Telefonica | Vivo case

Optimize mobile operation

I lead the implementation of a massive telephone line search, reducing the time and effort needed for account managers to activate multiple lines. This improvement enhances the experience for B2B customers by centralizing in a single feature.

Time frame

Fev to Apr 2022

Platform

Responsive Website

My role

Lead Product Designer

Case summary

Telefonica | Vivo

Context

Telefonica is a multinational telecom company. It's one of the largest telephone operators and mobile network providers in the world.

In Brazil, known as Vivo, it serves a vast B2B customer base, catering to over 500,000 users daily. Their portfolio comprises four primary products: cell phone services, television subscriptions, internet connectivity, and phone solutions.

Product vision

Be ahead of the technological advances in the market and help companies of all sizes to keep up to date by delivering a great mobile management experience, our goal was to reduce customer dependency on the call center and increase overall satisfaction.

Our objective was to address the challenges faced by customers with multiple lines, optimizing the activation process and providing a unique solution that differentiates Vivo from competitors.

User problem

The implementation of eSIM activation functionality brought about a challenge for Vivo B2B customers, particularly account managers with more than 50 lines.

The existing process required individual activation for each line, resulting in inefficiency and time-consuming efforts.

The goal of this case was to address this user problem and provide an optimized solution that enhances the management experience for customers.

Outcomes

The implemented solution significantly reduces the time and effort required for the account managers to activate multiple lines, improving the overall user experience for Vivo B2B customers.

By centralizing the activation of mobile lines under a single feature, account managers can efficiently manage their lines and drive productivity.

My role

As a product designer, I led the cross-functional team, working closely with a UI Designer, Product Manager, Developers, Data Analysts, and the Research team.
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Throughout the design process, my responsibilities encompassed various stages such as discovery, data analysis, research, sketching, and overseeing a research consultancy.

Design process

To initiate the design process, I first immersed myself in the subject of eSIM, because the new generation of cell phones was already coming with this technology to activate the line.

The introduction of eSIM technology in 2021 at Vivo marked a significant milestone, offering the Channel's account managers the capability to activate eSIM lines in the B2B website. This solution brought benefits for customers, including enhanced autonomy for managers.

The concept of eSIM revolves around replacing traditional SIM cards, which serve as the identity of phone lines. These modernized eSIMs offer advantages such as the ability to store contacts and incorporate multiple security mechanisms.

Unlike traditional SIM cards that need to be purchased separately, eSIMs are embedded directly into the cell phone itself, as the name suggests "Embedded-SIM".

Who are the users

During the discovery phase, the designer of the squad and I performed extensive data analysis and gathered feedback from 269 users, mainly via email. These users possessed prior eSIM activation experience, offering valuable insights into the difficulties encountered by account managers and employees while managing multiple eSIM activations.

Leveraging this data, we used user profiles as a basis for further research. We've analyzed 2 main users:

‍1. Account Manager
‍Holds a higher hierarchical position within the platform and is responsible for contracting products and activating the mobile lines on Vivo's website.
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2. Employee
‍‍Is an employee of the company with a corporate line and his responsibility is to perform specific tasks related to their role within the company.

User journey map

Through interviews with Account Managers and Employees, we discovered that 67% preferred centralized eSIM activation under the account managers' control. This approach offered increased security and efficiency to Employees. Account managers were spending significant time teaching Employees how to activate eSIMs. By taking on the activation process themselves, Account Managers could save time and streamline the overall process.

Building upon these findings, we mapped existing user experiences, identifying additional pain points and pinpointing areas of opportunity for further development.

Idea prioritization

Based on our discovery research findings, we formulated 2 hypotheses to ensure long-term product adoption. These covered: mass research of lines and efficient finding features.
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We listed and mapped these features based on technical complexity (POC only), and potential business and user efficiency values. We then prioritized the highest-impact features to be included in the product POC.

Generating ideas

Focusing on management feature sets allowed us to create a story that could be split into a few major user scenarios: searching for other lines, finding the status of the lines, and downloading the line report. With it in mind the designer of the squad and I create some wireframes.

Problems faced

There were some challenges faced during this project, but the main one was uncertainty and ambiguity. As there was still no mass activation of eSIM B2B in the market, the project involved exploring new ideas and concepts, so my team and I had to work with limited information and navigate uncharted territory, making it even more relevant to embrace iteration and failure.

Prototype validation

The prototype has been tested with 12 users (6 for each of the proto-personas), to validate our hypotheses. Using the predefined storyline that I've provided to the research consultancy, they guided users through the prototype.

Real-time user interactions were recorded using the Lookback app, enabling us to review and compare test sessions later. Our objective was to gather evidence and information to develop potential business cases. Overall, the feedback was predominantly positive.

Users highly valued the ease of activating eSIM, recognizing its potential to reduce operational work for managers. However, some expressed concerns regarding QR codes, specifically the ability to generate them massively. These insights provide valuable input for further improvements and addressing user concerns.

"It was very good, because even though it was something new that I didn't know how to do, I managed to do it very easily... I didn't have any difficulty."
Fabrício (more than 1,000 lines)

"Activation and reactivation I would use more. I don't see the need to share the journey with the Employee at the moment [...]
Carlos (500+ lines)

The results

As a result of our UX research and validation sessions, we identified and implemented key changes in the prototype. During the discovery phase, we uncovered the increasing prevalence of eSIM technology, especially with the 5G adoption in Brazil, which opens up potential partnership opportunities with IoT companies, but in the future.
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The main points include:

A reduction in the average eSIM activation completion time from 32 minutes to approximately 25 minutes, resulted in a 21% improvement.
User feedback highlighting a desire to generate multiple QR codes for activation. These insights provide valuable input for further improvements and addressing user concerns.