This work, while it's not building a new product or capability that Discover is showcasing, I actually think is key to solving and really unlocking value for the company—and that is in how do we take our products and services to market?
Alisa Ellis
Vice President, Payments – Infrastructure Products and PMO
Creating a digital self-service experience enabling their ability to expand partnerships.
Client Perspective
WM Perspective
We faced a common challenge among large companies—a proliferation of disparate points of interaction for both internal and B2B partners. Each product and service had its own portal, leading to a decentralized and outdated user experience. The goal was to modernize and centralize these interactions, adopting a partner-centric approach in the digital age. We needed help in formulating the strategic approach but also in the actual design and implementation of the transformation.
Around 2 years ago, the process of envisioning a new product began. Early interviews with tech-savvy partners revealed a lack of a convenient entry point into the Discover world. Existing methods involved manual communication through lengthy emails, PowerPoints, and PDFs. Recognizing an opportunity to enhance the digital experience, the goal became creating a self-service platform for partners to explore Discover's products at their convenience, potentially leading to a more streamlined engagement process—even allowing them to "try before you buy" from the comfort of their homes, breaking away from the lengthy and cumbersome traditional communication methods.
What was the original challenge that Discover was trying to solve when you first contacted West Monroe?
To address the challenges outlined in Discover’s vision, we took a comprehensive approach, starting with a roadmap that followed a crawl-run-walk progression. Engaging with partners through interviews led to the creation of detailed personas and journey
maps, revealing pain points and opportunities for improvement. Alisa and her team played a crucial role throughout the process, maintaining active engagement and accessibility. Proximity facilitated quick in-person meetings that enhanced collaboration. Vendor selections were made, combining Salesforce for backend functionality with a custom front-end developed by the product engineering team, showcasing a multidisciplinary approach involving financial services, change management, and customer solutions teams. The result is a strategic and collaborative effort to build an MVP product for Discover.
The collaborative effort with West Monroe began by understanding industry benchmarks to define what constitutes a successful partnership. Benchmarking allowed the identification of common challenges faced by many companies. Establishing a shared nomenclature for the partner journey provided a crucial internal reference point. This framework facilitated discussions about features and functionalities, considering the partner's position in their journey—whether they were exploring, shopping, or committed to an implementation step. Building on this foundation, West Monroe extended the conversation to explore the diverse roles within partner organizations and introduced the concept of personas. Recognizing the unique needs of technical users and business users, this approach aimed to tailor the partner experience based on specific roles and requirements within the organization.
WM Perspective
Client Perspective
How did we solve that
challenge together?
It just shows the importance of building something worthwhile that genuinely enhances the partner's experience. The ultimate goal is to integrate with internal environments and move into a production environment. The speaker acknowledges the significant progress made from the project's inception, highlighting the foundation being finalized. The work aligns with the ethos of "being digital" rather than just "doing digital," showcasing West Monroe's commitment to embodying this perspective.
This is really about the importance of ongoing work, not in creating a new product for Discover's showcase—but in unlocking substantial long-term value for the company by refining how products and services are taken to market. As a partnership-centric company, we recognize the need for scalability and expanding partnerships, necessitating a shift toward a digital self-service experience. The focus on this transition has built the imperative for the company's future business operations rather than just a desirable feature.
WM Perspective
Client Perspective
What was the value and impact delivered to the bank?
There is something special about having a client in Chicago [West Monroe’s Headquarters]. We could share the Chicago experience and even share meals—and it ends up not even being about delivering a project but rather building personal partnerships. Discover is a well-known brand and market leader; even family members recognize Discover from commercials and they understand the work West Monroe does for the company.
Through this engagement, I now have a group of people I can call and bounce ideas off—and that's been really an unexpected but very welcome gift.
WM Perspective
Client Perspective
What has the value and impact been on you personally?
To see the full story, download the conversation transcript
DOWNLOAD CONVERSATION
DOWNLOAD CONVERSATION
