Ears, Eyes and Hearts on Customers: Turning Silos into Shared Wins

TL;DR

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• Unified all business functions around a single view of the customer, uncovering high-impact opportunities across channels.

• Directed a 20-person cross-functional UX & Product team delivering end-to-end digital transformation

• Outcomes:

  • Alignment of all functions on shared goals to optimise CX, supported by executive leadership.

  • Full end-to-end view of the customer journey across online/offline channels, with prioritised optimisation opportunities.

  • Governance structure enabling cross-functional collaboration and continuous improvement.

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Project overview

 

I led a cross-functional initiative at Cambridge University Press to holistically map and optimise the end-to-end author journey for journal article and book publication. This comprehensive blueprint captured every interaction, visible and behind the scenes, illuminating pain points and opportunities to deliver a seamless author experience.

 

Problem statement

 

Authors faced a fragmented and siloed publishing journey, navigating multiple disparate systems shaped by internal structures rather than user needs. With the evolution toward open-access models, with the transition from paying to read to paying to publish, the imperative for a frictionless, customer-centric experience became critical to both satisfaction and revenue growth.

 

Process

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• Conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews across Product, UX, Editorial (Books & Journals), OPRS, Publishing Ethics & Research Integrity, Marketing, Operations, Sales, Customer Services, and Technical Support to ensure holistic insight.

• Mapped the complete author journey, distinguishing frontstage (direct author interactions) and backstage (internal activities supporting the journey) touchpoints.

• Documented all supporting systems, identifying ownership, control, and identity management layers.

• Gathered and synthesised pain points from direct author-facing colleagues, prioritising issues by impact and frequency.

• Created and maintained a prioritised backlog of opportunities, from quick wins to transformative initiatives, to enhance the author experience.

• Facilitated collaborative review sessions with key decision-makers to refine the blueprint and establish clear next actions for implementation.

• Defined governance frameworks for continuous monitoring, measurement, and iterative optimisation of the author experience.

 

Outcome & impact

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• Established a unified vision and shared understanding of the author journey across previously siloed teams, driving business growth through enhanced cross-functional collaboration.

• Empowered the organisation to transition from reactive problem-solving to proactive, evidence-based service design, positioning Cambridge as a leader in academic publishing UX as well as a leader in open-access publishing.

• Laid the foundation for ongoing innovation, measurable improvements in satisfaction and operational efficiency, and strengthened alignment between user needs and business objectives.