How PepsiCo Reimaged Internal Systems Through Data-Driven Design

PepsiCo, the global food and beverage leader, partnered with Optimal to transform their internal digital infrastructure. By leveraging Optimal's powerful platform, PepsiCo gained crucial insights into how their workforce interacted with key internal systems. The result? More intuitive employee portals, enhanced productivity, and a more seamless experience across their digital ecosystem.

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The Challenge: Internal Digital Fragmentation

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Managing digital systems for a multinational corporation presents significant hurdles, and PepsiCo was experiencing several:

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• The 'MyPepsiCo' employee portal was creating friction for team members trying to access critical information
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• Internal workforce showed varying levels of understanding regarding portal organization and navigation
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• The core corporate website navigation wasn't optimized for different user needs
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• Their IT Service management program lacked user-centric organization
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With thousands of employees relying on these systems daily, even modest improvements could yield substantial gains in productivity and satisfaction. They needed empirical insights, not assumptions, to guide their optimization strategy.

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The Solution: Optimal's Comprehensive Internal Assessment

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PepsiCo implemented Optimal's versatile platform to gather insights across their digital infrastructure. Here's how they deployed Optimal's toolkit:

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MyPepsiCo Portal Enhancement: Multi-Method Approach

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PepsiCo conducted thorough tree testing studies to evaluate the navigation structure of their 'MyPepsiCo' portal. This wasn't just about link placement, it was about understanding how employees conceptually navigated through the system to find what they needed. They complemented this with open card sorting sessions targeting their internal workforce to gain deeper insights into how employees mentally organized portal content.

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Corporate Website Navigation: Survey-Driven Insights

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Recognizing that their public-facing website served multiple stakeholder groups, PepsiCo utilized Optimal's survey tools to gather structured feedback about navigation patterns and user expectations, helping to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.

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IT Service Management Optimization: Tree Testing for Support Efficiency

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PepsiCo applied rigorous tree testing methodology to their Internal IT Service management program, understanding that efficient IT support directly impacts operational performance. This approach revealed navigation challenges that were hampering service delivery and employee productivity.

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Results: A Transformed Internal Digital Experience

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PepsiCo's strategic investment in Optimal's research tools delivered impressive outcomes:

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• Enhanced Portal Usability: The combined tree testing and card sorting insights led to a restructured 'MyPepsiCo' portal that aligned with employee mental models. This resulted in a substantial improvement in task completion rates and a significant decrease in time spent searching for information.
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• Streamlined IT Support: After reorganizing the IT Service management program based on tree testing results, PepsiCo experienced a notable reduction in support ticket resolution times and a marked increase in employee satisfaction with IT services.
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• Cohesive Digital Ecosystem: By aligning navigation patterns across internal systems, PepsiCo created a more consistent digital experience that reduced training time for new employees and increased overall system adoption rates.
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Conclusion

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PepsiCo's collaboration with Optimal showcases the impact of thoughtful, data-driven UX research on internal systems. By prioritizing employee experience across their digital touchpoints, they've created a more efficient, intuitive infrastructure that supports their global workforce.

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In today's competitive business environment, where employee experience directly impacts operational excellence, PepsiCo demonstrated that understanding how people navigate digital workspaces is crucial to organizational success. With Optimal's sophisticated testing tools providing actionable insights, PepsiCo has positioned themselves as a leader not just in consumer products, but in creating truly user-centered digital experiences for their most valuable asset: their people.

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Want to learn how you can get started gathering meaningful user insight? Reach out to us today.

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