Project Overview:

This project aimed to introduce the first self-service buy experience for the HPE GreenLake Cloud Platform (GLCP), launched alongside Compute Ops Management. As part of HPE’s broader push to simplify cloud operations, this feature allowed users to purchase services directly through the platform, marking a major milestone in GLCP’s pay-as-a-service (PaaS) capabilities.

The launch of the Compute Ops Management buy experience was a significant step toward empowering users with full autonomy over their purchases, eliminating the need for sales representatives and streamlining the overall buying process. This innovation was part of HPE’s ongoing efforts to enhance self-service capabilities within their cloud ecosystem, and it served as a foundational move toward greater flexibility in managing infrastructure across edge-to-cloud environments.

Press and Industry Mentions:

The launch of the Compute Ops Management buy experience was covered in several press releases and industry publications, drawing attention to its role in simplifying the compute lifecycle on the HPE GreenLake Cloud Platform.
While Compute Ops Management itself was not specifically spotlighted during the HPE Discover 2024 keynote, Antonio Neri emphasized the power of HPE GreenLake’s integrated solutions—including this self-service feature—as part of the company’s strategy to help businesses optimize their infrastructure through automation, hybrid cloud management, and AI integration.

Project Background:

This self-service buy feature was initiated at the C-level, underscoring its importance to HPE’s overall business strategy and its debut at HPE Discover 2024. Articles and reports surrounding the event highlighted Compute Ops Management as a critical service integrated with HPE GreenLake Cloud Platform, emphasizing automating the entire compute lifecycle while providing flexible pay-as-a-service pricing models. Prior to this, users had to engage sales teams to purchase services, resulting in slower sales cycles and user frustration. The objective was to build a solution that allowed users to complete purchases independently, offering tailored pricing and a smoother, automated buying experience.

Understanding the Problem:

At the core of this project, users faced hurdles in purchasing services directly on the platform. The existing process required them to contact sales representatives, which led to inefficiencies and user frustration. The ask was simple: empower users with the ability to purchase services easily, starting with one service, while ensuring essential backend requirements like billing and account verification were met.

Defining the MVP:

The Minimum Viable Product (MVP) was designed to enable users to purchase Compute Ops Management as part of a pay-as-a-service model. The MVP ensured that:

• Users must have a Billing Account already set up, indicating that credit checks had been passed.

• Flexible pricing models were introduced, allowing users to choose from 1, 3, or 5-year subscriptions with monthly, quarterly, or upfront billing.

• Deal IDs were integrated to provide loyal customers with discounted pricing options.

These features provided flexibility for both business and users, laying the foundation for a scalable and efficient self-service buying experience .

Proposed Solutions:

To meet these requirements, we designed a streamlined purchase process that prioritized simplicity and user autonomy. The solution involved a step-by-step wizard to guide users through the purchase process, ensuring no unnecessary complexity was introduced. Key elements of the solution included:

• A simplified wizard interface that only asked for essential information.

• Self-service capabilities that allowed users to apply promotions and discounts on their own.

• A Buy Dashboard as the entry point for users to manage their purchases.

This design allowed customers to quickly move through the buying journey while maintaining control over the details, such as recipient information and deal configurations.

The Design Process:

• Kick-off and Discovery: We began with a kick-off meeting involving all stakeholders to identify user needs and business requirements. Our Product Owners acted as the key link between the executive ask and our design goals.

• Planning and Documentation: We created a demo script to understand the workflow and documented key steps. We captured user stories, prioritized tasks, and centralized all documentation within Figma for easy access across teams.

• Key Insights – Billing Account Streamlining:

As we delved into the design, we discovered that the Billing Account was a major point of complexity. Initially, it contained numerous data points, many of which were defaulted and irrelevant to users. After conducting a detailed analysis, we identified that users only needed to focus on two critical functions:

• Choosing the correct billing account for purchasing the service.

• Identifying the end customer (the recipient of the subscription key), which was pre-filled but could be edited if necessary.

  This insight allowed us to simplify the interface further, presenting only the essential information while maintaining flexibility for users to edit key details. The billing account not only passed necessary credit checks but also acted as the critical enabler for users to purchase with HPE.

Flowchart – Full Buy Experience for COM:

The following flowchart visualizes the entire Buy Experience for COM on the HPE GreenLake Cloud Platform. It depicts the user journey from the Dashboard to the Order History, highlighting the role of the Buy Wizard, Billing Account selection, and Purchase Order confirmation.

The Outcome:

The outcome was the successful launch of the GLCP Buy Experience, which included:

• Simplified Purchasing Process: Users could now complete transactions independently, reducing time spent navigating manual sales steps. This improved the overall user experience and fostered greater trust in the platform.

• Accurate Order and Billing Information: The platform provided users with a clear, well-organized breakdown of their billing details, helping them ensure that all necessary information (such as the recipient of the subscription key) was accurate. Users could now confidently select the correct billing account with minimal friction. A simplified interface presented the most critical data for decision-making.

• Clear Pricing and Flexibility: The ability to apply deal-specific discounts through Deal IDs allowed customers to benefit from competitive pricing, which was important for maintaining customer loyalty and satisfaction.

• Recipient Identification: The end customer (subscription recipient) information was pre-filled but editable, ensuring the correct person received the subscription key.

• Order Review and Confirmation: The final step allowed users to review their order, see a cost breakdown, and confirm all details before submission. Once submitted, users could track their order history directly from the platform.

Conclusion:

The streamlined Billing Account process and simplified Buy Wizard resulted in a user-centric experience that empowered customers to purchase services with ease and autonomy. This project not only enhanced the user experience but also delivered a feature that was a key differentiator for HPE GreenLake Cloud Platform. By focusing on the critical user needs—billing, recipient identification, and purchase tracking—we provided a smooth and intuitive self-service buy feature that has since become a cornerstone of the platform.

ROLE

Product Designer