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Methodology for Persona Development

Objective​

The creation of these personas is aimed at ensuring a successful migration from Aptify to Salesforce for the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). By understanding the distinct needs and workflows of various user groups within AANP, we aim to tailor the Salesforce system to enhance user experience and efficiency.

Process of Persona Development​

  1. Initial Data Collection:

    • Surveys and Interviews: We began by collecting data through surveys and interviews with staff members across different departments. This helped us understand the current usage of Aptify, pain points, and desired enhancements in the new system.
    • Organizational Documentation: We reviewed organizational charts and existing documentation to map out the different roles and responsibilities within AANP.

  2. Identification of User Groups:

    • Based on the data collected, we identified various user groups within AANP, each with specific roles, goals, and workflows. These user groups were initially broad and included all departments and member categories.

  3. Combining and Refining Personas:

    • Support Staff: Departments that are light users of the current system but may need enhanced features moving forward were combined under this category. These include Operations, Legal Affairs, Human Resources, Executive Staff, Association Governance, and State Government Affairs.
    • Member Administration Staff: Departments focusing on member engagement, transactions, external communications, and professional practice were grouped together. This includes Communications and Marketing, Membership, Professional Practice, Conference, Data (part of the Research team), Federal Gov Affairs, and Finance.
    • Accreditation and Education Staff: Departments focusing on educational programs, accreditation processes, and conducting research were combined. This includes Education, Accreditation, and Research Staff (excluding Data Staff).
    • Salesforce Administrator: The Information Technology Team responsible for managing and configuring Salesforce.
    • Student, NP Member, Retired, Associate, Fellow, International: These individual member categories were identified based on their specific needs and how they interact with AANP.
    • Corporate Members: Corporate Council and NP Organizations were grouped based on their roles in supporting AANP's mission and participating in events and sponsorships.

  4. Decision to Combine Specific Groups:

    • Certain departments like Operations, Legal Affairs, Human Resources, Executive Staff, Association Governance, and State Government Affairs were combined into "Support Staff" due to their similar light usage of the system.
    • Departments like Communications and Marketing, Membership, Professional Practice, Conference, Data, Federal Gov Affairs, and Finance were combined into "Member Administration Staff" because they are heavy users focusing on member-related activities.
    • Educational and research-focused departments were combined into "Accreditation and Education Staff" due to their moderate usage and similar goals.

Reference Material​

By leveraging these sources, we developed comprehensive personas that accurately reflect the diverse needs of AANP's user base. These personas will guide the configuration and customization of Salesforce to ensure it meets the specific requirements of each group, leading to a more efficient and user-friendly system.