Special connections for the region: Co-creation for an optimized customer experience in Fiber Optic Pre-marketing

Self-service & transparency on the pre-marketing channel

The solution was supposed to enable customers to query the availability of fiber optic products in their location and the expansion status in real time, to pre-order rates, and to make changes to the order by themselves. 

To do this, on the one hand it had to be ensured that a customer account was created for new customers automatically with the pre-order, one where the relevant information can be called up later in the customer portal. 

On the other hand, for existing customers, a link to the existing account had to be created when pre-ordering a fiber optic product, among other things to reduce the data entry work.

Optimize cooperation

NetCologne relied on agile methods for the implementation. With the agile scaling of the teams that would be established over the course of the project, new challenges arose, such as changed synchronization and communication needs.

Increase efficiency

Historically developed manual processes should be automated and digitalized to unburden customer service.

Discovery phase

In a discovery phase, the AOE team first immersed itself in the requirements:
1. Analysis of existing solutions: Infrastructure, systems and microservices
2. Using techniques such as user story mapping and various workshops to clarify questions such as: Which functions already exist? Which do we need first in order to offer customers added value?

MVP (Minimal Viable Product)

Using the results, a plan for the MVP was developed. In the first step, the fiber optic expansion should be integrated into the availability check in order to provide greater transparency and a better user experience. In addition, new and existing customers should have the opportunity to pre-order fiber optic products themselves.

Optimization of E-Commerce & UX

To ensure a smooth user experience, the fiber optic pre-marketing channel was integrated with internal systems like CRM and expansion tools, undergoing feasibility tests via user trials. For instance, we tested the clarity of fiber optic expansion rate notices and classic rate orders. Immediate improvements were made, and ongoing user testing ensured optimal usability before implementation. Automating customer account creation for fiber optic pre-orders significantly reduced customer service workload and enhanced convenience. Users can now easily update their information, and sales access was streamlined, simplifying order management and linking with sales figures for commissions.

Scaling of agile methods

Thanks to many decades’ experience in complex software development projects, AOE was able to provide optimal support for the agile scaling of the teams. Cross-team exchange formats and refinements, close, partnership-based collaboration, and adherence to agile ceremonies and concepts ensured that dependencies between teams could be identified early on and schedules for implementing features could be synchronized and planned efficiently.

Customer-friendly and efficient: In co-creation with AOE, NetCologne is a pioneer in optimizing fiber optic build-out in the Cologne region for new and existing customers.

This regional telecommunications provider was not only able to profit from AOE’s extensive experience on the telecommunications market and with the development of FTTH pre-marketing solutions, but also from its decades of experience in agile software development and the implementation of complex development projects. The result: Working as partners, the companies created a user-friendly pre-marketing solution for fiber optic products with seamless user experience – for maximum customer satisfaction and greater efficiency.

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