02 · Field + stakeholder research · 2023–24
Turning distributed field evidence into one operating model.
Builder onboarding crossed legal, credit, valuation, regulatory, sales, and operations teams. I researched local practices, incentives, and handoff failures, then translated evidence into shared SOPs and decision paths.
- Role
- Product Manager
- Methods
- Interviews, field observation, workflow analysis
- Coverage
- 9 hubs · 6 states · 5 functions
- Context
- Regulated housing finance
Problem
Local success did not create national consistency.
Builder onboarding depended on jurisdiction, internal function, project documentation, and local relationships. Teams solved similar problems differently. Gaps appeared late, ownership blurred, and escalation depended on individual knowledge.
Research question: Which handoffs repeatedly block onboarding, and what common operating model can work across jurisdictions?
Process
Research incentives, not only steps.
Map current state
Ran recurring mixed-methods field research across nine hubs in six states. Documented artifacts, approval sequences, data checks, workarounds, and escalation behavior across five internal functions.
Model target and stakeholder system
Combined business criteria with secondary research to identify builder prospects. Mapped decision-makers, incentives, response likelihood, and access routes; validated direction with Product and National Credit leadership.
Translate evidence
Converted findings into process maps, a unified SOP, data-validation checks, and an escalation path. Tailored outputs: structured data for finance, graphs for executives, journeys for sales and operations, and incentive maps for relationship strategy.
Outcome
Research supported decisions at business scale.
Work created a shared language across product, operations, legal, valuation, regulatory, sales, and external stakeholders. It also helped progress a government-enterprise relationship from exploratory outreach through formal onboarding.