Course: Digital Product Management Industry Project
Team PwC: Helena Sokk (Master's in Computer Science), Viktoria Ivanova (Conversion Master in IT), Andres Kõiv (Conversion Master in IT)
Semester: Autumn 2024
The Challenge
AS PricewaterhouseCoopers Advisors (PwC), a renowned professional services firm, brings its extensive expertise in business analysis and service design to support Estonian public sector institutions. PwC has especially extensive experience in supporting the state in developing the digital gateway for entrepreneurs via state portal eesti.ee, which aims to streamline its services for entrepreneurs, making the platform more accessible and user-friendly. The student team was tasked with addressing the primary challenge of proposing ideas for a unified digital environment that simplifies how entrepreneurs interact with the state and access public services.
Process and Solution
To tackle this challenge, the PwC team employed Design Thinking and user-centered methodologies. Their journey began with stakeholder analysis and user research to identify the core needs and pain points of entrepreneurs navigating the eesti.ee platform. The team also conducted a best practice analysis to gather ideas from around the world on similar solutions. Through iterative design and user testing, the team proposed a solution that emphasized usability, clarity, and functionality.
The primary persona guiding the design was Jaan, a multitasking microbusiness owner who values professionalism and efficiency. Jaan represents entrepreneurs who need quick, clear access to business-related information and services without unnecessary complexity. Insights from user interviews and surveys informed Jaan’s journey, highlighting both positive experiences and pain points encountered on the existing platform. The team explored several "How Might We" (HMW) questions to uncover opportunities for improvement:
• How might we make the eesti.ee platform for entrepreneurs a place where they can quickly and easily find all necessary information and services?
• How might we help entrepreneurs manage all business-related obligations and requirements in one place, saving time and resources?
• How might we get entrepreneurs to know that all services they need are available in eesti.ee?
From these explorations, the team prioritized the first HMW question, focusing on proposing ideas for a streamlined platform that consolidates essential services and information in an intuitive layout.
The proposed solution reimagines the eesti.ee portal for entrepreneurs with the following features:
• Visually Pleasing Design: Minimalistic and modern, the design ensures that key information is easy to locate.
• Consolidated Services: All essential business-related services and information are accessible from a single, cohesive interface.
• Direct Links and Navigation: Users can quickly access relevant resources through prominently placed links.
• Enhanced Cybersecurity and Public Procurement Sections: Step-by-step guides, intuitive subcategories, and practical examples simplify complex topics like cybersecurity and procurement.
The team’s prototype prioritizes user experience, ensuring that entrepreneurs like Jaan can seamlessly navigate the platform, reducing time spent searching for information. The solution was rigorously tested with entrepreneurs to refine its usability and functionality.
During the user testing, the prototype of the eesti.ee business portal was evaluated, in particular its usability and how effectively it supports businesses in accessing cybersecurity-related information. Businesses reviewed the content and answered specific cybersecurity-related questions.
- Team "PwC"
By aligning with eesti.ee’s existing vision, previously conducted business analyses, the developments done so far, the PwC team has proposed great ideas on how to elevate the public service provision via the state portal to entrepreneurs. The proposed ideas not only simplify access to public services but also foster greater engagement with Estonia’s digital government infrastructure. With ongoing refinements and user collaboration, eesti.ee is poised to become the go-to resource for entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of state services.