STREAMLINING USER MANAGEMENT FOR A SaaS Platform

Business problem

Total Plan Platform serves as a web-based data analytics solution. It’s tailored for institutional investors to conduct exposure, risk, and private equity analysis across multi-asset class portfolios.

Defining user permissions within the platform posed challenges, being perplexing and error-prone. Clients faced limitations in their ability to independently modify user statuses, leading to heightened demands on our internal teams. The manual nature of this process further compounded the intricacies of managing user permissions effectively.

Goal

The primary goal was to implement a Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) system to streamline user permissions management. Additionally, a user-friendly interface was required to simplify the process of assigning and managing permissions.

MY ROLE

As the UX-UI lead, I spearheaded the product team through the discovery and ideation phases. I meticulously oversaw the UI design process and maintained close collaboration with the engineering team during implementation. Additionally, I played a pivotal role in crafting client communications.  

Defining Roles and User Groups

To effectively manage user permissions, we introduced two key concepts: 

Roles: Define the actions a user can perform on the platform.

User Groups: Determine the content a user can access.

Example: For instance, an analyst on a "Public Equity" team would belong to the "Public Equity" User Group, granting them access to relevant portfolios and funds. Their "Analyst" role would determine the specific actions (View, Create, Edit, Delete) they could take within their authorized scope.

This approach ensured that permissions remained consistent even if users changed jobs or new hires joined the team. Administrators gained the flexibility to transfer permissions seamlessly while retaining the ability to override capabilities.

Defining System Roles and Permissions

Through multiple brainstorming sessions with Product and engineering teams, we established four foundational system roles: Administrator, Full Access, Standard User, and Viewer. I conducted a rigorous affinity mapping exercise, we meticulously defined the permissions associated with each role, validating against existing database constructs as well as business expectations. 

Iterative User Flow Design

To create an intuitive and efficient user experience, we embarked on an iterative process of designing and refining user flows. Through multiple iterations, we refined the MVP to ensure a smooth and intuitive user journey.

User Interface Design

I proposed a user-friendly interface design that facilitated seamless role and permission management. A clear list picker for Roles and an intuitive slider-style UI for permission assignment were key components. The slider's additive behavior prevented errors, ensuring accurate and controlled permission grants. This design empowered admin users with complete flexibility and transparency, enhancing their ability to manage permissions effectively.

When redesigning core functionality in a SaaS product, effective client communication is crucial. Given users' natural resistance to change, it's essential to involve them in the design process from inception to completion. Throughout this project, I led multiple demos with clients, actively seeking their feedback and validating our design choices. Additionally, we educated our sales and relationship management teams to ensure they were equipped to communicate the new user management flow to our clients.

Implementation and User Adaption

In collaboration with the Product team, we devised a phased implementation plan. We began by releasing it to a select group of internal users for testing and feedback, allowing us to refine the system based on real-world usage. Concurrently, I led a team of researchers to conduct usability testing with 10 users. By gathering their feedback, we were able to iterate on our designs before the final production release. This iterative approach minimized disruption and ensured a successful user adoption process.

Conclusion

By implementing a Role-Based Access Control system and designing an intuitive user interface, Total Plan Platform successfully addressed its user management challenges. The new system empowered users with granular control over permissions, improved efficiency, and enhanced security. The iterative development process and user-centric design ensured a seamless and effective solution that met the evolving needs of institutional investors. As a result, we achieved a successful, seamless, and highly accepted transition to the new user management functionality.

Additional Case Studies