Over the past few weeks (months even!) I've been putting together a plan of what we (in the Web Development Department) would like to move forward with, in terms of improving the self-service convenience and self-help tools available on our http://www.plus.net/ website. We refer to such a vision as a roadmap. It gives us focus for the strategic activities we are expecting to undertake this year. I'm a realist and I know that unexpected challenges, and conversely, opportunities, will come along and disrupt our plans. But there are things on here that we MUST deliver this year and we've already made a good start in the first two months of 2008. Read on if you like.. it does go on a bit. 😉 
Online Support Roadmap Spring 2008 (click image to download)
1 Introduction
1.1 Document
This document describes the known focus areas (hereafter referred to as Roadmap Items), and their expected lead times, for the ‘Online Support' function of the ‘Web Development' department. Its purpose is to provide a solid foundation for the management of our schedule of work and also to facilitate transparency of purpose, such that prioritisation can be duly made by external parties when requesting use of the teams' resources.
1.2 Who are Web Development?
Web Development is a function of the Marketing department, being responsible for maintaining the website and customer communication channels of emails, web applications and contact tools. The department works in a cross-business approach within PlusNet and have close working ties and relationships to CSC, Networks, Application Development, Marketing, Products etc. The group work on development items and in-life support, supporting the business in agile development (NADS), as well as in major projects and problem resolution. The group consists of web developers, content writers and web designers working three workstreams: Community & Usergroup; Small projects, Support and Problems; and Project work.
1.3 What measures will be used to define priority and signify success?
Where not set by external influence or third party customers, each roadmap item will have a measure of priority and reporting assigned appropriately. Priorities will change and roadmap items will move; the roadmap will be updated to accommodate these changes quarterly.
2 Summary of Roadmap Items
The following is a summary listing of the key areas of focus; see the roadmap diagram above. Q4 = Jan - Mar 2008 Q1 = Apr - Jun 2008
2.1 Communication Tools
2.1.1 System Emails
..to catalogue, rate, review and move into Content Management, each of the automated emails that is generated and sent to our customers from various trigger points in the customer Lifecycle.
- Specify new email tool to allow the maintenance and creation of new ‘system' emails to be made through Workplace. (Q4)
- Rewrite ‘autoresponder' emails for support@, sales@ addresses (Q4)
- Identify all systems emails triggered from our codebase.
- Build of Content Email Tool and the import of Content (Phased movement of key emails into the new tool) (Q1-Q2)
2.1.2 My Account
To improve self-serve capability and usability of My Account content of the website through content/design improvements.
- Integrate Postini spam solution into the Manage My Mail application (Q4)
- Faults Content (full review) (Q1)
- My Account navigation and in-context help and awareness (usability) (Q2 - Q3)
2.1.3 Instant Messaging
To trial an implementation of in-life real-time support over the web using Instant Messaging tools
- Planning, resourcing and communication (Q4)
- Implementation of trial (Q1)
2.1.4 Help Assistant / Contact us
To improve the Help Assistant application on Plusnet vISPs
- Prototype and demonstrate ability to present relevant links to support pages in real-time (using AJAX) as customers type out a ticket request (Q4)
- Implement AJAX solution as a Phase1 deliverable. Remove all ‘dead-ends' and ‘loops in the Help tree (Q1)
- Convert Help Assistant to Contact Us tool: remove all redirects to support pages, leaving only AJAX suggested links (function of Help Assistant is replaced by Support Pages at this point - see parallel workstream). (Q3)
2.1.5 Tickets
To put ticket-raising functionality in context at the foot of each support page - this will facilitate the navigational structure of the support pages replacing the ‘Help Asst' decision tree. Once this is in place we can remove many of the decision tree paths in Help Asst to create an intelligent ‘Contact Us'
- Ticket raising functionality from the foot of every Support Page with URL-based reporting (Q2)
- Rename Questions to Tickets in workplace/website content (Q3)
2.1.6 Customer Journey
To review the end-to-end experience of customers visiting the website for signup and in-life self-serve and assistance.
- One website: to bring the concept of www and ‘portal' lifecycles into a cohesive ‘website'. Removal of concept of ‘portal'. (Q2 - Q3)
2.2 Self Serve
2.2.1 Auto-configuration of email clients.
- Automate configuration of email using downloadable configuration files; post-signup (Q4)
- Integrate this capability into Manage My Mail for default and additional mailbox creation (Q2)
- Review point to check validity with latest software and OS (Q4)
2.2.2 Support Pages
Improvements to the quality and usability of the PlusNet support pages
- Search terms and keyword review (Q4)
- Glossary (Q4)
- Getting Started (Beginners' Guides to PlusNet) (Q1)
- End to end content review of all support pages (Q2)
- Restructure and navigational refresh (Q3)
2.2.3 Video Help
Further development of support via video.
- Videos for setup of broadband and email clients with narration (Q4)
- Videos on welcome CD/DVD (trial) (Q3)
2.2.4 Welcome Booklet
Improve the experience and expectation-setting of new customers using pdf ‘welcome' materials
- New ‘welcome pdf' introduce in online (email attachment & download) (Q4)
- Costings and planning for introduction of welcome letter for all (Q1)
- Welcome email Trial (Q2 - Q3)
2.2.5 Hardware
Improve collateral that is included with new shipped hardware
- Review inserts' copy (Q4)
- New inserts for new CPE (Q1)
- Support for TR-69 (Q2 - Q3)
2.2.6 Promote Self-Serve
Active (proactive) campaign to educate customers about the convenience of our online applications and help content (Q2 - Q3)
2.3 Community and Transparency
2.3.1 Network graphs:
To rate, review what is being graphed and ensure we have the means to accurately display meaningful content for transparency and usefulness for our customers. A complete overhaul.
- Evaluation (Q4)
- Implementation of new graphs into support pages (Q1 - Q2)
2.3.2 Customer Review panel
Implement a programme of Customer panel review for support pages via Usergroup (Q4 - Q1)
2.3.3 Satisfaction Reporting
Improve the reporting functionality to facilitate understanding of customer satisfaction.
- Support page feedback (Q4)
- Key performance indicators (Q1)
- Automated summaries published to website (transparency of data) (Q2)
2.3.4 Customer Generated Content
Create and put live Wordpress instance to facilitate customers owning, creating and maintaining support content.
- Build and test Wordpress (Q4)
- Implement capability for customer to create & edit their own support content on Community Site (Q2 - Q3)
- Assist, moderate and pre-populate content in pre-determined areas (Q2 - Q3)
2.3.5 Navigation & Usability
Improve some navigational shortcomings on the Community Site
- Implement Tag Cloud navigation of ‘official support pages' (Q4)
- Review and ensure clean navigation of content using Tags & Categories (Q4)
2.3.6 PUGIT
Create a Workstream for Customer-driven development in the Web Dev team
- Pick back up PUGIT as Business as Usual (Q4)
2.4 Personnel
2.4.1 Recruitment, Resourcing and Quality
Team Structure & Development: to strengthen and expand skill-base and experience of the team
- Recruitment into the team. (Q4)
- Focus on Quality / introduction of monthly topic champions;
- Skillset analysis and methodology of consistent quality assessment (Q1 - Q2)
2.4.2 Small Project workstream
- Create workstream for small projects and operational tasks (aka NADS) as BAU (Q4)