Enhanced Efficiency

Too Long; Didn't Read

The Problem

FamilySearch currently utilizes an outdated system to process 50 million images annually, requiring over 50k operation hours to support & ingest content.

The Solution

Replace the legacy technology with a robust system capable of scaling from 50 million images through third-party ingest to 200 million by 2027 while significantly reducing man-hours. Gather comprehensive requirements for the new system, meticulously document the current infrastructure, and present proposed solutions to stakeholders.

Research

Initially, I conducted three-month-long interviews with twelve teams within the organization to understand their processes. Based on the interviews, I thoroughly examined the system, creating visual flowcharts using FigJam to document each part of the process.

Journey Map 1 - Current Experience

To validate the accuracy of my captured processes, I developed a journey map illustrating the system's current state. This journey map was presented to all twelve teams, and through extensive collaboration, I refined it until it accurately depicted their workflows. The system processes up to 50 million images annually while consuming significant resources—up to 50K in operation hours.

1st Proposed Solution to Stakeholders

With the precise depiction of the current state verified, I formulated the solution. My initial approach aimed to establish a standardized flow based on the documented processes. However, upon presenting the solution to stakeholders, I received feedback indicating I shifted in the wrong direction. I realized that a complete system replacement was necessary. Following numerous meetings involving UX designers and my product manager, I collaboratively developed a new system featuring a wholly revamped flow.

Journey Map 2 - Improved Experience

With a possible solution, I crafted a second journey map focused on the future state. I also presented this iteration to all twelve teams. Following multiple interactions and discussions, the teams expressed enthusiasm for the proposed solution. The new system would allow FamilySearch to process 200 million images by 2027, using significantly fewer man-hours.

Opportunity Tree

My product manager and I proposed a solution requiring many internal changes across these twelve teams and the whole organization. To fully understand those internal changes, we designed an opportunity tree. As we worked on this, we realized that replacing this system would take longer than we initially thought. We identified three opportunities, eight solutions for these opportunities, and 34 experiments for these solutions. Some of these findings were already in motion by other teams in the organization.

2nd Proposed Solution to Stakeholders

With our comprehensive solution outlined in the journey maps and opportunity tree, we presented it to stakeholders once more. Our efforts were met with praise for the thorough research, sparking constructive conversations about how to address the opportunity tree's findings.

Conclusion

At this point, I was assigned to work with three multidisciplinary teams on three distinct projects. My product manager handed the project over to a full-time designer on our team to start working on some of the action items identified in the opportunity tree.

Key Takeaways