Permitting: recovering from a difficult first launch
Permitting's first release was not well received, with an NPS of about −32. By working directly with the users who had the most concerns, we brought it to about +32.
- Role
- Designed the tool and led its redesign
- Context
- Sphere's first permit management tool
- Outcome
- NPS about −32 → about +32
The ask
Create Sphere's first permit management tool. Until then, subcontractors had managed permits on their own.
The challenge
- Limited access during design. Early requirements were gathered without design in the room, and I worked from business cases rather than direct conversations with the divisions.
- A difficult launch. About 44% of surveyed employees were detractors and 12% were promoters. Users felt the tool imposed a way of working that didn't reflect their reality.
The approach
- Listening to those with the most concerns. Collaborative design sessions that made our decision-making visible.
- Mapping the process as it really worked. A service design document showing how permitting would run in person, on paper.
- Making it visual. The workflow, its impact, and the importance of accuracy, shown visually rather than in project-management terms.
Outcomes
- NPS −32 → +32
- after the redesign, about 44% of respondents were promoters and 12% detractors
Figures are approximate, from internal surveys.
What didn't go to plan
The first release. In hindsight, I should have advocated more strongly for direct access to the divisions early on. It was a period of leadership change, and I chose to be cautious.
Turning point
The service design document. It turned a disagreement about software into a shared picture of the actual work, and many of the tool's critics became contributors.
What I learned
Design developed at a distance from users struggles, even when the screens are sound. Involving the people who do the work from the start makes the difference.