How to Dispatch in 2030: Hosting a Design Thinking Session to Align 40+ Stakeholders
Company
Bell Canada
Year
2021-2024
Role
Senior Manager, UX Research and Design
Design Management
Innovation
Stakeholder Collaboration
As the UX Research and Design Manager at Bell Canada, I became the go-to facilitator for large-scale, collaborative sessions using design thinking. Throughout my tenure, I designed and led over 20 strategic workshops. This case study highlights one of the most high-profile sessions, an executive alignment workshop attended by 45 participants.
Bell’s dispatch system was at a turning point. The company was in the process of replacing its existing dispatch tool, which optimized technician scheduling based on an algorithm. However, human dispatchers frequently overrode the system due to real-world complexities. With an interest in automation, there were concerns about job displacement, efficiency, and risk management.
Leadership needed clarity on:
Key pain points in the current system
Opportunities for automation
The balance between human intervention and algorithmic efficiency
What should (and shouldn’t) be included in the RFP for a new vendor
Despite the importance of this discussion, the dispatch team did not have experience running a large-scale, collaborative session of this nature. I was brought in to design and lead a session that would bring together diverse perspectives, uncover insights, and build consensus on the future of dispatch at Bell.
Understanding the Challenge
The Opportunity
Our challenge: How might we align stakeholders to define a shared vision for the future of dispatch that balances human expertise and automation, while uncovering key pain points, identifying RFP gaps, and fostering collaboration in a virtual setting?
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Success for this workshop meant achieving alignment on the most urgent pain points that needed to be addressed with new technology while selecting a vendor. The session also had to:
Identify gaps in the RFP to ensure no critical requirements were missed
Surface the biggest problems in the current dispatch process
Explore potential cost-saving opportunities
Understand how automation could streamline operations while mitigating risk
To ensure these objectives were met, I met weekly with key stakeholders in the weeks leading up to the workshop. The agenda went through five iterations, evolving to accommodate a growing participant list and shifting from in-person to virtual due to budget constraints.
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A strong facilitation strategy was crucial for keeping 45 participants engaged over a virtual WebEx session using Miro. To create an environment where ideas could flow freely, I structured the session around a series of proven ideation techniques:
Magazine from the Future: Encouraged leaders to envision what success would look like years down the line.
Sailboat Exercise: Identified the forces driving progress (winds) and obstacles slowing us down (anchors).
Janus Cone: Explored past trends to predict the most likely future scenarios.
The Disney Method: Examined ideas from dreamer, realist, and critic perspectives to refine our vision.
How-Wow-Now Prioritization: Organized insights into actionable next steps.
A critical enhancement I introduced was offering optional “How to Use Miro” training sessions before the workshop. This preemptively solved potential tech issues and ensured smooth participation.
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The agenda was continuously refined based on stakeholder feedback. The most significant changes included:
Expanding participation to 45 attendees across leadership, field operations, and dispatch teams
Adapting activities to work effectively in a virtual setting
Refining focus areas to prioritize the RFP’s most urgent needs
To facilitate deeper discussions, I trained four co-facilitators to lead breakout rooms, ensuring every voice was heard. A "write-don't-speak" approach was implemented to encourage unbiased input and prevent dominant voices from steering the conversation.
The Outcome
The workshop successfully aligned leadership on the future of dispatch operations, providing clarity on:
Which pain points needed to be addressed first
How automation could improve efficiency while maintaining human oversight
The strategic direction for the new dispatch tool vendor
Beyond the tangible outcomes, this workshop fostered a sense of camaraderie within the business unit, breaking down silos and creating a shared vision for the future.
Testimonial:
“On behalf of Bruce [Senior VP of Field Services] and the entire Field VP team, great work running the [dispatch tool] workshop! It was one of the most effective virtual collaboration sessions I’ve been a part of.”
—Costa Pantazopoulo, VP of Field Operations and Support
As a bonus, I was awarded tickets to TIFF for my leadership in designing and facilitating the session, a testament to the impact and appreciation of this work.
Lessons Learned
This workshop reinforced the importance of:
Pre-workshop training: A small investment in Miro training significantly improved participant engagement.
Iterative design: Refining the agenda through multiple iterations ensured that the final session was highly effective.
Balancing technology with human insight: The key debate on automation vs. human intervention highlighted the need for thoughtful implementation of AI in operational decision-making.
This experience has shaped my approach to facilitating large-scale, strategic workshops, demonstrating the power of design thinking in executive decision-making. By applying structured collaboration techniques, even the most complex challenges can be tackled with clarity, alignment, and impact.