FlexConnect: SAP Pledge to Flex
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Category: Hybrid Work
Role: Lead UX Designer Client: Internal (SAP) Duration: 2021 - 2022 Platforms: iOS, Web, Android (container app) Team: Product Management, Lead UX Designer, Associate UX Designer, UX Design Intern, Engineering, HR, Legal, Communications |
Overview
As SAP transitioned to a global hybrid work model under its Pledge to Flex initiative, the company needed a seamless digital solution to help 100,000+ employees plan their workdays, reserve spaces, and stay connected while complying with complex privacy and regulatory requirements. I led end-to-end UX design for SAP FlexConnect. This cross-platform product unified day planning, workspace booking, and team collaboration into a single employee experience. Impact at Glance
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Challenges
SAP’s existing internal tools lacked the flexibility, transparency, and ease of use employees needed to navigate hybrid work. Teams couldn’t easily see who would be on-site, where colleagues were working, or how to stay connected across regions.
Designing FlexConnect required addressing several key complexities:
SAP’s existing internal tools lacked the flexibility, transparency, and ease of use employees needed to navigate hybrid work. Teams couldn’t easily see who would be on-site, where colleagues were working, or how to stay connected across regions.
Designing FlexConnect required addressing several key complexities:
- Ensuring consistent experiences across iOS, Android, and web platforms
- Aligning stakeholders across global departments and regions
My Role
- Conducting user research and interviews.
- Creating journey maps, wireframes, prototypes, and final UI designs.
- Leading usability testing and accessibility reviews.
- Delivering design specs and collaborating closely with development for implementation.
- Establishing a continuous feedback and iteration loop after launch.
Research & Insights
Employees from North America, Europe, and APJ regions were interviewed to understand hybrid work challenges, insights included:
Employees from North America, Europe, and APJ regions were interviewed to understand hybrid work challenges, insights included:
- Employees lacked clarity about when colleagues would be in the office.
- Many sites had inconsistent booking systems or none at all.
- Remote workers felt disconnected from in-office colleagues.
- Privacy concerns made users hesitant to share their work location.
Ideation & Concept Design
Based on our research insights, we identified four key opportunity areas to improve the hybrid work experience:
Based on our research insights, we identified four key opportunity areas to improve the hybrid work experience:
- My Day – Get a clear snapshot of your day, including your location, meetings, and lunch options.
- My Visit – Reserve workspaces and meeting rooms effortlessly.
- Circles – Stay connected with teammates, see who’s on-site, and coordinate meetups.
- Search – Easily navigate office layouts and find colleagues or resources.
Prototyping & Testing
We iterated through multiple design rounds in Figma, following SAP Fiori guidelines (web and iOS) and the iOS Human Interface Guidelines where appropriate, ensuring alignment with UX standards.
We iterated through multiple design rounds in Figma, following SAP Fiori guidelines (web and iOS) and the iOS Human Interface Guidelines where appropriate, ensuring alignment with UX standards.
Design & Engineering Collaboration
We partnered closely with engineering to ensure design interactions were technically feasible and aligned on the intended user experience. To maintain alignment throughout the process, we:
We partnered closely with engineering to ensure design interactions were technically feasible and aligned on the intended user experience. To maintain alignment throughout the process, we:
- Delivered annotated design specs and accessibility guidance in Figma
- Collaborated in daily standups and sprint reviews with product and development teams
- Validated builds to ensure UX fidelity before QA handoff and production release
Launch, Iteration & Impact
The MVP launched in Q3 2021 across pilot sites in Palo Alto, Stuttgart, and Montreal, and by 2025, the application had scaled for global use.
After launch, we established a continuous feedback loop using our internal feedback tool and analytics tracking to guide ongoing improvements.
Ultimately, the product transformed SAP’s hybrid work experience, creating a foundation for the company’s global digital workplace strategy and influencing future employee experience initiatives.
The MVP launched in Q3 2021 across pilot sites in Palo Alto, Stuttgart, and Montreal, and by 2025, the application had scaled for global use.
After launch, we established a continuous feedback loop using our internal feedback tool and analytics tracking to guide ongoing improvements.
Ultimately, the product transformed SAP’s hybrid work experience, creating a foundation for the company’s global digital workplace strategy and influencing future employee experience initiatives.
Planning my day using FlexConnect
1. Kim is planning her week, by tapping the dates in the calendar she can decide which day to go into the office and meet up with some of her team members.
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2. Kim makes a snap decision to go into the office on the current date instead of planning ahead.
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3. Kim doesn’t have an assigned seat, she will need add a workspace. She chooses to add from her Favorites, which is near her other team members.
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4. Kim’s favorite desk is available, she makes a reservation to save her place.
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5. Kim navigates to Circles after reserving her workspace to check if her colleagues from the Discover Team are in the office, they are located in a different country
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6. Kim realizes she needs to go to the Palo Alto office tomorrow, she uses Search to check the floor plans and find a good place to host a meeting.
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Jane checks the My Day tab to see who is coming into the office today. She sees that 10 of her colleagues are expected to be in the office. She decides to make a reservation for the day.
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Jane goes to the My Visits tab to schedule her December office visits so she doesn’t miss out on her favorite workspace.
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