My role

UX Designer consultant

Team

Product owner
Product specialist
Scrum master
Developers

Time frame

Mar 2021 – Aug 2022

Tools used

Figma
Teams
Slack
Excel
Word

About the client

Länsförsäkringar AB and its subsidiaries is owned by the 23 regional insurance companies. Its mission is to conduct joint banking and insurance operations, manage the Group's strategic development activities and provide service in areas that generate economies of scale and efficiency, thereby creating possibilities for the regional insurance companies to be successful in their respective markets (source: Länsförsäkringar).

The challenge

Integrating new features into Länsförsäkringar’s CRM system, internally known as “Ett KUND.” This system, based on Siebel CRM (owned by Oracle), is used by case managers to handle customer interactions at Länsförsäkringar.

The implementation of the CRM system was made more than ten years ago and no one focused on how the system should work, look, and behave. In addition new functionality has been added throughout the years without any UX expertise being involved. The new and/or updated features had to be implemented within the existing CRM system, which posed challenges due to its outdated interface and legacy structure. Many previous additions had been made without a holistic view of the system, leading to inconsistencies in user flow. With UX support, the goal was to create the best possible user experience within this already complex system—one that was also undergoing a complete redesign and modernization.

The goal and purpose

Integrate features and/or remove existing ones into the dated CRM system while ensuring a smooth and efficient workflow for case managers using the system. Enable case managers to complete various tasks that were previously unsupported, had been modified or updated in the workflow, or needed to be relocated for a more streamlined and effective system.

Deliverables

Successfully implemented features within the existing CRM system, Ett KUND.

My role & responsibilities

As the sole UX designer, I was part of a team that included a Scrum Master, Product Specialist, Product Owner/Team Coach, and developers. Together, we worked on implementing new functions and/or remove existing ones within the CRM system.

SAFe / Design team / Developer team

Länsförsäkringar AB operates within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), with other teams featuring additional UX/UI designers and UX writers/copywriters. I was also part of a design team, where we had the opportunity to discuss complex design challenges, review each other's work, and receive feedback and support on my own designs.

The work process

Research phase

The research phase included contacting case managers and interviewing users—employees from various Länsförsäkringar offices across Sweden. Gathering information from the product specialist and summarizing feedback on workflows and work patterns.

Workshop

Conducted a workshop with the team to present the principles of UX design and explained the role. This approach helped increase the team’s understanding, especially for those with limited prior knowledge about UX design.

Implementing features

The implemented features can be described anonymously as follows:

• How to add some information manually instead of automatically.
• How to get information from another service into the CRM system and decide on where it should be shown and/or handled.
• Users should be able to update some business codes.
• As a private adviser you should be able to view certain information.
• Various functions in the way a user could handle messages.

Supporting product owner and developers

Supported the product owner in sorting and preparing upcoming features from the Agile Release Train (ART). During “PI Planning”—a period where teams shared missions, visions, and committed to a plan for upcoming features—the team selected features to work on and broke them down into smaller “stories.” Assisted in preparing demos to ensure a structured presentation of progress.

When a new function was in development, initial sketches and design concepts were created to define structure and usability. Once finalized, these were handed over to developers with all necessary details for implementation. Throughout the process, ongoing support was provided, answering questions and offering clarifications to facilitate a smooth development workflow.

Final thoughts

Culture differences

The team consisted of people from different countries and main language spoken and written was English.

Dated interface

The old interface does not adhere to the design library and lacks proper components. Additionally, it does not comply with WCAG accessibility standards. Although it is a private business, it may still need to accommodate users with various disabilities to ensure inclusivity and accessibility for all.

Updated interface and the end of it

At the same time the dated interface was being worked on, another team was working on updating Ett KUND with a new interface and improved workflows, aligning with Länsförsäkringar’s visual identity and its component library. However, shortly before my consultant contract ended, I learned that the development of the new interface was being put on hold for reasons unknown to me. I remain hopeful that the project was revisited and eventually resumed, but as of today, I have no information on its current status.