01 Understand
understand COA workflow and stakeholder challenges
Understanding the ESP journey: Stakeholder interactions, challenges, and opportunities
The team interviewed 26 stakeholders involved in the ESP process, ranging from Case managers, billing and accounting staff, to clients.
Clients’ journey mapping
stakeholder interaction mapping
Stakeholder Interview and synthesis
Stakeholder mapping
Stakeholder Painpoints
The team summarized and narrowed down to 3 main focus areas for this project.
Major painpoints
FINANCIAL EVALUATION:
ESP financial evaluation process is a “Black Box”, it is complicated and confusing.
In-home assessment materials gathering is a hassle.
PAYMENT:
COA’s clients get confused by inconsistent bill every month.
80% of COA billing and accounting phone center workload is because of confusing bills.
DONATION + CONTRIBUTION:
There is no opportunities or COA clients to donate.
02 Define
Discover and define opportunties
Research + Validation: aging trends and alternative models
The team started with understanding generational trends and benchmarked 5 alternative payment models that would be applicable to the ESP program.
Generational Research
Alternative payment model
Contribution strategy
Benchmarking
TECHNOLOGY USAGE:
COA’s client population will become younger and will be more familiarized with technology usage, making online payment and automation more easily adaptable.
AUTOMATION:
We noticed and identified a lot of repetitive tasks in the ESP workflow. Automation is needed to streamline tasks like calculation and documentation.
DONATION + CONTRIBUTION:
There is limited opportunities for COA clients to donate.
2nd round interview with COA stakeholders
We conducted 2nd round of interviews with 8 COA employees that works in the ESP workflow.
Opportunity areas
To improve equity
Develop a Comprehensive Financial Assessment Framework
Reevaluate and restructure financial evaluation process and assessment components
To improve efficiency
Integrate Automation into ESP Workflows
Implement a Fixed Monthly Rate Structure with standardize pricing model
03 Ideate
Co-create and develop possible solutions
Co-creation
The team initiated idea generation and co-creation based on identified opportunities with the COA sponsor team during the ideation phase.
Financial Evaluation Workflow and components
Prototype development
Following the outcomes from co-creation sessions, the team started working on developing prototypes and getting ready for the testing in next phase.
TIER-BASED PAYMENT MODEL:
Structures costs based on client needs and service levels, offering scalable pricing to ensure affordability and sustainability.
A NEW FINANCIAL EVALUATION PROCESS AND METHOD:
Assesses clients’ income, expenses, and liquid assets to determine appropriate cost-sharing and ensure equitable access to services.
AUTOMATED BILL CALCULATION PROCESS:
The team designed a calculator to streamline the documenting process for financial evaluation and calculating bills.
CONTRIBUTION OPPORTUNITY FOR CLIENTS:
Proposes contribution collection touch points in two formats: Quarterly mailed letters and a Direct handout flyer during meal delivery,
04 Test and refine
Test and refine proposal
Testing in field work
The team planned and initiated 1-month testing period with COA assessors, having them enrolling new clients with the proposed payment model, calculator tool, financial evaluation method, and contribution materials.
ESP Payment model, financial evaluation process, and calculator testing
TESTING INSIGHTS:
A fixed amount of bill makes it easier for clients to understand
Reduced financial evaluation work time consumption by 50%
The proposed 4Tier Payment Model is not equitable enough
Sub-tiering in particular is too generalized to get accurate revenue of what clients are being enrolled in.
Contribution Strategy AB testing
TESTING INSIGHTS:
Saw a 129% growth rate in donations compared to 2023
Reached total revenue of $2,053.33
Letter was confusing to clients because they don’t know who COA is
TESTING INSIGHTS:
Reached total revenue of $569.73
Providers mentioned that they liked the flyer because the information was presented well
Refinement
The team proposed two 6-tier-based payment models to address the equity issue in the testings.
6 tier, 4 Subtier Model
6 tier, 4 Subtier Model
With the insights from testing, the team worked with COA marketing team to refine the materials.
handout flyer
Postcards
Quarterly Letter
Testing and Implementation
After handoff, the COA ESP team has adapted the new workflow and has tested, refined and implemented the new payment model.
This was my first time leading a project and a multidisciplinary team independently on a daily basis. Throughout the 2 semesters I was involved in this project, I grew so much as a researcher, a team leader and as an individual.
Balancing Stakeholder Priorities: Navigating the tension between leadership’s revenue goals and field staff’s mission to support seniors, ensuring that financial sustainability aligns with service equity.
Rapid Adaptation & Leadership: Quickly onboarding in a complex environment, understanding the landscape, and confidently stepping into a leadership role to drive the project forward.
Co-Creation with Stakeholders: Leveraging field staff’s firsthand expertise to collaboratively refine processes, ensuring solutions are practical, impactful, and embraced by those implementing them.
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