Maturity scan - Maturity Scan

This Maturity Scan can help you determine how well your organization engages users in developing (digital) services. Based on your answers, you will receive tips on how to reach the next maturity level. There are 15 questions. It’s important to decide before hand what your perspective is going to be: for example, will you be answering the questions from the perspective of your own department or your entire organization? When you are uncertain about an answer, choose the one that best describes the situation.

The Maturity Scan is currently in beta. If you have any tips or ideas on how to improve the scan, please let us know via info@gebruikercentraal.nl.

A: Resources and processes

The first three questions are about which resources are available and how user involvement is embedded in the processes.

1: What budget is available for User eXperience (UX)?

No budget
Budget becomes available ad hoc
(Limited) budget available per project
(Limited) budget structurally available for user involvement and employee training
10-15% of all budgets is available for projects and activities to involve users. A set budget is available for employee training, purchase of equipment/hardware and software, to conduct user research

2: How many people/disciplines involve users in their work?

None
A few driven employees in the bottom tier of the organization, but involving users is not a full-time job
Users are included in projects; there are a few full-time UX employees available for projects
We have a separate team with full-time employees to engage with users. Team members come from several different disciplines
All employees and disciplines pay attention to user needs, with a team of full-time employees for specialist (UX) work

3: Is User eXperience (UX) included in work processes?

It’s not included in work processes
We have only generic processes in terms of quality (of service)
UX is seen as an instrument to be used or not, instead of a process. For example, conducting a usability study, once, upon completion
Special UX processes are established to involve users
UX is embedded in all processes, both in development- and agile management processes. And we work closely together with our partners to improve quality and make sure they offer customers the same experience we do

B: Management and governance

These three questions are about the involvement of management and how the organisation is directed towards involving users.

4: How is management involved?

There is no involvement
They occasionally receive research reports
They are becoming interested and they want to know about the benefits
They think it’s important and steer towards involving users
Within top-level management, one person is the explicit owner of all things UX, or management is thé face of user centeredness, and is leading by example

5: Is user involvement part of the organization’s vision and mission?

No
In some departments and projects, research results are used to plan activities
An annual research plan and a set of KPIs (key performance indicators) exist
Management believes it is important, and we use a well thought through set of KPIs
User’s involvement is used strategically, and is mentioned explicitly in our organization’s vision and mission statements, as well as the vision and mission statements of our various departments. It is put into practice, and all associated governance methodologies are used

6: How long has your organization been (actively) involving users?

At the moment there is no user involvement
User involvement started less than 2 years ago
Users have been involved for 2-5 years
Users have been involved for 5-10 years
Users have been involved for over 10 years

C: Methodologies and measurement

These three questions are about the methodologies used and how they are measured.

7: Which methodologies are used to involve users?

None
A specialized company performed just one usability test and we have statistics we can use
There is a basic set we use for everything: guerrilla methods are used for usability testing, and we’re experimenting with persona’s and customer journeys
A set of methods is being used during the development of new functions, for instance to prioritize, and to validate our work, as well as statistics and user testing
We use different methods strategically, including co-creation with real users, using our own testing facilities, research community, etc. Each time we carefully consider what methodologies to use, and choose the best. New methodologies are also considered

8: What happens with the results of the applied methodologies?

Little or nothing
Several times a year we ask users for their opinion, we just wait and see what the results are, and consider how we might use these results
We only use the results to get confirmation of new developments / adjustments. The results are only shared within our project team/department
We have an annual research plan for specific products, in which we use a structural set of methods. The results are shared with our stakeholders
We measure as much as possible, and share all results proactively (with everyone, including management), and we have an overview of all research findings and insights, nothing is launched or is changed without validation

9: What is measured?

Little or nothing
Only customer satisfaction surveys are conducted
We started measuring by agreeing on a number of basic UX-KPIs, for example user satisfaction
KPIs are tested to determine which KPIs are effective when it comes to involving users. There (still) is an emphasis on numerical KPIs
There is an extensive set of KPIs, and a set of less stringent requirements, that are used to run frequent planned tests, to examine user emotions, perception and experience

D: Knowledge and (business) culture

These three questions are about the level of knowledge and culture within the organization.

10: Who, within the organization, has knowledge about user involvement?

Hardly anyone
A few people, in different departments, who consider user involvement to be important
Employees who consider user involvement to be important, meet and share their knowledge
We have a specialized department that consists of full-time employees dedicated to research/user experience
Everyone has a basic knowledge and a specialized (internal) team, consisting of an interaction designer, researchers and advisors, with specific knowledge of user involvement, exists, e.g. to offer assistance in sessions with users

11: How do employees, and the organization as a whole, gather knowledge about user involvement?

They don’t
Some employees think it’s important and look for any information on user involvement themselves
We attend meetings on user involvement every now and then, and, ad hoc, employees register for a course
We consider what training on user involvement is needed, and draw up a training plan, we attend meetings and share our knowledge and experiences
We make sure to educate and certify as many employees as possible, we hire people who are already trained in user involvement, and share our knowledge in communities and in professional networks

12: How do employees feel about involving users?

Not important
A few employees think it’s important to consider user needs, the other employees consider users to be a burden
There are a few specific departments that consider user involvement to be important, because they are used to dealing with users directly
Employees within the organization know what their personal contribution is, in ensuring happiness and loyalty in users
We offer continuous learning and development programs, where (business) culture, user centeredness, and user experience are key topics

E: Understanding user needs

The last three questions are about how much interaction there really is with the user / customer.

13: At what point/phase in a project are users involved?

Never
Only at the very end, when the (improved) site or application has been launched, for example by user testing or web analytics
Users are involved during product and services development, for example in prototype testing
Users are involved from the moment product and service requirements are drawn up
Users are involved right from the start, in all phases, they also help decide if, and what product or service will be developed

14: Who comes into contact with users?

Only helpdesk employees if there is a problem
Only researchers, during the small number of usability tests performed
Project team members observe during user testing
Product owners, product managers and project managers have direct contact with users
Everyone, including our board of directors, talks to users frequently, and because of this, they are always aware of what’s important to users

15: What are the biggest challenges in user involvement within the organization?

Very challenging, the organization isn’t interested in user involvement
It is difficult to determine who the actual users are, we mainly look at what is needed from our own experience
Involving users in testing (designs) and securing budgets, are the biggest challenges
The challenge lies mainly in convincing management and different departments to make decisions based on the interests of the user rather than the interests of the organization
Ensuring UX consistency, working together with different organizations, and dealing with existing systems are the main challenges

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Organisation size

Less than 100 employees
Between 100 - 500 employees
Between 500 - 1000 employees
Over a 1000 employees

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Organisation attitude

Distant, hardly thought about at all
Start thinking about users
Average
Above average aimed at users
User focus and customer focus is part of all processes and the organizational culture