Ally Bank · 2024

Customer Experience 360

Big Data Enterprise

Product Design

Project

Opportunity: Ally Bank Enterprise Big Data Customer360 Application

Ally Bank's current data infrastructure was fragmented, preventing a unified view of customer experiences, data integrity, sales opportunities, product trends, and risk identification across the business. We architected, designed and built an Enterprise Big Data Customer360 Application that consolidated customer and business data into a unified platform. The project is an ongoing project.

My Role

As the Product Lead, I became a Product expert on Consumer banking by diving into industry research and best practices for the banking sector, interviewed Business Stakeholders, ideated on business metrics concepts, visual designs and prototypes while Partnering closely with Ally Product Management and Technical Stakeholders.

Project Length: 6 Month – Ongoing
Team: Business Product Owners, Cross Functional Data Engineering, Development and Design Teams.

My Process

Design process: business research, user research, ideation, design prototype, and testing

Pain Points

No Enterprise Business Reporting
Difficult to troubleshoot customer data
Master Data Repository Missing Data
Current Solution Does Not Scale
Need Decision Making KPI Tool

How Might We (HMW)

HMW offer executives a centralized view of critical business data?
HMW enable customer service to access comprehensive customer data?
HMW streamline data integration and reporting for data analysts?
HMW design a smart search across multiple data use cases?

Outcome

Shipped a new custom enterprise customer 360 application that resolves the identified pain points during the first phase of the project. Our team provided Ground up Consulting from Banking KPI research, MVPs and working closely with Business Data Owners to identify and design valuable insights for the bank.

What We Learned

It was difficult to find quality references for Customer 360 applications in Large Financial companies due to the applications being behind the firewall and often custom built or architected using multiple tools. Our Competitive and Comparative research required a deeper dive into the business and the industry.

Research

5 Whys, User Research, Quantitative, Qualitative

Banking Industry Research

Customer Experience (CX) 360

What do we need to Discover and Learn?
What is Customer Experience 360?
How does it impact Banking?
Why is it important to Ally?
Who is doing it well?
What do our internal team experts know?

Big Data Applications

What do we need to Discover and Learn?
Why are banks using it?
How does it impact Banking?
Why is it important to Ally?
Who is doing it well?
What do our internal team experts know?

What's Important to Ally

I didn't have access to C-Level executives to talk to them about what's important to Ally's business, what problems are their highest priority, what business lines are growing, so went to the next best source and studied the last several Annual Reports.

What data is important to the executive decision makers?
Where are potential risks that need to be tracked?
What suggestions can we make that Ally isn't thinking about?
What keeps them up at night?
What are they excited about?

Ally 2023 annual report financial tables and definitions

Archetype Personas – Understand the Users

CEO

CEO of Ally BankVisionary Strategist

Background: Rebecca has a strong background in finance and banking, having worked her way up through various leadership positions in the industry.
Traits: Visionary, strategic thinker, decisive, results-oriented.
Needs: Access to real-time data and insights to make informed strategic decisions for the overall growth and sustainability of Ally Bank.
Comprehensive financial reports, real-time updates on key performance indicators, insights into market trends, and data-driven recommendations for strategic decision-making.
Journey: Rebecca requires a high-level overview of all divisions to assess performance, identify opportunities, and align the organization towards common goals.

CFO

CFO of Ally BankAnalytical Steward

Background: Michael is a seasoned finance professional with expertise in risk management and financial analysis.
Traits: Analytical, detail-oriented, risk-aware, cost-conscious.
Needs: Detailed financial data and forecasts to ensure fiscal responsibility and optimize resource allocation across all divisions.
Accurate financial statements, forecasts, budget analyses, liquidity management tools, risk assessment reports, and insights into investment opportunities.
Journey: Michael seeks in-depth analytics on revenue, expenses, and profitability across different product lines and geographic regions to support budgeting and financial planning.

EVP Home

EVP of Ally HomeCustomer-Centric Innovator

Background: Jennifer has a background in mortgage lending and a passion for innovation in customer experience.
Traits: Customer-centric, innovative, empathetic, adaptable.
Needs: Insights into customer behaviors, preferences, and market trends to develop tailored mortgage solutions and enhance customer satisfaction.
Journey: Jennifer focuses on understanding the home buying journey, identifying pain points, and implementing technology-driven solutions to streamline processes and improve the customer experience.

EVP Call Center

EVP of Call Center OperationsA Pro in Human Relations

Background: Henry holds a pivotal role in overseeing the efficiency and effectiveness of the bank's call center operations.
Traits: Human Behaviour-centric, Communicator, empathetic, adaptable, Good Listener
Needs: Customer Satisfaction, Operational Efficiency, Employee Engagement, Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement in the operations are some of the things Henry looks out for.
Journey: Henry focuses on the needs of different customers. Tries to address their pain points which helps in improving the brand identity of the organization. He also continuously monitors the key metrics for improvements in the operations for smooth functioning.

EVP Credit

EVP of Ally CreditRisk Management Pro

Background: Sarah has a background in credit risk management and regulatory compliance.
Traits: Risk-aware, compliance-oriented, data-driven, strategic.
Needs: Comprehensive credit risk analytics and regulatory insights to ensure sound lending practices and compliance with industry regulations.
Journey: Sarah focuses on monitoring credit quality, identifying emerging risks, and implementing strategies to mitigate losses while maintaining a balanced portfolio.

EVP Auto

EVP of Ally AutoIndustry Expert

Background: David has extensive experience in the automotive industry and a deep understanding of consumer trends and preferences.
Traits: Industry expertise, customer-focused, collaborative, forward-thinking.
Needs: Data on vehicle sales, financing trends, and competitor analysis to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge in the auto finance market.
Journey: David follows the entire lifecycle of auto financing, from vehicle purchase to loan servicing, aiming to optimize processes and offerings to meet customer needs and market demands.

EVP Deposits

EVP of DepositsWealth Management Guru

Background: Kevin has a background in wealth management and a passion for helping clients achieve their financial goals.
Traits: Client-focused, investment-savvy, goal-oriented, ethical.
Needs: Data on customer savings habits, investment preferences, and market trends to develop personalized financial solutions and drive deposit growth.
Journey: Kevin aims to provide a seamless experience for customers looking to save and invest, leveraging data analytics to offer tailored products and services that align with their financial objectives.

EVP Investments & Retirement

EVP Investments & RetirementRetirement Planning Expert

Background: Emily has expertise in retirement planning and a commitment to helping clients achieve financial security in their golden years.
Traits: Retirement-focused, knowledgeable, empathetic, communicative.
Needs: Insights into retirement savings trends, investment performance, and regulatory changes to develop retirement planning strategies and educational resources for clients.
Journey: Emily guides clients through the retirement planning process, from setting goals to managing investments, leveraging data analytics to provide personalized advice and support at every stage of their journey.

User Interviews

Stakeholder Interviews

Director Product Management

What are your primary business goals?
Tell me about your experience using your current solution?
How integral is this product in your day to day work?
How easy or difficult was it to perform this task?
Any challenges encountered while setting up existing tasks?
What challenges do you face with your current solution?
Complete this sentence: "The biggest challenge my team has with the existing solution is…"
How many people work at your current organization?
What other solutions have you tried?
Complete the following sentence: "With [PRODUCT], I hope that me/my team can…"
What are the most important tasks you need to perform when using the existing solution?
How often do you perform your tasks and data activities?

Stakeholder Interviews

Senior Director Product Management

What are your primary business goals?
Tell me about your experience using your current solution?
How integral is this product in your day to day work?
How easy or difficult was it to perform this task?
Any challenges encountered while setting up existing tasks?
What challenges do you face with your current solution?
Complete this sentence: "The biggest challenge my team has with the existing solution is…"
How many people work at your current organization?
What other solutions have you tried?
Complete the following sentence: "With [PRODUCT], I hope that me/my team can…"
What are the most important tasks you need to perform when using the existing solution?
How often do you perform your tasks and data activities?