Human-Centered Innovation: How to reduce user resistance through active Involvement

Major European bank undertook the challenge of transitioning from a semi-automated and still heavily paper-based process to a digital solution for managing non-performing loans and underwriting of new ones. But they faced a challenge that couldn’t be taken lightly. End-users adoption resistance.

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THE CHALLENGE

As digital developers and innovators, we are committed to creating top-tier solutions for our clients. We understand the significant challenge of end-user resistance to change, especially when transitioning from paper-based processes to digital systems.

OUR APPROACH

Through using our Thinking Together methodology (TT), we organized five workshops where we engaged five groups of the organization's end users in the design and planning process. We identified and mapped their concerns and reasons for resistance.

3 KEY INSIGHTS FROM TT WORKSHOPS

To minimize resistance to new processes, particularly with significant changes like this one, it is essential to:

1. Include end users in the early stages of the project.
2. Allow them to participate in identifying the critical issues that need to be addressed first and recognising the benefits of the current process to ensure these are retained in the new process.
3. Involve them in the ideation phase so they can help shape the new process to meet their needs and expectations.

THE RESULTS

The primary tangible outcome of the TT approach was a list of new features and enhancements to be implemented in the NPL/UW systems. Additional benefits included:

• Increased efficiency in collaboration and decision-making.
• Emphasizing a user-centered approach by involving end users in the problem framing and ideation phases of the development process.

Utilizing the TT methodology not only enabled us to develop a system that meets business needs and effectively solves end-user problems, but also created a valuable opportunity, offering insights and learning about user resistance to change.

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Interested to learn more about Thinking Together? Check it out here.