Slide 1
Launching a new interface and supporting and enhancing current Dialog and DataStar products will keep the Platform Management team busy in 2010. In this interview you will find out who they are, what role they play, and how their responsibilities are evolving to provide you with new and better products.
Slide 2
Q: Explain briefly what you see as the Platform Management team’s main mission?
A: The team’s main mission is to ensure the portfolio of products and services meet the needs of Dialog’s global customer base. We accomplish this by working very closely with our customers and the various functional areas within Dialog. Over the last year we conducted more than 500 user interviews. We walked customers through a variety of storyboards — a step-by-step depiction of a user workflow, and user interface prototypes — more finished views of the storyboards but with a richer interface design. We then took the feedback from those sessions and began to build lists of requirements that are then submitted to our Technology organization for implementation in our new platform.
Slide 3
Q: Who is on your team?
A: The Platform Management team has six members, each with more than 10 years at Dialog. Their educational subject expertise is diverse from history to chemistry to computer science. Members also hold masters’ degrees in biochemistry, computer science, library science and business, as well as a juris doctorate.
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Q: What tasks support your mission?
A: Each team member has specific responsibilities to support the overall performance of Dialog and DataStar products. For example, they create new products such as the RefWorks integration; upgrade products, including adding File 997 to NewsRoom Plus; and enhance products such as DialogLink 5 and DialogClassic Web. They also create custom solutions at the request of customers and communicate product details to customers, other teams at Dialog and the development organization. In 2010 their main tasks include conducting extensive customer interviews to understand the needs of our customers in the context of our next generation product, as well as documenting these requirements.
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Q: Can you give us a specific example of one of your tasks?
A: A most recent project was to enhance Dialog integration with Innography to allow direct export of patent records to Innography. We have also spent a good deal of time over the last year conducting storyboard and user interface review sessions. We have interviewed more than 400 customers in 12 countries. These sessions have allowed us to understand what our customers would like to see in our future.
Slide 6
Q: For my final question: Why is your team’s role so important to Dialog customers? And, what makes your job at Dialog so exciting, especially since you have been with the business for such a long time?
A: We are constantly thinking about Dialog and DataStar products and how we can enhance or change them to meet the needs of our users and surpass user expectation. Every day offers new experiences and enables us to use our creativity to shape new product offerings. We are driving the requirements for the new platform, so we have direct influence on how the new platform will work. This is exciting because we have the opportunity to work with many customers to create the long-awaited new Dialog platform.
Slide 7
Watch for interviews with other groups at Dialog in the coming months.
