendly platform that empowers consultants to access essential client information, connect with colleagues, and share information seamlessly.
By streamlining these processes, the redesigned KX platform enhances collaboration, reduces time spent on manual efforts, and strengthens Accenture’s ability to support clients with timely, informed insights
Background Research
We began by conducting literature reviews using Google Scholar to understand the challenges consultants face in using knowledge management systems.
We also held stakeholder meetings with industry contacts and conducted a competitor analysis of other existing knowledge management tools.
Stakeholder Analysis
Defined target stakeholders within the project network in which Accenture consultants operate
Competitive Analysis
Conducted to identify common management tools used by Accenture consultants
Core Research
Research Questions
Based on our problem space and background research questions were cultivated:
Research Question 1:
What are the key stages and variations in consultants' onboarding workflows across different divisions?
Research Question 2:
How do consultants currently gather, manage, and share client information when starting a project?
Research Question 3:
What challenges and pain points do consultants face in the onboarding process with new client?
Research Question 4:
What are consultants' preferences and goals regarding access to client information?
Research Methods
Survey
We received survey responses from 14 consultants of varied experience levels and divisions at Accenture. By asking quantifiable questions, we gauged user needs and preferences, providing quantitative support to supplement our qualitative insights.
Information Goal
Understand consultants' experiences with sharing and retrieving client information.
Identify tools and resources used for accessing client information.
Uncover pain points in the current workflows, particularly during client onboarding.
Gauge satisfaction with current processes for information sharing and retrieval.
Method Justification
The survey method allowed us to:
Quickly gather broad insights from a large group of consulting professionals, providing an overview of practices in information sharing.
Ensure consistent question presentation and reduce response bias through anonymous submissions.
Use survey data as a screening tool to identify participants for follow-up interviews, enabling deeper exploration.
Limitation
Limited ability to follow up or delve into specific responses, resulting in less contextual depth.
Potential selection bias due to self-reported responses.
Small sample size of 14 responses due to the niche focus on consultants, which limited the breadth of insights.
Method Detail
Questions centered around:
Consultants' demographic and professional context.
Methods for gathering client information.
Tools and resources consultants use for client research.
Common challenges in information sharing, retrieval, and storage.
Recruitment: in-person visits (Accenture office), private messaging, posting on consultant channel, email lists
Quantitative data: generated Google Survey report w/ graph visualizations, descriptive statistics for all rating + demographic questions
50% of respondents somewhat disagree that they can easily find necessary client information
42.8% of respondents somewhat agree that they often need to redo research due to unclear or unshared client information
Semi-structured Interview
We conducted 8 semi-structured interviews with Accenture consultants, representing various job levels and roles. By interviewing these experts, we gained a comprehensive view of the overarching user journey, the diversity in onboarding workflows, and key pain points and insights related to Accenture's current tool systems.
Information Goal
Capture expert narratives of consultants’ experiences and workflows
Identify key challenges in retrieving and sharing information during client onboarding.
Understand user dynamics, including background, motivations, challenges, and values.
Method Justification
This approach allowed for:
Gain direct insights into Accenture consultants’ workflows and tool usage
Allow in-depth discussion/elaboration and flexibility for follow-up questions
Gather detailed reasoning on challenges and preferences for process improvement
Able to conduct some interviews in person at Accenture’s Atlanta office, enabling direct, context-rich insights from consultants in their work environment.
Limitation
We relied solely on verbal descriptions of workflows, as there was no direct observation component.
Method Detail
Conducted online and in-person interviews with consultants across divisions and geographic locations.
Interview: 1 hour each
Six interviews were conducted remotely, and two were conducted in person at Accenture’s Atlanta office.
Recruitment: email listing, private message
Generated affinity map to analyze the stakeholder interview data.
Used Affinity Map Method
Generated the sticky notes from the transcript from the recording.
Sorted the notes into top-level categories then sorted each of those categories into subcategories.
Comparative Analysis
We conducted a comprehensive comparative analysis of tools used by Accenture consultants to gather client information, focusing on both high-level and platform-specific insights.
This dual approach allowed us to assess strengths and weaknesses across tools, guiding design decisions for an improved Knowledge Management (KM) platform. Due to limited access to KX, our analysis was based on observed functionality, features, and comparisons with open-source knowledge management systems.
Information Goal
Identify strengths and weaknesses in tools for client research, networking, and information sharing.
Compare Knowledge Exchange (KX) with other KM platforms to pinpoint best practices and areas for improvement.
Inform design decisions and prioritize features for an enhanced KM system.
Method Justification
The method allowed us to:
Analyzing current tools provided insight into core strengths and limitations, informing initial design directions.
Using KX as a benchmark against other platforms highlighted unique features and potential areas for differentiation.
Limitation
Limited access to certain proprietary tools restricted the ability to conduct a complete analysis.
Confidentiality constraints prevented us from observing tool usage in consultants' real-world contexts.
Analysis was limited to select platforms, potentially excluding features from broader KM systems.
Method Detail
Evaluated tools for specific features, such as search, retrieval, and collaboration, across three platforms identified in our high-level analysis.
Procedures
Reviewed interview notes to gain insights on consultants’ tool usage.
Developed a comparative table for functionality and created workflow diagrams to visualize support for consultant tasks.
Analyzed how information is organized and shared across platforms, identifying distinctive features and enhancements for KX.
Document Categorization Issues:
Many documents are poorly organized, causing irrelevant or outdated content to appear in searches.
Search Results Lack Precision:
KX often struggles to surface the most relevant information, leading to inefficient and less accurate search results.
Inconsistent File Naming and Formats:
With no standardized format for uploads, similar content (e.g., case studies, reports) is often uploaded under varied names or formats, complicating searches.
Complex Interface Navigation:
The KX interface presents a steep learning curve, making it challenging for consultants to quickly navigate the system.
Absence of Tagging and Categorization Standards:
Lack of consistent tagging and categorization makes it difficult for users to gauge document relevance without opening each file.
Relevance at Scale Challenges:
KX struggles to present users with prioritized, contextually relevant information, impacting consultants' efficiency.
Research Finding
After collecting and analyzing data from each method, we Integrated data from our various methods to synthesize and consolidate key findings. We ranked all our findings from high to low based on their reliability, validation, and relevance to our project direction. 8 high-level findings emerged as most critical, reflecting recurring themes across multiple research methods and aligning closely with our project goals.
Role-Specific Workflows
Consultants’ workflows and information needs vary based on their role and client type.
Higher-level consultants manage client information differently than lower-level consultants.
Usability and Awareness of Internal Tools
Many consultants are unaware of all available internal tools.
As most of the consultants find current internal tools difficult to use.
Inefficient Information Sharing
Consultants often struggle to locate specific client information.
Redundant research is common due to unclear or inaccessible previous data.
Reliance on Colleagues for Knowledge Sharing
Consultants frequently rely on colleagues as primary sources for client information.
There is no formalized process for sharing information among team members.
Privacy and Security Considerations
Consultants need to remove client-identifying data from documents before uploading into the system.
Sensitive client information is often deleted after projects conclude to ensure confidentiality.
User Journey Map
Based on our research findings, we created a user journey map to visualize the onboarding process consultants undergo with new clients. This journey map outlines key stages, actions, emotions, and pain points, providing a comprehensive view of the consultant experience.
This research artifact helps to identify opportunities for a more streamlined process, improved internal tools for information gathering, and a centralized platform to enhance efficiency and reduce frustration.
Persona
To ground our design process in evidence-based, user-centered insights, we developed two key personas representing consultants at different levels within Accenture: an entry-level consultant and a managerial-level consultant. These personas highlight the distinct needs, challenges, and workflows of consultants at different stages in their careers, guiding us toward targeted, user-specific solutions.
Ideation & Next Steps…
We utilized How Might We statements, the Crazy 8's technique and storyboarding for our ideation process.
We came up with 12 different ideas and narrowed it to our top 6, based on feasibility and how well they fulfilled our design requirements. We are currently working on low-fidelity wireframes, user testing, and will eventually develop a design system and high-fidelity prototype.
Projects Overview