Onboarding opportunities for digital transformation

Abstract

The European Airline is a big company that focuses on efficiency, sustainability and customer experience. Its department DS strives to make the company smarter and more efficient. They create value by experimenting with technologies and methodologies, delivering products into people’s hands, and transforming the way of working. My project was conducted as part of the Portfolio Management team within DS. The Portfolio Management team enables decision-making on priorities and guides delivery of value. On assignment for DS, my intent for the project was to design a concept that quickly generates and shapes initiatives, and creates insight into their potential value. The project started with framing the problem. During the literature study, I concluded that three studies were leading for this assignment. Elements of successful portfolio management are described by Cooper et al. (2001) as strategically aligned, maximum portfolio value and portfolio balance. This can be achieved by having a portfolio mindset, being agile, and focusing whilst generating and shaping initiatives (Kester et al., 2011). The elements of portfolio orientation and structuring proved to be essential for the assignment as well (Meskendahl, 2010). I conducted external interviews, during which elements from literature gained meaning within the assignment. I discovered how the elements of Cooper et al. (2001), Kester et al. (2011) and Meskendahl (2010) could be applied within the context of the problem. I concluded that all insights obtained could be divided between strategically aligned, maximum portfolio value, portfolio balance and portfolio mindset. The underlying drivers of these elements led me to define design criteria. Different combinations of ideas resulted in four concepts, including the frame toolbox concept. The frame toolbox aims to transform the Frame Creation method (Dorst, 2015) into a tangible product, where initiative owners feel supported in the rapid generation and shaping of initiatives with maximum value as output. I subsequently developed the frame toolbox concept within DS’ context by testing its assumptions, hypotheses and challenges. This testing resulted in finding a connection between the frame toolbox and DS’ resources. This iterative design process led to my final design of Blink. Blink is a digital toolbox that transforms all types of innovations into valuable focus points for product teams. It quickly exposes problems, themes, solutions, and opportunities to their core and maximizes their potential value. By implementing a simple step-by-step plan, new opportunities are shaped that align with DS’ strategy. Blink helps participants to reframe their mindset by discovering the drivers of initiatives to define where the “real” value lies. This value is assessed by the value check tool. Focus points are evaluated on desirability and viability; this clearly shows its potential value. A portfolio mindset among employees is ensured through Blink’s structure and transparency. Blink can be performed in small and large groups, both online and offline. It enables participants to act flexibly due to the short turnaround time. It prioritizes speed, as it focuses on rapid screening of the initiative’s potential value. This thesis describes the process I followed in developing Blink and concludes with an implementation plan, a final reflection, Blink’s limitations, and recommendations for future designs.