The Future of DesignOps is Tool Consolidation
Summary
Key Insights
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Gusto reduced tool context switching from 10+ to fewer tools, streamlining research workflows.
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Close partnership with IT enabled holistic visibility around tool use across teams and prevented siloed decisions.
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Empathy towards IT and procurement teams facilitates smoother tool consolidation conversations.
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Intentional change management including surveys and stakeholder feedback helped secure buy-in across the org.
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Tool consolidation led to a cultural shift enabling greater democratization of research and customer centricity.
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Trade-offs are inevitable; prioritizing optimization over perfection allows practical progress.
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Piloting selected modules before full rollout reduces disruption and supports phased adoption.
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Visual mapping of research journeys exposes process gaps and opportunities for automation.
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Reducing manual tasks through automation (e.g. incentive processing) gave the team more time for strategic work.
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Building a strong business case covering cost savings, efficiency, and participant experience eases procurement approval.
Notable Quotes
"We were using 10 different tools to do bite-size pieces of the research flow internally."
"We think holistically about the impact of introducing or removing tools across the org."
"Everybody approaches it with a lot of curiosity and empathy."
"If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word. That same idea applies to tool consolidation."
"It’s not consolidation for consolidation’s sake, it needs to be intentional and mindful of trade-offs."
"Tool consolidation opened up space for conversation and collaboration across teams."
"We mapped the process visually to see gaps and where we could reduce context switching."
"Consolidation improves participant experience by building trust through a consistent outreach process."
"Piloting modules first helps avoid rip-and-replace thrash and eases change management."
"A strong case highlighting cost savings and efficiencies makes procurement conversations easier."
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