Community

How A Community was Born

Introduction:
I was a member of a small team responsible for developing a web-based platform for Hyland Software, aimed at providing customers and partners with a centralized hub for accessing Hyland's products, solutions, and updates. We named this platform "Community," signifying a sense of fellowship and shared interests among its users.

Challenge: During the first stages of the project, our team faced some challenges. We had support from the CTO but there were concerns from tech support and our partners. The primary worry was that the platform might lead to customer poaching and negative feedback on our products. This context initially made it difficult to gather relevant data, create accurate personas, and conduct usability testing.

Research and Inspiration:

To overcome these challenges, I undertook extensive research to understand how other companies had approached similar platforms successfully. Additionally, I explored best practices for building blogs, wikis, and forums. This research proved instrumental in shaping our approach to building the Community platform.

Solution:
After months of dedicated effort, we successfully launched the first version of the Community platform. Contrary to initial concerns, our partners and tech support community embraced it enthusiastically. Partners experienced stronger relationships with their customers, and tech support teams were able to reduce call volumes by addressing queries and providing module/product information through forums and blogs.

Customer Engagement and Collaboration:

One of the key achievements of the Community platform was fostering meaningful communication and collaboration among customers. It provided them with a space to connect, share ideas, and collectively solve problems. By bringing together a fully engaged community of users, we created an environment where customers felt supported and empowered.

Evolution and Growth:
Over the course of the next seven years, our team expanded, and we continually improved upon the Community platform. We implemented surveys, and conducted onsite user testing to gather valuable insights. This stronger emphasis on user experience allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of our users and how they interacted with our products. It enabled us to identify areas for improvement and implement iterative enhancements.