Optimizing Multi-Stakeholder User Onboarding

Abstract

Traditional approaches to enhancing software onboarding typically focus on individual user journeys, yet complex systems often require coordinating multiple stakeholders through interconnected processes. Through Wint, an automated accounting software platform, this thesis takes a holistic approach to the onboarding context, employing a research-through-design methodology to explore both the fundamental and specific issues of Wint’s onboarding. The research examines how the multitude of stakeholders, including end-users, employees, external partners, and third-party integrations, influence the critical onboarding process.

Following an iterative design process including extensive interviews, thematic analysis, prototyping, and a co-design workshop, this thesis presents multiple design artifacts to optimize various parts of Wint’s onboarding. One concept regarding integrating a customer self-service learning platform was further analyzed and tested through a refined prototype, with independent participants unaffiliated with the organization. The identified friction points can be generalized in the context of onboarding multi-stakeholder systems beyond accounting software. Furthermore, the research addresses common design patterns in onboarding scenarios and metrics to evaluate and guide onboarding improvement.

The findings are presented as design artifacts, user testing results, and an extensive discussion culminating in general recommendations and insights for future attempts to improve digital service onboarding. Overall, the findings suggest improvements to internal employee workflows and customer interactions within the platform, expanding to reduce strain throughout the customer life cycle. Finally, possibilities for future work are identified and discussed.