Enabling digital and self-serve options through journey management

1. Project Snapshot
A health benefits company sought to enable digital services for their members during the cancellation process, addressing security concerns with paper forms, and to explore self-serve options for their members.

• Project title: Enabling digital and self-serve options through journey management.
• Industry: Health benefits - Insurance
• Timeline: September 2024 to March 2025
• My role: Researcher, journey manager, service designer, project manager.
• Key skills used: personas, stakeholder management, project management, research, journey mapping, service blueprint, facilitation, data analysis, Key Performance Indicators, AI, prototyping, storytelling.

2. The Challenge
The company aimed to enhance the customer experience during cancellations and reduce costs associated with serving customers.

3. My Approach
I began by thoroughly understanding the extent of the problem by identifying the exact cost of serving based on the current method the company uses and the cost of acquiring new customers. I analyzed the existing customer data to determine customers’ sentiment after going through the cancellation process. Next, I interviewed stakeholders who were the closest to this experience, such as cancellation representatives and supervisors, as well as support representatives. Based on this initial research, I had a clear understanding of the problem space, and by synthesizing the internal research, I designed a hypothetical customer journey map and a research plan to interview former customers. I invited a UX designer to support note-taking during interviews and avoid bias in findings. (I record video calls and use AI for note-taking, but it’s always valuable to take notes about interviewees’ expressions and the way they say things).
I used affinity mapping to synthesize interview findings, based on which I created personas using the jobs-to-be-done framework and a validated customer journey map. I further validated the journey findings based on quantitative data, such as the average number of steps it takes to cancel a plan or the average number of days it takes to cancel a plan from initial contact to confirmed cancellation date.
Based on a validated customer journey map, it was possible to identify which stakeholders should be part of a co-creation group to improve experience and business metrics. I conducted Interviews with identified stakeholders to confirm their participation and to create their stakeholder profile.
The participants were close enough to the process to fully understand it, to be able and willing to own quick wins as well as to co-own major solutions to fully transform the customer experience. I co-facilitated sessions to walk stakeholders through the journey pain points, to ideate solutions and to prioritize them. Stakeholders also took ownership of quick wins and agreed to co-own major solutions.
Next, I conducted a couple of prototyping sessions for stakeholders to get familiar with the process; I introduced storyboarding techniques to create prototypes of the major solutions. Once stakeholders had prototypes ready, I invited colleagues from other departments to act as customers so stakeholders could practice presenting solutions prior to doing it in person with real customers. As I next step, I organized in-person and virtual sessions with customers where stakeholders presented their prototypes and gathered feedback.
Based on the feedback provided, I guided stakeholders to design the future state journey map and future state service blueprint.

4. My Role & Contribution
In this project, I led the end-to-end journey management process, ensuring alignment across stakeholders while keeping the customer perspective at the center. I conducted qualitative and quantitative research to uncover pain points and opportunities, which I synthesized into actionable personas and data-driven insights using AI tools.
I applied journey mapping and service blueprinting techniques to visualize the customer experience, connecting frontstage interactions with backstage processes. To ensure alignment, I facilitated cross-functional workshops, where I guided stakeholders through co-creation activities and prioritized initiatives based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and organizational goals.
Leveraging data analysis and AI tools, I identified patterns and emerging needs that informed prototyping and iterative testing of solutions. I also managed timelines and deliverables through project management practices, ensuring progress was transparent and collaborative.
Throughout the project, I used storytelling to be an evangelist of the journey management findings, helping leaders and teams connect emotionally with the customer journey and see the value of proposed improvements. This combination of methods not only built a shared vision but also delivered a clear roadmap for measurable experience transformation.

5. The Solution
The prioritized solutions focus on:
• Improve education and guidance to customers about the cancellation process
• Introducing self-serve options to cancel plans
• Improve offboarding experience with clear guidance of next steps and options to come back

6. The Impact
The digital product team has incorporated the future state journey map solutions into their road map, and based on the first iterations, this project has achieved:
• Clear steps to cancel a health benefits plan, meaning fewer calls to the call centre = less cost to serve and more available time to serve customers with other inquiries
• Reduce time and steps to cancel plans, resulting in increased likelihood to recommend the company = less cost to serve, new and returning customers
• Positive emotional closure with customers, transparency of the process and trust in the company = brand advocacy, win-back potential and reputation management.

7. Key learnings
• Stakeholder management is a key element of journey management. I had 1:1 with stakeholders at the start of the project and throughout it, and this significantly helped to address questions they had and to learn about concerns they had about this new way of working. I will continue this approach in future projects.
• Seeing the journey management practice as a product. Aside from 1:1 interviews, I also conducted anonymous feedback about the practice, and this really helped to identify areas of improvement. This was very important, particularly because this was the first journey management pilot in this company. For the next stages, I have created a journey management playbook that includes the details of the practice as well as its engagement models. I will also map the stakeholder experience to manage and practice what I preach. I also plan to set clear goals for what the practice aims to achieve at the corporate level, aside from the metrics each journey has.
• Taking time as a team to reflect on what went well and what can improve throughout the project is key to keep iterating the practice.
• Something I will do differently is to use AI to help with ideation and prototyping. Embracing new technology can significantly reduce time and help stakeholders gather and analyze insights more effectively.