The case study analyzes the user experiences of two Vodafone customers during the SIM swap activation process, highlighting issues around clarity and communication. Through interviews and competitor analysis, the project identifies weaknesses in the current process and proposes solutions such as a mobile-friendly app for easier activation. Overall, the findings aim to improve user satisfaction and reduce service complaints for Vodafone.

1. Vodafone Sim Swap Activation
A UX analysis case study
Created by Aswad Charles for WDS A Xerox Company | January 2015

2. There are 83,100,000 active mobile phones in the UK
63% of these phones go through a sim swap activation
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use

3. Background information
What is the issue?
Two users received new phone and sim card
Both users had difficult experiences activating new sim card
Experiences were both different and reflective
Issues circlulate around the process and journey of the sim swap activation
Current process is not clear and also contains a miscommunication experience
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4. Research plan
Summary
Sim swap activation for Vodafone users. Previously two people who I know personally have experienced bad
processes regarding activating their new sim card and phone. Two experiences with different variations of issues and
problems. Issues fall into two major categories; online/web experiences and customer service connectivity.
Goals
Identify the weaknesses in the process and provide opportunities/solutions for improvement.
Questions
1. What was the process for your sim swap activation, and why did you choose this specific route for your issue?
2. What was the main concern of the process to you, what affected you the most?
3. If you had to re do the task again, how would you approach it different?
2

5. Research plan
Methodology
Create interviews with the two user participants. Fundamentally, the project will be heavily based on user research.
With the given information form the users I shall then create user-mapping journeys of the experiences. These
mapping of the experiences will then lead to open solutions to the issue. Background information will also assist the
project, which will include competitor analysis of other mobile providers to view and review their processes.
Participants
- Joanne Gordon, 47 female, entrepreneur business woman
- Joan Charles, 57 female, head school teacher
Target audience:
User cases:
- Any user who is a customer of Vodafone who needs to activate the sim swap functionality
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6. Project methods overview
How I aim to approach the project
- Interview the participtants
- Create personnas from the interviews
- Document the user journeys of the process and exploit the differences
- Find the focus point of the journey
- Create mapping of the general activation process
- Research competitor analysis
- C- Create ideation of how the problem can be solved
- Re-think and design the user journey
- Apply new solution to current process
All work is produced and intiated through agile methods such as sprint planning
4

7. The user case studies - the participants
Joan Charles
The participants
(the users cases)
Joanne Gordon
5

8. User personnas
Joanne Gordon
Android user
Home internet provider
- Talk Talk
Age 45, female
HTC phone user
Regular mobile
phone user
Smartphone user
Loyal vodafone
customer - 10 years
Semi-tech savvy
Patience is thin when it
comes to tech
Internet shopper
- uses sites like Asos
Owns a laptop &
desktop PC at home
Business woman
- runs her own nursery
Mother of three children
- youngest is 7 years old
Uses her phone for busineess
and personal use
Contributes to sharing
sites like Trip Advsior
6

9. User personnas
Joan Charles
Age 57, female
Savvy tech user
Looks for the best
deals when buying products
Apple user - iPhone
Owns a macbook Pro
laptop at home
Regular smart app user
- prefably likes Netflix,
Facebook, BBC news
Head school teacher
Loyal Vodafone
customer - 5 years
Regular mobile
phone user
Rings abroad often
- uses apps like Skype
Home internet provider
- Virgin media
Mother of four
children
Prefers Apple
products
7

10. User case scenarios
Joanne Gordon
New phone arrives with new sim card
Joanne decides to activate new sim card on a Saturday evening
Joanne tries to folllow online instructions - but finds it confusing
Joanne seeks help - asks myself to assist her
I follow instructions on the site
Insert all details needed - fills in 9 mandatory fields
DDetails are then submitted - we wait for process to be completed
Joanne now realises she now has no active phone - and is not sure when the phone will be active
Joanne is forced to head out that evening with no phone
By next day in the evening the process is complete. Joanne can now use her new phone with the new sim
Note:
Joanne chose to activate the
sim swap via the website,
due to the given instructions
via the new sim card packaging.
8

11. User case scenarios
Joan Charles
New phone arrives with new sim card
Joan decides to activate new sim card on 23rd December
Joan rings customer services to activate new sim card and gives details
Vodafone states; the process will be finsihed by midnight of the same day.
On the next day, Joan checks to see if sim is activated - the sim is not
Both phones are now non-active
JJoan rings Vodafone from a landline and queries the issue and give details again
Vodafone states; it can take up to another 24 hours to process.
At this moment Joan, has no mobile active service on Christmas Eve
Later on the same in the evening, the new phone and sim was active.
Note:
Joan chose to activate the
sim swap by contacting
customer support, as she
thought this was the best option.
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12. User case scenarios comparision
Website is not mobile friendly
9 mandatory fields needed to be filled
Website stated it would take 20 mins - 12 hours for completion
Joanne felt the website was not clear on what to do
Joanne asked for my assistance with the process
Joanne did not realise that both phones will not be available
JJoanne felt frustrated by the process
No mobile phone for nearly 24 hours
Vodafone stated; it would take until midnight to finish
Joan rang customer services twice and gave details
During 24th Dec, Joan could not make/receive contact
Joan felt angry and let down by the whole process
On the second call, Vodafone stated it would take 24 hours
Joan had no mobile phone for over 24 hours
FFalse information was given to Joan several times
Joan was not aware that she would have no mobile service
Joan Charles
Customer support experienceOnline website experience
Joanne Gordon
10

13. Both users felt they were let down by the process
They both exceeded the average wait for the activation
Both users were not aware of having no mobile service
They had no indication when their new sim would be activated

14. General overview of the sim swap activation process
Receive new
phone and sim
1
Old device is
active | New
device is
non-active
Info
Open box,
instructed to
activate new sim
2
Go to the
website and
follow
instructions
3
Ring customer
services and
follow
instructions
3
Provide all of
the requested
details
4
Sim swap
process has
started
5
Text mesage
confirmation is
sent to old
phone/sim
Good
connection
to the user
Info
Both devices
and sims are
non-active
Info
Frustrated
moment
Time estimate
is not clear at
this state
Time roughly
estimated to be
30 mins -12
hours but
exceeds more
than likely
User has no
service for any
of the mobile
devices
User is not
aware this
would happen
Wait for process
to finish
6
Sim swap
process is
now complete
7
Old device is
non-active | New
device is active
Info
12

15. Competitor analysis
Activate through
online/website
Activate through
phone service
Duration (stated
on website)
Device availability
(during process)
Yes
Yes
20 mins - 12 hours
No
Yes
No
1 hour - 24 hours
No
Yes
Yes
2 hours - 24 hours
Yes - only recieve
texts/calls
Yes
Yes
1 hour - 24 hours
No
13

16. The customer journey
Orderproduct
Receiveproduct
Activateproduct
Golivew/product
Delightful
experience
Non-pleasant
experience
14

17. How to improve the customer experience
How to improve
the experience
Make the process
feel humanised
Take in consideration for
time awareness
Reduce the customer
support contact
Better
communication tools
Let the user know ‘how
long a task may take to
complete’
Make the experience
feel delightful
Don’t make it
feel like a task Make the user do
less of a task
Make web experience
mobile friendly
Make the transaction
feel seamless
Reduce the frustration
Make the process
clear to the user
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18. Concepts and ideation
Concepts
and ideas
Allocate a phone service
for sim swap issues
Create an improved
transcript for customer
support services
Make the sim swap
action easier to obtain -
phone app
Content strategy -
web experience
Re-design the
website - make it
easier to use
Keep the phone service alive -
redirect phone service
Communicate the process
status - mapping
16

19. Targets and goals
Tasks the
user has to
provide for
the process
Create a
delightful
experience
Provide
old sim info
Personal
details
Provide
new sim info
Know
when the
service is
complete
Know how
long till the
service
is complete
Make and
receive
texts and
calls
Feel in
control of
the process
What the user has to acheive What I would like the user to acheive
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20. Solutions to activate sim swap
Activate
sim swap
service
Website
Phone
application
Phone
helpline
Mobile
friendly
Content
strategy
Sim/details
detection
Barcode
scan - new sim
Direct
helpline
New
Transcript
18

21. The solution
App
Activation
20
mins
to go
Process
complete
19

22. Phone application process
Download
app from the
OS app store
1
Open app on
phone (old one)
2
Insert details:
phone number
and date of birth
3
Submit and
confirm info
4
New screen
displays
personal and
phone details
5
Submit and
confirm details
6
Phone camera
application
activated
7
Scan barcode
located on new
sim card
packaging
8
New sim number
is displayed on
screen
9
Confirm sim
number
10
Sim swap
process has
started
11
View
progress and
status
12
Screen displays
duration left
and visual
indicator
13
Receive text
message of
confirmation
when complete
14
Task complete
15
20

23. Phone re-direct process
Activation
begins
1
A signal trigger
is sent to cloud
service
2
Phone number
is patched with
an alternative
number
3
All phone
data (calls/texts
internet data)
is passed through
4
Temporary
number is now
active
5
User continues
using phone
as normal
6
Temporary
number is only
known to
Vodafone
7
In background
old sim is being
transfered to
new sim
8
Activation is
complete
9
All data on
temporary
number is passed
onto new sim
10
Temporary
cloud service
is dismissed
11
Task complete -
user can start
using new
sim card
12
21

24. Phone app wireframe overview
22

25. Phone app wireframe overview
23

26. Phone app wireframe overview
24

27. Phone app wireframe overview
25

28. Phone app wireframe overview
26

29. Phone app wireframe overview
27

30. Conclusion
What does this mean for Vodafone as a business perspective?
- Re-think the infrastructure
- Create a new cloud service
- Temporary number algorithm
- Re-invest into sim swap service for new sim activation
What benefits can Vodafone gain and achieve from this?
- Reduce complaint calls to customer service; reduce cost effectively.
- Gain further brand trust
- Innovate and lead within their market share
- Increase loyalty and increase succesful transitions; sim swap conversions.
Next initial steps
- Create a prototype of the phone application
- Perform user testing with the phone app and reflect on results
- Look into detail regarding the service blueprint design of the overall process
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31. Thank you for listening
Any questions?
@aswadcharles | aswadcharles.com