Chasing Ambitious Goals: Insights from Allianz-Turkey’s Product, UX, and Service Design Director
Mustafa Altay, a seasoned expert with over 20 years of experience in IT, UX, product management, and strategic management, joined Allianz-Turkey in 2022 as the Director of Product, UX, and Service Design. We had the opportunity to connect with Mustafa and gain insights into the digital transformation initiatives at Allianz and his role within the company.
Transforming a Traditional Insurance Company
Allianz-Turkey, one of Turkey’s leading insurance companies, is making significant investments to become a truly digital insurance company. Mustafa’s team is responsible for the mobile app’s digital transformation strategy, focusing on adding more functionality and usability features. The goal is to make the app the user’s first contact point when interacting with Allianz.
Three Sources for User Feedback
To make informed decisions about the app, Mustafa’s team collects user feedback from three sources: customer feedback from the call center, customer support forms on the website and app, and proactive touchpoints through the customer experience department’s monthly voice of the customer (VOC) reports. This combination of reactive and proactive data provides a comprehensive perspective for decision-making.
Metrics for Decision-Making
When considering UX features, Mustafa finds Net Promoter Score (NPS), user click-through rates, average time spent per session, and conversion rates on lead forms to be the most useful metrics. The primary KPI is customer coverage expansion.
The Shift to Being Experience-Driven
Mustafa shared his experience in increasing the efficiency of the UX delivery process at Turkcell, where he worked on understanding user needs and implementing strategy. He emphasized the importance of having the backing of other departments within the organization to foster an experience-driven culture.
Fostering an Experience-Driven Culture
At Allianz, Mustafa is working to develop an experience-driven culture by investing in usability tests, which enable the company to empathize with customers and sense their needs before they occur. This shift from a data-driven to an experience-driven approach requires aligning the digital KPIs throughout the organization and including other functional leaders in the decision-making process.
Balancing Short-Term and Long-Term Goals
Mustafa highlighted the challenge of balancing short-term, immediate user needs with a longer-term view of the product. To address this, his team has aligned 20 to 30 percent of the KPIs of each squad with those from top management, ensuring that squad members understand how they contribute to the overall revenue of the organization.
Investing in Personal Growth
In the rapidly changing world of UX and product development, Mustafa believes it’s essential to invest in personal growth, stay updated on industry trends, and expose oneself to different perspectives. He has completed three master’s degrees and is currently pursuing a fourth in psychology, intentionally choosing diverse schools to gain varied perspectives.