Research Immersion to inform C2C Courier Service Innovation 

The client wants to increase their market share in the C2C courier service, aligned with the rising trend of e-commerce and SMEs. They see Customer Experience (CX) as a key component in this. We were engaged to help them to understand the customers’ needs and expectations towards the service, identify gaps and problems both from the customer-facing and internally within the organization, identify opportunity areas for improvements and innovations, and prototype the prioritized idea in the field.c ac odio tempor orci dapibus ultrices in iaculis

The Impact

Through a comprehensive service immersion and mapping out the gaps and opportunity areas, we developed a roadmap for CX initiatives that encompass both customer-facing as well as internal organizational improvements. As a quick-win strategy, we redefined the “Pickup delivery service” experience, through immersive prototyping and testing. Additionally, the newly formed team who shadowed our team during the process has developed the skills and confidence to integrate human-centered design mindsets and facilitate collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Our Approach

To identify gaps and opportunity areas along the end-to-end customer journey, for both frontstage and backstage interactions within a short timeline, we involved different internal stakeholders/actors in collaborative workshops. This initial service blueprint was then further enriched with immersions, observations, and interviews with customers and internal employees. From the insights and systems mapping, we identified several leverage points for quick wins and a roadmap for future CX initiatives. We involved key actors in prototyping the quick win service ideas in the field, which allowed us to be grounded in the operational constraints. Throughout the project, key members of the newly formed CX team were actively involved, to empower them to continue the process even after the completion of our team’s engagement.

Immersion at the frontstage counter
Immersion at the backstage sorting center
Immersion and interviews with customer 

Our Journey and Process

Cross-functional Workshop and Immersive Observation

Before speaking with the customers, we conducted innovation workshops with multiple internal teams to understand the overall process from both the customer journey and internal processes, including the challenges encountered and potential leverage points for intervention. Then, we did immersive observations to get a better context of the daily activities of key actors along the process. Starting from observing the counter, the sorting process, until the delivery process by the courier.

In-depth interviews (IDI) and Focus Group Discussions (FGD)

At this stage, we had interviews with the target customers to dig deeper into their motivations, challenges, and behaviors toward courier services (e.g. expectations, preferences, evaluation criteria, pain points, perceptions). We also did focus group discussions with courier service agents to understand their perspectives, motivations, expectations, and challenges that hinder them from delivering great customer experience.

Ideation workshop with internal stakeholders

After getting all the insights and a better understanding of the customers and the internal dynamics, we conducted an ideation workshop to brainstorm and prioritize ideas to further prototype as quick-win solutions.

Service Prototyping

In collaboration with the client’s internal team, we redesigned the “Pickup delivery service” experience, covering an alternative service flow, customer touchpoints, physical touchpoints, roles and service delivery team structure, enhancement in digital tools, payment solutions, and script for front-stage interactions. Together with the frontstage (customer-facing) and backstage team, we tested out a service prototype with real customers, where we obtained direct feedback for quick iterations and improvements.

Service ideation and prototyping
Co-creation for service prototyping
Service prototyping in the field

The Results

We mapped out ‘as-is service blueprint’ and ‘to-be service blueprint’ rooted in insights from the customers and internal teams. We derived a roadmap for CX initiatives to target different gaps and opportunity areas to improve the overall customer experience. For one of the initiatives, we prototyped and tested a quick-win solution that has high leverage points to improve the customer experience and potential business revenue. With the transfer of knowledge throughout the project, the newly formed CX team was able to implement the approach in another project on their own.


Consultant in-charge

ketut-sulistyawati

Ketut Sulistyawati

Project Oversee

Bhagaskara Setiawan

User Researcher

daniel-fandra

Daniel Fandra

Research Ops

Frans Mateus Situmorang

Project Lead

Catharina Krisanti

User Researcher

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One of content creators showing the application he used for recording his content

How are podcasts made around the world?  A podcast streaming platform engaged Reach Network to research to understand and find opportunities in the podcast creation process and monetization in 6 countries (US, UK, Japan, India, Brazil, Indonesia), where Somia researched and documented the study in Indonesia and helped to facilitate in the global synthesis process. This is the first time the platform has initiated an exploratory approach for their product in this topic.

The Impact

We learned that content creation is only a fraction of what podcasters need to do, but they also need to take care of monetization, promotion and other mundane tasks that hold them back from growing into big podcasters. Therefore, we need to expand the opportunities not only on the creation process but also other content creator supporting tasks as well. Together with other country partners we mapped several big themes opportunity direction for the client to develop further, based on the struggles and untapped needs we heard from the content creators

Our Approach

To make sure we get the most from the initiative, the project project was broken up into 2 phases. The first one is desk research followed up with remote interviews with the content creators. This is to get an initial understanding and know which topics we should dig deeper into in the second phase with the ethnographic approach, visiting and observing directly in the content creator environment.

To be able to capture the richness and complexity of the topic being covered, we used a filmmaking approach when the content creators explained and shared their practices. Film clips are aimed to get the client a deep understanding of the content creators’ environment, creation process, and the way they interact with their audiences.

Our Journey and Process

First Phase: Remote Interviews

Before we did any of the interviews we carried out a desk research to get an initial understanding of the podcasting industry in Indonesia. It helps us to sharpen the research questions and prevents us from asking surface-level questions to the content creators. We then did the interviews with a variety of content creators: different types of content, formats, lengths of content, and number of audiences. This was to make sure we captured the plausible needs and challenges across the creators. We extracted key needs and challenges that the platform could focus on to be discussed in the global workshop.

Global Workshop

In the global workshop, team from each country shared key insights to show what’s happening in their market. After rounds of clarification, the workshop then moved to see what is the similarities and differences across different markets. From the shared insights, the client then gave their view on which ones they were interested in more and could have a bigger impact on their product. These were used to determine the focus for the second phase, making sure the ethnographic approach was to dig details of the relevant topics.

Second Phase: Ethnographic Approach

We visited the content creators in their environment making the content. We would like to capture in detail the way they plan, create, edit, and promote their content based on the topic we had from the global workshop, using a design documentary approach. We were using two cameras that planned to shot different objects (e.g content creators’ face, environment, tools being used, etc) so later we could superimpose when we created the insight clips. In order for us to plan the shot better, we were giving our content creators a pre-task: they needed to create videos they explaining their podcast their environment where they record and edit the content.

Global Analysis

All the detailed evidence from different countries is then aligned together using predefined frameworks. Together with the client, we then generated opportunity areas for them to develop in the future.

The place where one of the content creators invite their source and record their content

The Results

All the insights, quotes, film clips, and opportunity areas where the client should tap into were then stitched together in an interactive medium, which the client could always revisit to develop future strategies and features, or as an inspiration for different divisions such as marketing and communication.


Consultant in-charge

Uka-q-a-p

Ketut Sulistyawati

Project Oversee

nathaniel-orlandy

Bhagaskara Setiawan

Project Lead

Frans Mateus Situmorang

User Researcher

daniel-fandra

Catharina Krisanti

Research Ops

See more our similar works

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Photo of the respondent shows her make-up routines.
Client Beauty Retailer
Project Duration 7 Weeks
Project Location Indonesia

Building a cohesive brand experience as omni-channel retail from a traditional way is a complex and critical journey nowadays. One of the big retail companies in beauty and cosmetics approached Somia, to design the future Customer Experience (CX) vision that seamlessly integrates the client’s overall ecosystem.

The Impact

After having a chat with the whole stakeholders; from C level, manager, to front liners, we helped to flash-out the current state and the front liners were happy since their voice can be heard too. We created behavioral types of customers for the client to visualize the shifting performances and gaps.The customer archetypes become the blueprint for client’s internal ideation. This project has brought inspiration to the stakeholders on the importance of customer experience.

Our Approach

The main objective was to design the future customer experience (CX) vision that seamlessly integrates the client’s overall ecosystem. Our key initial challenges were to find out what motivates customers, their current relationship with the brand, and their shopping habits beyond their needs. We have also immersed ourselves in investigating the stakeholders, front liners, and high-level management in the form of service safari and workshops to align the vision together.

Getting to know customers’ beauty references
Artifacts of respondent’s beauty products
Service Safari visiting the store

Our Journey and Process

Business Discovery

This step will help to build a solid knowledge basis about the key initiatives, scan the industry to see how competitors do, and also set up a communication strategy between client and us.

Internal Evaluation

For these occasions we did mystery shopping on three client’s channels, to help us to get an honest and real experience of each channel. We also dug deeper about what happens through several FGD sessions with front liners, then communicated the findings with service blueprint workshops.

Customer Research

We did research on our client’s customers as well as the competitors, like their experience using the products and also the problems that they faced.

Insight Synthesis

Using the data that has been collected before, we analyze it to derive insights about their customer needs, expectations, and pain points, alongside with clients core teams. Then we updated the service blueprint and came up with a draft for CX vision and key concepts.

CX Vision

Together with clients higher management we align the proposed CX vision and key concept to the organization’s high level strategy.

The service blueprint and archetypes
In-depth interview with customer
Respondent’s morning beauty routines

The Results

Based on the customer research, we have created archetypes that are represented customers’ shopping habits toward beauty products. In the roadmap towards omni-channel retail, we applied a customer-centric approach to map out the consistency of all retail channels, online and offline touch points. These omni-channel touch points were customized accordingly with each customer archetype based on their needs and pain points across the journey. As a result, we could map the phases of customer behavior from having basic into advanced beauty knowledge and lapsing into loyalty towards the beauty products. The principle of the future CX vision was collected from the overlapping points of customer needs, pain points, and opportunities. In the end, these detailed solutions correlate with each customer archetype in the form of implementation and a prioritized plan each year.


Consultant in-charge

chin-chin-burkolter

Ketut Sulistyawati

Project Oversee

anindya-fitriyanti

Bhagaskara Setiawan

User Researcher

michelle-susanto

Frans Mateus Situmorang

Project Lead

daniel-fandra

Catharina Krisanti

Research Ops

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Wudu All in one Station and Urinal for muslim istinja washing
Client Kohler
Project Duration 3 years
Project Location Indonesia

Kohler wanted to explore opportunity areas to cater Muslim specific needs in bathspace. We started the exploratory journey in 2017 with a series of user research, ethnographic research, observations, and interview with experts. We derived key opportunity areas for innovation and we then worked closely with the client to do iterative user testing with the developed concepts and working prototypes. The project won several international awards and has been developed and launched to the public in 2022.

The Impact

Kohler wanted to explore opportunity areas to cater Muslim specific needs in bathspace. We started the exploratory journey in 2017 with a series of user research, ethnographic research, observations, and interview with experts. We derived key opportunity areas for innovation and we then worked closely with the client to do iterative user testing with the developed concepts and working prototypes. The project won several international awards and has been developed and launched to the public in 2022.

Our Approach

As the Muslim market is growing, Kohler, one of the largest international sanitaryware companies, wanted to develop new innovative sanitary wares for Muslims. Throughout the 3 years project, we worked closely with Kohler to discover new opportunities for innovations, develop concepts and then test and iterate the design of the concept:

Our Journey and Process

Our Journey and Process

Phase 1: Exploratory Research & Concept Testing

We started the exploratory journey in 2017 with a series of user research, ethnographic research, observations, and interview with experts (architect, Prominent figures in Islam). 

From this initial discovery, we synthesized several key opportunity areas, especially regarding Muslim cleaning rituals and beliefs, such as Wudu (washing all over the face, hand, and foot) and Istinja (cleaning of private parts with water after relieving oneself). 
Such needs, however, are not catered well in today’s sanitary products. We found out that there are many workarounds done by the users to be able to do their rituals. From these discoveries, we developed concept ideas to be tested with the potential users in order to discover the design principles and prioritize concepts to be further developed.

Phase 2: Real-Size Prototype Usability Testing

The prioritized concepts were then developed into a real-size prototype, such as 1:1 printouts and cardboards. These prototypes were shown and tested to a number of homeowners and business users to gain their usability feedback. By creating a real-size prototype, we could observe how users interacted with the products.

From the usability testing, we discovered the physical requirements & essential features of the product, which later is used as a guideline for the client to develop the product further. These inputs were important to help us and our client to take decisions before developing a high-cost working prototype.

Phase 3: Working Prototype UT & Finalization

When we tested the non-working prototypes, some feedback may come only from the user’s imagination, which might be different than when they directly interact with the working prototypes. Therefore, it’s important to do usability testing using working prototypes to prevent wrong decisions before finalizing the concept for mass production.

Kohler team developed 8 working prototypes based on the input of the previous phase. Then, we test it to the potential users, developers, architects, technicians & Muslim experts and ask them to prioritize it. We did not only evaluate the usability of the products but also discussed the price they are willing to pay and how they would adopt the products for their home/construction projects. With the Muslim experts, we discussed how to appropriately design, communicate and implement the products.
From the input of the previous round of research, Kohler’s team iterated a new-refined prototype, and then, we tested it again. Finally, the design got approval from the respondents as it already covered most of their needs. From these learnings, Somia provides the Final Product Recommendations and suggested that we can finalize the product.

Wudu, Istinja, and the workaround Muslim does to cater their ritual

From the concept drawing, to mid-fidelity prototype, then high fidelity working prototype

Close collaboration! During the project, Kohler team worked closely with Somians during all phases of the project

The Results

The product concept of this project, the Kohler Rivlet, has been launched to the market in 2022, while the Urinal Istina is still under development. The concept has attracted the interest of both Indonesian and international markets. The project has also received several international recognitions and awards.

Awards & Recognitions

We are very honored and humbled that the Istinja Urinal Concept won in:


Taiwoon Woon
logo-kohler

Fabulous! I love their curiosity, humbleness and willingness to go out of their comfort zone to make things happen. The positivity is great! Another thing I appreciate is how the team works well with me to get the results I need. Sulis also understood that I needed to sell up to top leaders and the type of information/ communication needed to make things work. During the testing, I see the level of passion, involvement, and flexibility to make things work. It’s really good and inspiring!

Taiwoon Woon
Kohler, Design manager and Global Commerial Lead

Consultant in-charge

dono-firman

Ketut Sulistyawati

Project Lead

Uka-q-a-p

Bhagaskara Setiawan

User Researcher

Daniel Fandra

User Researcher

Frans Mateus Situmorang

User Researcher

nathaniel-orlandy

Catharina Krisanti

User Researcher

See more our similar works

Collaborate with us!

Looking for ways to transforming your business?
Get in touch with us!