Beer helps in Design Thinking!

[Former Member]

I came back from SAPPHIRE in Orlando a few weeks ago feeling energized and full of ideas.

You see, I had stumbled upon a section showcasing User Experience and a new process that I want to apply in my organization: Design Thinking!

I was introduced to the different steps and stages and I saw that during the prototype sessions you could use LEGOs to build them!

Building LEGOs... while working... Wow, now this is cool! Now how can I sell this concept to my boss... ?

It shouldn't be that hard since we are encouraged to innovate and most of all, to have fun!

I work for a company that makes, sells and ships a golden bubbly liquid across the world.

That company is MolsonCoors and its product is ice-cold, refreshing beer!

People I meet often have this image of me attending VIP parties and sporting or music events on a weekly basis.

And let's not forget the image of all the free beer I get to take home.

Although this image is partially true (to find out which part, keep reading!) our reality is far from it.

Our Challenges as a company

Like any global company, we have challenges. This is especially true in these tough economic times.

We have to do more with less. Competition is fierce and there’s a constant struggle to innovate and please our customers.

I work in Business Intelligence. More specifically as a BI Business Partner.

Being the face of BI to the business we are asked to guide them and make sure that the BI tools are used efficiently and provide value to the business.

It’s a new role within our IT organization and the expectations to deliver results are high.

Is Design Thinking good for BI?

In almost all the projects I’ve been, the part we struggle the most is gathering requirements. It’s one of THE toughest part of many projects.

The end-users have a hard time expressing their needs and most of all, their unspoken ones! What are they not telling us?

This week, I presented the Design Thinking Process and Methodology to my director. It couldn’t have come at a better time.

Here’s what I presented from Stanford U:  Gear Up!: How to kick-off a crash course

Our Global BI BP team is meeting next week in Montreal for the first time for some strategic sessions and we’ll be going through the gift giving exercise.

Go for a ride!: Virtual Crash Course Video

Next time, I’ll share our first experience in Design Thinking and how we plan to use it in BI at MolsonCoors!

Oh.. and yes, I do get to bring home FREE beer! :smile: