From vision to reality – How a customer portal transforms processes and inspires users

‘Why should I use a customer portal?’ – The answer lies in the value proposition

What is the added value of a customer portal? Based on my experience, I would like to show how a strategically well-implemented portal project can work. During the coronavirus pandemic, our customer, a biotech company, experienced a boom phase but recognised early on that this would not last. To remain competitive, it focused on digital after-sales and service processes to ensure efficiency and sustainability.

Status quo: Fragmented processes and shadow IT

When I started my project, the portal had a solid foundation in the areas of customer identity and after-sales services. However, there was no clear structure for efficiently implementing the requirements of the business departments. Requirements were often recorded in an IT-centric manner without taking processes or customer journeys into account. This led to several challenges:

• Lack of guidance: Requests from independent departments and a lack of process understanding on the part of IT meant that similar requirements were implemented multiple times and in different ways. Instead of a consolidated customer journey, this resulted in inefficient and redundant solutions.
• No prioritisation: Without insight into the use cases, it was difficult to identify and implement the most important business requirements. It was particularly problematic that those responsible for implementation often had no access to the intended users, i.e. the customers.
• Shadow IT: Solutions developed in the business without involving IT resulted in fragmented individual solutions. These presented challenges for customers rather than offering real benefit. At the same time, these parallel solutions were inefficient and incurred high maintenance and support costs.
• The insight: A unified portal offered the opportunity to create a seamless customer experience while optimising internal processes. The customer recognised that a fully integrated portal could not only increase efficiency but also strengthen customer loyalty in the long term. A centralised portal under the umbrella of IT promised to consolidate the fragmented individual solutions for customer interaction, eliminate shadow IT and create a platform that offers real added value.

Sustainable success: How a clear vision ensures success

To overcome the challenges described above, we established three key elements:

1. Product vision and use case templates for clarity and prioritisation

We developed a clear product vision that served as a framework for classifying use cases, prioritising them across departments and defining MVPs. Using use case templates, we consolidated the requirements and created a uniform language between IT and the specialist departments. It was crucial to take a cross-departmental ROI perspective. This made it possible to evaluate the diverse requirements of the business departments not only from a technical but also from an economic perspective. By focusing on business value, we were able to avoid redundant individual solutions and reduce development costs through targeted adjustments and enhancements to existing implementations. The result was a consolidated platform that increased efficiency and supported the company's strategic goals. This ROI-based prioritisation created the basis for optimally utilising limited resources while meeting the needs of the departments.

This reduced misunderstandings, increased efficiency and lowered development costs through targeted adjustments.

2. Proactive collaboration and customer feedback for a strategic partnership

Thanks to the clear product vision, we were able to actively participate in discussions and help shape the portal strategy. We supported the business departments early on in the demand process, critically questioned requirements and recommended alternative solutions where necessary. We proactively approached departments whose requirements complemented the portal vision, thereby strengthening collaboration.

The open communication - that is part of the adesso culture - was crucial in providing strategic impetus beyond technical solutions.

Another decisive step was the establishment of a feedback loop with users. We clarified which groups of people we wanted to talk to and convinced internal contacts to give us access. The clear presentation of the added value created trust and enabled direct interaction. Together with the introduction of analytics tools, this resulted in a deep understanding of the users, which helped us to provide valuable insights to the specialist departments, strengthen cooperation and establish ourselves as a strategic partner.

Central identity management enabled us to better understand customer needs and respond to them in a targeted manner. By analysing usage data, we were able to provide personalised recommendations for software updates, which significantly increased customer satisfaction.

3. Iterative implementation for fast results and joint, continuous learning

A key success factor was our iterative approach. While we used mock-ups to define complex requirements together with the specialist departments, we worked in parallel on an initial MVP or proof of concept. This enabled us to deliver tangible results quickly and involve the specialist departments in the process at an early stage.

This approach promoted continuous learning: the business departments accompanied reviews, prioritised steps and supported further development. This close cooperation not only increased acceptance of the solutions, but also noticeably improved collaboration between us and the specialist departments.

How can you encourage potential customers to use it? – A strong value proposition and low barriers to entry are essential

After successfully establishing the portal team as a strategic partner for the business departments and intensifying cooperation with users, the next key question arose: How can we use the portal to offer real added value and motivate potential customers to use it?

The portal team took on the role of mediator between the needs of the customers and the strategic goals of the company. The key lay in two central aspects: creating undeniable benefit and ensuring low barriers to entry.

Creating added value: relevant functions that save time and simplify processes

A portal is only used if it offers a clearly recognisable benefit. That's why we focused on core functions that cover frequent needs and eliminate media breaks in the customer journey.

• Complaint management: The status can be viewed at any time, which has reduced the number of enquiries by 40 percent.
• Access to certificates: Since ISO and batch certificates are available immediately, processing time is significantly reduced.
• Software licences and updates: Licences can be managed independently and updates can also be downloaded.

These functions have made interaction with the company more efficient and customer-friendly, while at the same time optimising internal processes. Interaction always takes place around the central point of interaction, the product or service used. Everything else fits around this.

Onboarding with ease: Intuitive use and flexible access models

A portal can only be used successfully if it is intuitive and easy to access. That is why we placed great emphasis on a user-friendly design and straightforward registration to make it as easy as possible for users to get started.

Before the introduction of new access models, almost all functions required full validation by Master Data Governance (MDG). This time-consuming process was unavoidable for sensitive data, but it was a high barrier to entry.

To improve this, we supplemented the existing single sign-on (SSO) system with a tiered trust level model:

• 1. Direct provision of non-critical functions: General information such as product details or FAQs was made immediately accessible without time-consuming validation.
• 2. Simple validation for specific functions: For functions such as order tracking, validation using existing data, such as an order number and the email domain, was sufficient.
• 3. Delegated administration: For more complex approvals, such as access to sensitive data, central contact persons at the customer could independently manage permissions.

This model significantly reduced barriers to entry by simplifying access to basic functions while securing sensitive data.

Shaping the future: scaling through agile methods

With the initial success of the portal, the requirements and complexity of the project grew. This required scaling the organisation. We expanded to multiple teams that developed both features and basic functions. This structure led to dependencies that required close coordination and clear prioritisation.

Prioritising use cases

To prioritise requirements efficiently, we used the Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF) method, which allows the business value and implementation time to be evaluated. This created a transparent basis for IT and made prioritisation decisions transparent for the business departments.

By actively involving the business departments in the process, we promoted change management in practice, which built trust, strengthened cooperation and increased willingness to collaborate.

Agile maturity: self-management and common goals

To increase agile maturity, we introduced Objectives & Key Results (OKR). These helped the teams to work independently towards common business goals while maintaining their flexibility.

Global delivery model

To achieve sustainable scaling, we combined local and international teams in a global delivery model. While critical competencies remained in Germany, nearshoring teams in Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania expanded capacities. Clear communication structures and agile principles ensured that all teams worked towards a common goal and that the portal remained future-proof.

The result: a portal that inspires customers

The path to a fully integrated customer portal is challenging but rewarding. By linking data and processes, fragmented individual solutions were merged, efficiency was increased and user satisfaction was improved in the long term. Such a portal is more than just a technical solution: it is a strategic tool that helps companies optimise their business processes and strengthen their customer relationships. The key to success lies in the combination of methodological clarity, agile scaling and partnership-based collaboration, which we are happy to provide to our customers.