SP Portal
OVERVIEW
Problem:
External - For Service Providers (SPs) to update information within PitchBook, they have to fill out a clunky and unintuitive Excel survey sent by our Data Ops team
Internal Operations - It is time-consuming for our Data Ops team to take the Excel file and input the data into the internal system while navigating between multiple tools
My Role: Product Designer
Team: Product Manager, Data Operations Managers, Data Operations Associates, Engineering
Timeframe: 6 months
Tools: Figma, Miro, Asana, FullStory
Goals:
- Create a web-based survey tool For Service Providers to update their information
- Create an internal portal for our Data Ops team to view and enter updated information submitted by Service Providers
- Increase key data yield
BACKGROUND
What differentiates PitchBook from competitors is the proprietary information collected from Companies, Investors, Service Providers, Limited Partners, and General Partners on key deals and investments. As PitchBook scales, sending the Excel survey back and forth to collect sensitive information is a suboptimal process. By building a web portal, we will enable a better user experience for SPs to connect with PitchBook and update profile information. The internal portal will streamline the data entry process for our Data Ops team.
PAIN POINTS & KEY INSIGHTS
I interviewed the Data Ops team in charge of the Service Providers dataset to understand pain points about the SP Excel survey, and what the initiatives are to increase yield in key data sets.
Service Providers Pain Points & Insights
Cumbersome
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There are 23 tabs in the SP Survey which makes it difficult to scan
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The Excel file is unintuitive and hard to scan and spot check
Security Concern
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IT departments do not want Service Providers to download the Excel file
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It is not a secured file
Confusion Over Terminology
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Confusion about the difference between Deal Work and General Service Work
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Companies on the Block terminology is confusing
Flexibility & File Management
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The tool needs to be flexible so SPs can upload files. Most responsive SPs send press releases and their own tracking sheets
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The survey format should fit the mental model of industry standard
Building off of previous research conducted by the Investors Survey team on pain points of the internal operations, we broke down the current process to identify areas of improvement.
Internal Pain Points & Insights
Time Consuming
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Have to take the Excel file, go into the internal database to input data and use the compare tool
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Saving in the internal database takes time
Compare Tool is Clunky
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Compare tool parses all the changes made by external users
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Researchers have to navigate between internal databases, compare tools, and their methodology
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The layout of the compare tool is difficult to scan
Confusion About Type of Change
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References changes for removal and addition in the same color
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No way to differentiate what type of change has been made
Act Log & Notes
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Data Ops associates need to add notes in the internal database for all changes made by recipients
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Researchers use a survey workbook that contains a pre-formatted act log/internal note
PREVIOUS VS. PROPOSED PROCESS
Service Providers
Previously, SPs had to download the Excel file from the email, make updates, and send the file back to the Data Ops team. With the new process, they can make all changes and upload files through the Web Portal.
Internal
Previously, Data Ops Associates had to previously reference multiple tools. With the new internal tool, Data Ops Associates can easily see changes made and there are direct links to enter the information into the system.
WIREFRAMES & INFORMATION ARCHITECTURE
With 23 different tabs within the Excel Survey and many data points to collect, we worked closely with the SP Data Ops team to prioritize what we want to capture, eliminate obsolete data points and finesse confusing terminology.
Although Option 1 is more closely aligned with the current Excel Survey. Having to review information for 9 different tables is extremely tedious. I pushed for option 2 which would consolidate the three Services page to one page and pare down 9 tables into one table with dynamic form selections and filters.
UI UPDATES & DESIGN SYSTEM
There was a lack of consistency between the current Company and Investor Survey portals and the PitchBook Platform. Usability issues needed to be improved with the current portals. With 4 additional portals on the roadmap after SP Portal, I created a unified design system in Figma for all Survey portals that aligned with the PitchBook Platform design system. The new UI updates addressed usability issues and modernized the designs.
FINAL DESIGNS
Service Provider Portal Designs
Homepage & Preferences
Navigation
The new side navigation is more scalable and consistent with the PitchBook platform
Layout
Text fields are easier to scan with a 2 column layout. The header removes the overloaded texts.
Upload Files
User can directly upload the file on the portal on the homepage
Client Services
Filters & Add Button Hierarchy
The Add button is more prominent. Filters were moved to the header level so it's less disjointed and does not compete with the add button
Dynamic Form
Forms are dynamic based on what service was provided. The information collected is different based on service type
Teams
Search Database
To discourage duplicate entries, users search against the existing data base when adding a new team member
Filters
The filters are beneficial for viewing longer lists
Offices
Table Layout
Editing in modal instead of a collapsable table is easier to edit and more contextual
Summary
Submit Button
Previously, there was a percentage of users who completed the survey but did not submit it. The updated submit button is more clear with updated text and closer to the table
Internal Portal Designs
Color Coded
With different color coding, Data Ops Associates can clearly see what has been added, edited, and removed.
Quick Links
There are direct links in the portal to jump to specific sections in RTS
Notes
Activity log & notes has been streamlined in the portal so teams no longer need to log notes in a separate workbook
BUSINESS IMPACT
SP Portal has been built out and will launch in May 2022. Before launching to all SPs, we are running usability testing with selected users on the implemented designs. We will be looking closely at usage data and data yield post-release.
User Delight
With the new web-based solution, users can review and update their information easily using the built-in features in lieu of the spreadsheet-based Profile Editor Tool which was clunky and uintuitive.
More Proprietary Data
In 2021, PitchBook received ~4000 data submissions (Surveys) from Service Providers. We expect the enhanced experience to further increase the number of data submissions from Service Providers.
Internal Operational Efficiency
The ‘Internal View’ of the tool contains features that reduce the time taken to enter the data updates. Features such as Update Highlights, Update Counter, and Direct Links streamline the process of reviewing and entering Profile updates.