Understanding the Enterprise Support Ecosystem

To initiate the project, we began with a human-centered approach—deeply engaging with the Microsoft Services team and enterprise customers. Working within the Customer Experience & Success (CE&S) division, I led discovery sessions with Customer Success Account Managers (CSAMs), incident managers, and support engineers to map out the end-to-end support journey.

Key research activities included:

• Stakeholder Interviews

• Experience Mapping

• Empathy Mapping

• Workflow Inventory

We uncovered a support environment that was fragmented, reactive, and often disconnected across tools like Dynamics 365, Azure Support, and Office 365. Users expressed frustration with redundant processes, lack of visibility into ticket status, and inconsistent handoffs between internal teams.

Deliverables:
Empathy Maps, Service Blueprints, Stakeholder Maps, Current State Journey Maps

Synthesizing Insights Into Core Problems

After collecting qualitative data, I synthesized the findings into thematic insights and friction points across the enterprise support lifecycle. A few key challenges emerged:

• Siloed Tools: Different support platforms didn’t share data or context, creating inefficiencies and user fatigue.

• Lack of Proactivity: Customers couldn't anticipate next steps or track support progress, making experiences feel opaque and high-effort.

• Inconsistent UI/UX: The support experience varied dramatically between products and platforms, leading to confusion and mistrust.

We defined the central opportunity:

How might we design a unified, proactive, and customer-centered support experience that enables both Microsoft teams and enterprise customers to solve problems faster—with less effort and greater transparency?

Deliverables:
Problem Statements, User Needs Framework, Thematic Insight Deck, Future-State Personas

Envisioning the Future Support Experience

With a clear problem space defined, I facilitated co-creation and ideation workshops with cross-functional teams—including UX designers, architects, product managers, and engineering partners. We generated a range of concepts focused on:

• Seamless, Omnichannel Support

• Personalized Dashboards for CSAMs and Customers

• AI-Assisted Ticket Triage and Recommendations

• Single Sign-On and Shared Identity Across Platforms

• Proactive Alerts and Smart Next Steps

We aligned on a holistic support ecosystem model—one that treats support touchpoints like a suite of connected products, not isolated services.

Deliverables:
Concept Maps, Ecosystem Maps, Ideation Outputs, Feature Prioritization Matrix

Visualizing the Next-Gen Experience

I translated the aligned vision into early prototypes—creating service blueprints, annotated wireframes, and user journey scenarios. The prototypes emphasized:

• A “One Front Door” Support Portal with integrated ticketing, documentation, and learning paths.

• A role-based experience that adjusts based on whether you're a CSAM, support engineer, or enterprise customer.

• Smart content surfacing, using structured metadata and AI to deliver tailored resources in real-time.

These prototypes were presented to stakeholders, including C-suite executives, to build alignment and secure buy-in for future-state development.

Deliverables:
Wireframes, Future-State Journey Maps, Annotated Blueprints, Executive Walkthrough Decks

Validating with End Users and Stakeholders

To validate our direction, I led concept testing and feedback loops with enterprise users and internal teams. This included:

• Heuristic reviews of the prototypes

• Co-browsing sessions with CSAMs walking through typical support flows

• Alignment sessions with engineering and business owners

Feedback confirmed that the redesigned experience significantly improved wayfinding, reduced duplication of effort, and set a new bar for internal collaboration. Users especially valued the predictability and personalization introduced into the formerly reactive process.

Final deliverables were compiled into a Findings & Recommendations Report and a Vision Brief used to guide future sprints and technical planning.

Deliverables:
Usability Feedback Summary, Concept Testing Report, Strategic Recommendations Deck, Roadmap Outline