Venturing into the unknown. Go-to market solution
Context
By managing the end-to-end IT implementation for Papa John's entry into the Kenyan market, I successfully launched digital solutions and backend systems tailored to local financial needs, overcoming key payment processing challenges.
Given the popularity of mobile money transfers in Kenya, we faced a critical obstacle: our standard payment processors lacked an approved acquiring bank in Kenya.
To ensure a seamless user experience for new customers, we integrated a local payment solution, Pesapal, allowing fast, secure transactions through Kenya’s leading mobile payment platform, M-Pesa.
Project Approach
How did we align project requirements across international teams?
One of my primary responsibilities was overseeing the integration between our web and app development teams and the Kenyan-based developers at Pesapal.
To ensure clarity across both teams, I created detailed requirements documentation, user stories, and goal statements.
These documents outlined the desired functionality: a seamless mobile payment option that allowed users to quickly order and pay via M-Pesa, reflecting a core part of Kenyan users’ daily transactions.
How did we maintain clear communication and timeline alignment with remote teams?
To facilitate the cross-team collaboration needed for a timely launch, I held initial calls with both development teams, setting expectations for timelines and each party’s responsibilities. Given the agile, sprint-based approach of both teams, I coordinated regular meetings at the end of each sprint.
This ensured that we stayed aligned with the broader project timeline, allowing us to address any emerging issues without impacting the overall launch schedule.
How did we address and resolve usability issues discovered in testing?
Once the initial integration was deployed in a sandbox environment, I conducted a comprehensive round of UAT (User Acceptance Testing).
During testing, I discovered two critical issues: a delay in payment processing and the absence of a payment confirmation screen.
These issues posed a significant risk to user satisfaction, as customers were left uncertain if their order had been completed successfully.
To address these issues, I developed basic wireframes to illustrate the essential screens and payment flow customers would expect, alongside specific requirements for processing speed.
These were shared with the Pesapal integration team, who promptly implemented the necessary updates.
Following these changes, the system was re-tested, and we achieved a seamless, user-friendly payment experience.
Through effective project management and user-centric design, we successfully launched a digital ordering and payment platform that catered to the unique financial ecosystem of Kenya, ensuring a smooth, fast, and reliable user experience
Key Performance Indicators
Transaction Success Rate: Measured the percentage of successful payments processed through the app, a critical metric for user satisfaction and repeat business.
Payment Processing Time: Benchmarked average time for payment completion, aiming to align with user expectations for speed and convenience.
User Retention Rate: Tracked repeat order rates, reflecting user satisfaction with the seamless ordering and payment experience.
Skills and methodologies Used
Stakeholder Management: Coordinated international teams, ensuring alignment on requirements and timelines for a cross-border integration.
Project Planning and Coordination: Managed agile sprints and bi-weekly check-ins, maintaining alignment on deliverables and addressing issues promptly.
User-Centred Design: Prioritised user expectations for the payment experience, from speed to confirmation, to foster trust in the new platform.
Agile Methodology: Applied agile principles to coordinate iterative testing, feedback loops, and ongoing sprint reviews.
